Officer Cummings succumbed to injuries received the previous day when he was beaten by two men he was attempting to arrest. Officer Cummings had responded to a bar at Morgan and Jefferson Street over a dispute of a bar tab when two men refused to pay for their drinks. When Officer Cummings entered the two men began to beat him with a club and kick him causing Officer Cummings to sustain a severe concussion. After the assault he was taken to his home where his condition deteriorated, causing his death the next day. Two suspects were apprehended and held for trial.

Officer Cummings joined the department in 1874. He was survived by his wife, Catherine. Interred: Calvary Mausoleum and Cemetery, St Louis, MO.