MONTICELLO, NY — One of the most infamous crimes in the history of Monticello, the Town Of Thompson and Sullivan County took place 100 years ago at 3 a.m. on September 6, 1923. Veteran Monticello Police Officer Edward C. Dollard was shot and killed while on duty. 

Recently, members of the Monticello Police Department and I commemorated the solemn date with a photo and a memorial plaque at officer Dollard’s grave.

Today, the loss of Dollard reminds us of the dangers our law enforcement professionals put themselves in every day. We owe them our gratitude for putting their lives on the line as they do their duty. 

Here is how the crime unfolded 100 years ago.

A burglary was in progress at an auto sales store near the corner of Broadway and Oakley Avenue, today known as North Lakewood Avenue. As Dollard approached the store to investigate, two men stepped into view. One opened fire with a .45 caliber pistol, striking Dollard once in the chest and twice in the head. He was killed instantly.

Monticello patrolman Al Conroy, hearing the shots, hurried to the scene. Seeing Conroy, the burglars fired a volley of shots. Officer Conroy returned fire, striking the rear of the car, but was unable to stop them.

Conroy immediately posted an all-points warning as far as New York City, according to a report in The New York Times. 

Along with Monticello, the police agencies involved in the pursuit included Middletown, Monroe, Tuxedo, multiple sheriffs and the New York State Police. During the pursuit, the items stolen—including tires and a cash register—were tossed into the path of the pursuing officers. 

Ultimately, three men were involved in the crime and were apprehended by the New York State Police between Monroe and Tuxedo, where the getaway car had been found abandoned. A search was then initiated into the neighboring woods, where the suspects surrendered without resisting. They were heavily armed and were found with their cache, including the service revolver that belonged to officer Dollard.

After their capture, the trio was transported to the Monroe state police barracks to await pickup by Monticello Police Chief John J. Shea, Sullivan County Sheriff George D. Pelton, Sullivan County DA Henry F. Gardner and former Sullivan County Sheriff George N. Hembdt.

During the return to Monticello, one of the three suspects gave the chilling details of what occurred. It was learned that one man was the triggerman, firing at point-blank range, and another was a witness. A third man—a driver—was not further implicated in the affair.

Upon the suspects’ arrival in Monticello, a large crowd of people had gathered. Emotions ran high. Because of the heightened emotions of the crowd, the officers and the trio of suspects were led through a connecting tunnel between the county jail and the county courthouse.

The following Saturday, the funeral gathering at St. Peter’s Church was recalled by the Liberty Register to be one of the largest attendance in the Village of Monticello. The funeral procession consisted of 40-plus cars, which drove down Broadway to the family plot at St. Peter’s Cemetery on Rock Ridge Road, where Officer Dollard was buried in the rain.

The trial of the men was held soon after, with the triggerman, 23-year-old Peter Fessler of Guttenberg, NJ, being convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in Dannemora State Prison, where he died on May 22, 1951. 

The getaway driver, 23-year-old Cornelius Short of Jersey City, NJ, was tried and convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair and was sent to Sing-Sing to await execution. Just days before his scheduled electrocution, Gov. Alfred E. Smith commuted his sentence to life and spared his life. 

The last member of the criminal trio, George Barche, pulled off an escape from the Sullivan County Jail with an accomplice named Morris Raner on October 28, 1923, and he was never recaptured.