Officer Thomas Bolin, assigned to the Fourth District, was found dead in his dining room of his home at 614 O'Fallon Street. Officer Bolin went off duty at 11:00 am, went to cash his check and returned home at 1:30 pm. He turned the money over to his wife, who left the room to fix lunch, and sat down in the dining room. His wife heard a single shot and found him lying on the dining room floor with his revolver at his feet. The bullet discharged from the revolver struck Officer Bolin in the temple, passed through his head and lodged in a wall. The death investigation determined that officer Bolin's service revolver was defective, had discharged accidentally on two separate occasions and, had done so on this third occasion, discharging when it fell from it's usual resting place on the fireplace mantle.

The paycheck for $195 that Officer Bolin had cashed that day included back pay for his work during the street car strike. He had been shot in the knee while guarding a Union line car during the strike. He was off work with the injury for two months but returned to work four weeks prior to his death. His coworkers had reported that he had been in good spirits and rarely mentioned the shooting. Officer Bolin had acquired his revolver from his relative, Thomas English. Thomas English reported that he himself was previously wounded when the revolver malfunctioned. The revolver had subsequently malfunctioned twice, 'snapping' as Officer Bolin set is down and he had told his wife that when he got his back pay he planned on purchasing a new duty weapon. Officer Bolin had been laughing with his wife as she left the room to fix his lunch. Five minutes later she heard the revolver discharge and found her husband lying unconscious on the floor. Two physicians came to the house but reported that Officer Bolin was beyond medical aid. A coroner's inquest determined the death to be accidental.

Officer Bolin was assigned to the Fourth District. He was survived by his wife, Agnes, and children, John and Mary.