Frederick William

DETAILS OF DEATH

On the night of his death Constable Wolgast was patrolling Centennial Park Sydney. Hearing a cry of ”Stop that man he pinched that bag!” the Constable joined other passersby in a foot pursuit of a suspected bag-snatcher. Seeing the offender drop the bag Constable Wolgast picked it up and continued to run after him. When the Constable had closed the distance between himself and the offender to about six metres the offender suddenly produced a revolver and fired at Constable Wolgast hitting him in the chest. Though the offender escaped he was later arrested and sentenced to death (commuted to life). Unfortunately Constable Wolgast’s wound proved to be fatal and he passed away at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later. The Constable was born in 1891 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 16 April 1913. At the time of his death he was stationed at Paddington.