TRUE AND FASCINATING CANADIAN HISTORY
Memorial to Reg.#6177, Corporal Leonard V. Ralls
Honour Roll #52
by J. J. (Buffalo) Joe Healy
Honour Roll #52
by J. J. (Buffalo) Joe Healy
(A leisurely read for some, a lesson for police officers)
The early summer of 1932 was not routine for the RCMP. There had been several burglaries along the highway through Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Everyone's
nerves were on on edge as the possibility of more thefts might occur.
Just after midnight on July 5, 1932, Reg.#11159, Cst. Michael Novakowski tried to stop a suspicious car which failed to yield to his directions. When he tried to
pass the car, the driver cut Novakowski's cruiser off and the occupants began shooting at his police car. Cst. Novakowski stopped at the next village, phoned ahead to
Reg.#6177, Cpl Leonard V. Ralls at Foam Lake, described the situation and asked for a roadblock to be set up.
Cpl. Ralls parked his police car on a convenient bridge to prevent passage of the offending car. The wanted car soon arrived, stopped and, one occupant
slipped out in the darkness. As Cpl. Ralls approached the car, he was suddenly shot from two directions. Cpl. Ralls was mortally wounded, but he managed to
return fire while retreating toward his police car. The fugitives then tore the ignition wires from the police car and sped away.
Cpl. Ralls managed to call out for help. A nearby neighbor, awakened by the gunfire, came to Ralls' aid. Cpl Ralls was taken to the local doctor, but he died. He
did manage to say that his assailants had fled in an the easterly direction.
Word of the Corporal's murder spread rapidly -- probably from Mrs Ralls because she had been notified of a shooting, learned that it was her husband and went to the
doctor's office to be with him.
The Officer In Charge of the area, #O.206, Insp. William J. Moorhead, arrived at Foam Lake from Yorkton, SK to take charge of the search. A radio station
in Regina was notified to alert neighbours living in the surrounding areas. Within a day, three aircraft were scouring the countryside and armed farmers
volunteered their assistance. Cst. Novakoski and Reg.#10773, Cst. Walter E. Hutchinson found the abandoned car hidden in thick bush near the village of
Lintlaw, SK. It had been reported stolen and inside the car stolen property was discovered. Meanwhile, several sightings of the suspects had been received
by the RCMP.
On July 7th, three horses were stolen from a farm near Kelvington, SK and the police posse moved closer to their quarry. Reg. #10851, Cst. Joseph Parsons
(later Superintendent) and the Wadena Town Constable found three horses tied to a tree near Kinloch. As they crept closer, suspect Mike Kurulak walked over
to the horses and he was promptly arrested. The town constable held the prisoner while Cst. Parsons approached a nearby farmhouse. Suddenly,
two men exited. On being told to stop, they drew guns, commenced shooting and fled into nearby bush.
The main posse soon arrived led by Reg.#6495, Sgt. Norman J. Anderson (later Superintendent, O.307). From the arrested suspect, police learned
that the remaining fugitives were Bill Kurulak (Mike Kurulak's older brother) and Bill Miller. Both suspects also had lengthy criminal records.
A careful search began of the surrounding bush land.
On July 8th, Bill Kurulak was found sleeping and he was arrested by Reg.#6163, Cpl. George S. Nutt, Reg.#10949, Cst. Peter Nightingale and
Reg. #10904, Cst. Frank Newman. It was learned later, that Bill Kurulak had arrived at a farm near Green Water Lake and asked for a place to sleep.
The owner gave him a bed, then quietly went to a neighboring farm and called the RCMP. When he was taken into custody, Kurulak had a loaded revolver under his
pillow but he was in police hands before he had a chance to reach it.
Miller, the last fugitive at large, was spotted several times through the day but each time he fled in an exchange of gunfire. Late in the afternoon,
he was finally surrounded in a large bushy area and there was considerable gunfire from both sides. After a reasonable lull in Miller's return shots, members
cautiously entered the bush and found Miller lying dead. He had two serious wounds from police bullets, but he had committed suicide with his own revolver.
The Kurulak brothers were charged with murder. Mike, the younger of the two, received a reduced sentence of 15 years in the penitentiary for manslaughter.
Bill Kurulak was sentenced to hang. He died on December 29, 1932.
Cpl. Leonard Ralls is listed as #52 on the RCMP's Honour Roll. He was 44 years of age when he was killed. He had engaged in the RCMP on September 9, 1914 and
he was married with four children.
(Source: Details summarized with permission from: In the Line of Duty: Volume II. From Fort Macleod to Mayerthorpe.
By Canadian author Robert Knuckle. General Store Publishing House. Renfrew. Ontario.
Cpl. Ralls is buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
RIP
Reg.#6495 Sgt. Norman J. Anderson (later Superintendent, O.307) was seconded from the RCMP to the New Brunswick's Gov't Highway Safety Council in 1950. Between
the years 1952 to 1960, he was Chief Coroner for NB. Superintendent Anderson was a Life Member NB Vets. He is buried in the Wilmot Rural Extension, Lot # 27D near
Fredericton, NB.RIP
This story was summarized and edited with permission from the history files of Vet Jack White. I am continually indebted to Jack for the information and the
research which he provided for stories which appear on the RCMP National Graves Location and Maintenance Information Website. I also thank my friend
author Robert Knuckle for all his encouragement.
RIPRIP
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