John A. Weimar

John A. Weimar, an officer with the Pittsburgh Police Department, was shot and killed on August 24, 1874, at the intersection of Wylie Avenue and Chatham St., in the Hill District.

Weimar and fellow officer David Bailey had arrested Hezekiah K. Hillon, a “colored barber,” and William Sproul, and were escorting them to the jail when Hillon drew a weapon and shot Weimar.

Hillon was convicted of second-degree murder on October 28, 1874. Hillon’s intoxication apparently kept him from a first-degree murder conviction.

Author: Bill Lofquist

I am a sociologist and death penalty scholar at the State University of New York at Geneseo. I am also a Pittsburgh native. My present research focuses on the history of the death penalty in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pa. View all posts by Bill Lofquist