END OF WATCH: August 3, 1935
Cleveland Police Department
Age: 33
Patrolman Martin Carlin was appointed to duty on August 10, 1934. In March of the following year, he was assigned to plainclothes duty in the detective bureau. He was mortally wounded in the line of duty on July 29th.
July 29, 1935, was predicted to be sunny and seventy seven degrees. It was to be a weekend of shootings, burglaries and holdups. Detective Carlin was on duty along with his partner, Detective Howard Luzius, in radio cruiser nine.
At around 2:45 a.m. Officers received a report of burglars and responded to the Gloria Candy Shoppe at 2145 Broadview Road. Accompanied by additional police officers, an attempt was made to surround the store. One of the suspects, a nineteen year old white male, later identified as Anthony Goose of 2529 West 10th Street, and accomplice, eighteen year old Steve Strutynski of 2370 West 5th Street, jumped through the front window of the store. Goose was apprehended by Patrolman J. Jeffries while the second suspect ran west on Broadview Road with Carlin and Luzius in pursuit. Carlin gave a verbal order to halt but suspect failed to heed the order. Carlin fired four shots at the suspect.
When the suspects smashed the window to elude capture, Mrs. Bily a few buildings away at 2151 Broadview Road, heard the noise and thought they were being burglarized. She woke her husband, hardware store owner Mr. Edward Bily. Mr. Bily armed with a 22 Remington Rifle, saw the two men running and fired two shots toward Carlin believing he was one of the burglars.
Carlin was taken to St. John’s Hospital at his request, where Dr. O’Malley determined a bullet had entered Carlin’s front abdomen and another entered the right side of his lower chest. Patrolman Carlin’s intestinal artery had been severed, surgery was postponed and blood transfusions ordered. Police Officers from many districts lined up to donate blood.
On July 30th, Carlin’s condition was reported as “doubtful” and on August 3rd, 1935 he died from his wounds. Patrolman Carlin was survived by his wife, Agnes, four sisters and three brothers.
Initially, Assistant Police Prosecutor Sidney Fink charged Mr. Bily with shooting to kill but after Patrolman Carlin died, the charge was changed to manslaughter. Mr. Bily was released on a one thousand dollar real estate bond. As for Strutynski, he was never captured.
Martin Carlin’s name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C. panel 53, west wall, line 1.
By Recruit M. Smith, Cleveland Police Academy
