POUGHKEEPSIE – As Memorial Day nears, dozens of members of law enforcement from throughout the Hudson Valley gathered at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center on Thursday to pay respects to Dutchess County Deputy Sheriff Eugene Cribley, who was killed in the line of duty on November 13, 1906.
The annual ceremony hosted by Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati pays tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who have passed away.
Sheriff Imperati told those in attendance that Cribley, a fixture in the Dover Plains community, was on patrol that night in his town and noticed movement inside Culligan’s Market. As he slowly entered the store, the brave deputy surprised the burglar, who proceeded to draw a revolver and fatally shoot Cribley.
“The deputy’s murderer fled, and he was on the run for six years,” the sheriff recounted. He was eventually captured in Pennsylvania, brought back to Dutchess County to stand trial. He was indicted for first-degree murder and tried in Dutchess County charges in Dutchess County Court. Unfortunately, the murderer was acquitted at that trial.”
Cribley was also a member of Dover’s JH Ketcham Hose Company, and his memory lives on in the community.
Deputy Cribley was buried in the Dover Cemetery, where his remains rest to this day.
“We gather to remember and honor his life and his family – because he made the ultimate sacrifice protecting and saving life and property as a deputy sheriff,” Imperati said.
