Age: 50½
Served: 2½ years
April 1934 to October 13, 1936
OFFICER
Littleton was born March 20, 1886 in Anderson County, Kentucky, the fifth of six children born to farmers, William H. and Mary (Munday) Sale. He could trace his American roots to the 17th Century in Essex County, Virginia.
After marrying Anna Forest Lee, he and his family moved around fairly often. During 1917 they were living in Indianapolis. A year later they had moved to Georgetown, Kentucky. During 1920 they were living in Louisville, Kentucky. While there, he worked as a motorman on a street railway.
They moved again to Covington, Kentucky and during April 1934 he joined the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad as a Patrolman. The family was living at 11 East Twentieth Street in Covington.
INCIDENT
On October 13, 1936 at 4:30 a.m., less than three quarters of a mile from his home, in the rail yards at Fourteenth and Neave Streets, Patrolman Sale was accidentally struck by a freight train. It was later determined by Coroner James P. Riffe that he was inspecting a northbound train when he fell to the ground and across the tracks under the freight train. His right foot was severed, and he was decapitated. There were no witnesses.
FUNERAL
Patrolman Sale was survived by his wife, Anna Forest (Lee) Sale, and children, Wilbur Sale and Mary Jane Sale. Services were conducted at their residence. He was buried October 15, 1936 in the Lawrenceburg Cemetery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
If you know of any information, archives, artifacts, or images regarding this officer or incident, please contact the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum at Memorial@Police-Museum.org.
© This death was rediscovered during 2015 by Cincinnati Police Homicide Detective Edward W. Zieverink III (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Museum Historian. This narrative was additionally researched and revised on September 7, 2018 by Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Museum Archivist. All rights are reserved to them and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.