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William E. Strain

Sheriff

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.

Monona County Sheriff's Department

End of Watch: Sep. 5, 1902

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