City Marshal John C. Coomer

Marshal John Coomer succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained several days earlier when he was shot in the back of the neck after arresting a drunk man at the railroad station.

The man, a friend of Marshal Coomer, had arrived on a train drunk and was taken by the marshal to the city jail to sober up. As they walked into the jail, the suspect produced a small caliber handgun and shot the marshal.

The suspect fled the scene and was pursued by a posse. As he attempted to cross the river, he exchanged shots with the posse, killing one of the members. He was able to escape but was eventually apprehended. He was convicted of killing the posse member and sentenced to 5 years, but was not charged with murdering Marshal Coomer due to a request the Marshal made on his deathbed.