Iowa Concerns of Police Survivors

Policeman James Kent succumbed to an accidental gunshot wound sustained while attempting to remove his pistol from its holster.

He had received reports of a vicious dog at the corner of Fourth Street and Court Street and had gone to the location to locate it. Upon arriving at the corner he attempted to remove his pistol to shoot the dog but the trigger caught on his clothing and it discharged. The round struck him in the leg, causing a serious injury.

Policeman Kent was transported to the local hospital where he remained until succumbing to the wound.

Policeman Kent had served with the Ottumwa Police Department for three years and was the acting desk sergeant the night of the shooting. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Night Watchman Ole McMillan was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance involving a man who was abusing his family. The man heard that Watchman McMillan was coming, grabbed his shotgun, and went out to meet him. As the two met on the road near the suspect's home, the suspect shot Watchman McMillan in the chest, killing him instantly.

The suspect, 54, was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was given a day of freedom in 1905 so he could attend the funeral of his two daughters who had drowned in Humboldt. He was paroled a few years later.

City Marshal Charles Lodine was shot and mortally wounded in a gun battle with three bank robbers.

Three men, who had blown open a safe at the bank in Greenville, Iowa, the night before, were trapped at the depot in Albert City by Marshal Lodine and a Greenville posse. When ordered to surrender, the suspects opened fire killing a posseman and wounding Marshal Lodine in the groin. The posse returned fire killing one suspect. The other two escaped into the country, but were captured a short time later. Marshal Lodine succumbed to his wounds a week later.

The two captured suspects were convicted of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death December 6, 1901. Their sentences were commuted to life January 21, 1903. One of the suspects died in prison March 20, 1911.

Marshal Rolland Smith was shot and killed when he interrupted six suspects burglarizing a bank in the middle of the night. Marshal Smith was shot in the head during an exchange of gunfire with the suspects.

Three suspects were apprehended by Missouri authorities as they crossed the Missouri River bridge leading to Leavenworth. Two weeks later a wooden leg led to the capture of a suspect near Chicago by Pinkerton and Northwestern Detectives. A peg at the bottom of the leg produced a unique track in the snow. On January 11, 1903, a fifth suspect was apprehended in Fort Worth, Texas. Four of the five were convicted of attempted bank robbery and sentenced to 8 years each in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. It is unknown if the suspect with the wooden leg was ever captured of if any of the six were held responsible for Marshal Smith's murder.

Marshal Smith was survived by his wife and young child.

Policeman John Bailey died from head injuries he suffered when he was thrown from his horse-drawn buggy while on patrol.

Policeman Bailey had served with the Waterloo Police Department for one year. He was survived by his wife and son.

Marshal Swearingen was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a man for assault. When the man initially refused to surrender his friends attempted to talk him out of his home. After waiting a day Marshal Swearingen tried to arrest him again and was shot in the neck. A posse shot and killed the suspect in his home.

Sheriff Strain succumbed to a gunshot wound received five days earlier while attempting to arrest a man for making threats. The suspect was hiding in a cornfield and shot Sheriff Strain in the abdomen with a shotgun as the sheriff searched for him.

The suspect, who fled the scene and remained at large for 42 years, was finally recognized by a citizen and apprehended in Spokane, Washington. The murder warrant was sent for, but before it could be served the suspect died. He was 86.

City Marshal Robert Coulter was shot and mortally wounded by a man he attempted to arrest on a warrant for disturbing the peace.

After the suspect shot Marshal Coulter twice in the stomach, he ran up the street and shot and killed the local justice of the peace. A mob of angry citizens shot and killed the suspect. Marshal Coulter died two days later.

City Marshal Coulter was survived by his wife and three children. He was a Union Civil War Veteran who was a corporal in the 30th Iowa Infantry, Company D.

Sergeant Augustus Becker suffered a fatal stroke while transporting an injured man to Mercy Hospital.

He had assigned as the wagon man for the night and was also responsible for driving the city ambulance. He had responded to the Chicago Great Western Railroad's roundhouse, in the area of Thomas Beck Road, and placed the injured man into the ambulance. Moments later he collapsed in the ambulance's seat. He was taken to Mercy Hospital where he died several hours later.

Sergeant Becker was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War. He was survived by his wife and several grown children.

Patrolman Daniel Norton was shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance at a residence at 930 Bluff Street.

As he approached the house, a man came out and opened fire, striking Patrolman Norton in the heart. The suspect ran out into the street and was subdued by several citizens.

The suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in Anamosa Penitentiary on March 5, 1905. He was pardoned by Governor George W. Clarke on March 26, 1914.

Patrolman Norton had served with the Dubuque Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

Patrolman Platner was accidentally shot and killed when his partner's gun fell from its holster and discharged during a foot pursuit. The two officers had responded to a burglary and encountered the suspect, who fled on foot. The two officers chased the man and as the partner climbed a fence his revolver fell from its holster, struck the ground, and discharged. The round struck Patrolman Platner in the chest. He was transported to General Hospital where he died of his wound the next day.

Patrolman Platner was survived by his three children.

Constable Peter Martin was shot and killed by a woman while attempting to serve a writ of execution at her home at 323 7th Avenue in Cedar Rapids.

Constable Martin was removing furniture from her home to satisfy a judgement when she arrived on the scene and shot him inside her home, killing him instantly. Cedar Rapids Police responded to the scene and arrested the woman.

At the suspects trial, her attorney argued that she had every right to shoot Constable Martin because the writ was invalid, she warned him to leave before she shot him, and he had no right to be in her home. She was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison February 16, 1906. She was paroled October 10, 1908.

Detective George Wilson was shot and killed while searching for a suspect who had just shot and severely wounded another police officer.

Detective Wilson had served with the Council Bluffs Police Department for 10 years. He was survived by his wife and four children.

Town Marshal Thomas Nicholson was shot and killed by a young man he had attempted to take into custody earlier in the day. Town Marshal Nicholson had witnessed the youth having an altercation with a stranger who had just disembarked from a Rock Island train and had placed him under arrest. However, the youth was able to break away from Town Marshal Nicholson and flee back to his home, where he retrieved a Winchester rifle. He then sought out Town Marshal Nicholson and opened fire on him, fatally wounding him.

The 22-year-old suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on December 2, 1908. On March 18, 1920, his sentence was commuted to 40 years.

Town Mashal Nicholson was survived by his wife and five children.

Night Patrolman Fred Widmann was shot and killed by burglars while walking his beat. He interrupted the burglars at work at the rear door of the Coburn bicycle and gun store.

One robber, without warning, shot twice at Patrolman Widmann. Although fatally wounded, Patrolman Widmann returned fire and then managed to get to the sidewalk where he was able to call for help. He was take to the hospital where he died that afternoon if internal bleeding.

Although the entire police department assisted in the search, and a reward of $1200 was offered, no suspect was ever apprehended.

Patrolman Widmann had served with the agency for two years and is survived by his mother and brother.

Detective Frank Delmege was shot and killed while responding to a man with a gun call his neighborhood.

He was on duty, at home, when his department called him to the scene with another officer. As the officers approached the suspect's house he emerged from inside and walked to edge of the lawn, which was elevated seven feet above the sidewalk. He then shot Detective Delmege point-blank. The other officer returned fire, striking the suspect in the chest three times and wounding him.

The suspect was eventually sentenced to life in prison where he later died.

Town Marshal Patrick Hatton was shot and killed as he and a county sheriff's deputy attempted to arrest two burglary suspects near Glidden, Iowa.

The two officers had set up a lookout for the two suspects along the roadway seven miles east of Carroll, but as the morning came they started to head back into town when they observed the two suspects and approached them at gunpoint. One of the men began to run and the marshal fired several shots at him. The shots spooked the horses pulling the buggy the deputy was in, causing him to be unable to cover the second suspect. The second suspect then pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot Marshal Hatton in the face.

Both suspects fled to a nearby farm where they were eventually located by a posse. They were both shot and wounded before being taken into custody.

The suspect who killed Marshal Hatton was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in 1952 after serving 42 years.

Marshal Hatton was survived by his wife and three daughters..