Officer Matthew Patrick McDonagh
(July 9, 1895 -- Dec. 16, 1923)

In addition to the more common gunfire and vehicle collisions, there was a period from the 1910s to the 1930s when rail accidents posed a particular threat to LAPD officers. During the 26-year period from 1911 to 1937, six LAPD officers were killed by trains or streetcars while they were walking or driving a motorcycle or automobile. One of them was Officer Matthew Patrick McDonagh.

McDonagh was born on July 9, 1895, in County Sligo, in northwest Ireland, the fifth of 11 children born to Matthew, a farmer, and Catherine "Kate" Hannon McDonagh.

Matthew's older brother, John, was the first member of the family to leave Ireland and move to the U.S., arriving on May 3, 1914 -- his 21st birthday. John settled in Chicago, where he worked as a laborer in a machine shop.

While the rest of their siblings remained in Ireland, Matthew followed John to the U.S. a year later, departing from Liverpool, England, on the S.S. Orduna on June 5, 1915, and arriving in New York City on June 14, 1915, shortly before his 20th birthday.

Two years later, Matthew McDonagh was living near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and working as a boiler operator for the Woodmen Sanatorium, which provided free treatment for tuberculosis for members of the Modern Woodmen of America, a life insurance organization with more than a million members. The Woodmen Sanatorium, which opened in 1909, promoted a natural recuperative treatment with fresh air, a healthy diet, and sunshine in the Colorado foothills.

The Woodmen Sanatorium was essentially a self-contained city, with its own train station, power plant, reservoir, administration buildings, laundry, auditorium and the state's largest dairy herd. The property also contained 245 single-patient "TB huts." As tuberculosis treatments improved, the Sanatorium closed in 1947.

In June 1917, at the start of World War I, McDonagh enlisted in the U.S. Army, and was sent to serve in France. After the war, McDonagh returned briefly to Colorado and his boiler operator's job at the Woodmen Sanatorium.

By 1921, McDonagh had moved to Los Angeles and started working as a police officer for the LAPD, and was a member of the department's motorcycle officers -- the "Speed Squad." He was living at 404 W. 56th St., southwest of downtown. The following year, he was living at 237 E. 23rd St., across the street from the current location of the Santee High School football stadium.

For the "Speed Squad" officers, the job was especially dangerous, beyond the typical dangers of police work. At the time, automobile drivers weren't used to seeing or sharing the road with the smaller and faster vehicles, roads were often bumpy and uneven, and the "Speed Squad" officers didn't wear helmets or any special protective clothing. Instead, early motorcycle officers typically wore a jacket and tie, and a tweed cap.

On April 4, 1923, 27-year-old McDonagh married 30-year-old Kansas native Fannie Jane McDaniel.

Eight months after his wedding, on Sunday, Dec. 16, 1923, McDonagh was traveling west on East Sixth Street at an estimated 35 mph on his motorcycle, with a passenger, approaching South San Pedro Street, less than a mile south of downtown Los Angeles. At the same time, a Pacific Electric freight car was heading toward the intersection.

The Pacific Electric motorman said McDonagh tried to cut in front of the freight train and was hit. McDonagh was knocked off his motorcycle to the pavement, and his passenger ran off. When McDonagh fell to the pavement, a bottle in his hip pocket broke and his clothes smelled strongly of alcohol.

At the time of the collision, Prohibition, which banned the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages, had been the law of the land for nearly four years. It's likely that McDonagh had picked up a violator of the Prohibition law and was bringing him to the police station, and the bottle in his pocket was evidence.

After hitting the pavement, McDonagh passed out from loss of blood and shock. He was taken to the Central Receiving Hospital, which was attached to the Central Police Station at 314 W. First St., where his right leg was amputated at the knee. McDonagh died a few hours later from his injuries.

McDonagh left his widow, who was newly pregnant with the couple's first child. Slightly less than nine months after McDonagh's death, his widow gave birth to their son, also named Matthew Patrick McDonagh, on Sept. 5, 1924.

McDonagh's son followed in his father's footsteps and joined the LAPD, as did McDonagh's grandson and great-grandson, who all served as LAPD officers. McDonagh's great-grandson, Michael McDonagh, joined the LAPD in 2002 and wore his great-grandfather's LAPD badge number -- 468 -- until he moved to the Rialto (California) Police Department in 2011.

Officer McDonagh's burial details are unknown.

His memorial sign is located on the southwest corner of East Sixth and South San Pedro streets.

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