Saturday, August 13, 2011

Killed In The Line Of Duty

Located at Oakwood Cemetery, Parsons, KS.
Officer
John Van Horn
Officer John Van Horn as killed in the line of
duty on July 28th 1899 while effecting the arrest
of three suspects.
The three were conspiring to break a gang of
robbers out of the city jail.  While arresting the
third suspect, the suspect produced a pistol and
shot Officer Van Horn.  Officer Van Horn
returned fire and wounded his assailant. Although
mortally wounded, Officer Van Horn pursued the
suspect until he fell from his wounds at what is
now 18th and Grand Avenue.

Presented the medal of Valor
The Parsons Police Departments
Highest Honor.

Note: John C. Van Horn
Feb 21, 1857 - July 28, 1899
---------------------

The following information was found Kansas Historical Foundation.

John Van Horn
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Parsons
County: Labette
Death Date: 7/27/1899
Added to Memorial: 1994
Circumstances of Death:
Policeman Van Horn heard two shots fired near the Gulf depot in Parsons on the night of July 27th and went to investigate. Van Horn found four men in the vicinity and arrested one of them who was carrying a revolver. The three others fled the scene. On the way back to the jail one came back and was also subsequently arrested. In a block or so another of the original four was found to be sitting on a fence. When Van Horn went to pull him of the fence the killer fired twice mortally wounding Officer Van Horn. Van Horn returned fire striking his assailant J. W. Cook in the stomach. Cook would later survive his wounds and serve fifteen years in the Penitentiary at Lansing.

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