Griffiths took the man into custody and was walking him to the police callbox on the corner of 200 South and 200 West when Anselmo broke away and ran from the officer. He fled to the rear of the Sweet Candy Company, 200 South 200 West, where Griffiths caught up with him. Anselmo produced a .32 automatic pistol and shot the officer twice in the torso. When Griffiths fell to his knees, Anselmo shot him once in the head, killing him instantly. Anselmo then fled westbound into an area known as "Greektown". Having information from witnesses as to the identity of the killer and his possible hiding place, officers responded to the home of his parents on Love Court (550 South 450 West) where they made inquiry about the fugitive. Relatives denied that the man had been there all day. At about 9 p.m. that evening, an informant who lived on Love Court notified police that the wanted man had been seen there and had, in fact, been present when the police had been there earlier. The man had apparently been hiding in an outbuilding. Responding officers saw the man running in the yard and opened fire on him striking him once in the buttocks. Mr. Anselmo was taken into custody and several relatives were arrested for obstructing officers. "Little Tommy" Griffiths, as he was known to his fellow officers, was the father of six children. He and his wife, the sister of another police officer, lived at 1056 Pierpont Avenue. Griffiths was born in Bridgend, South Wales, and was 39 years of age at the time of his death. He was appointed to the Police Department on June 12, 1907 and had been promoted to First Grade Patrolman on February 11, 1913. Source: SLC Police PMAA / Museum Oct99
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