H. L. Dellinger, chief of police of Washington, N.C., was instantly killed at noon Saturday when he undertook to arrest Filmore Wright, who was crazed with drink. The officer had been summoned by phone to arrest Wright, who occupied a boat house near Washington Park and who, partly drunk, was trying to break into the home of Archibald Jackson in East Second street. Eye witnesses to the affair saw Wright bending over the police chief, pouring lead into him.
The boys who happened to be in the vicinity and saw the disturbance raced to city hall and notified Elbert Weston, assistant recorder. Weston drove to the scene, arriving just in time to see Dellinger step on the running board of his car about to alight. Wright in a flash whipped out his gun, fired at Dellinger at short range, felling him. He then raced to Gilbert Latham’s house and got upon the porch. Believing himself trapped, the murderer turned his gun on himself, shooting himself in the head. A moment later Deputy George Harris reached the spot and found Wright trying to turn himself over, breathing his last. In a moment he was dead.
Editor’s Note: This article contains a nice photo of Police Chief Dellinger. To see it, go to newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83025812/1926-10-01/ed-1/seq-5/
From page 5 of the Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Friday, Oct. 1, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83025812/1926-10-01/ed-1/seq-5/
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