Marshal James S. Thomas

James S. Thomas

Marshal Thomas was shot and killed while questioning a man about a disturbance. He had been called to a local store and found that the suspect was gone. After interviewing witnesses he went to locate the man in order to get his side of the store. He located the man near a train depot and began to question. Upset that he was being accused of creating a disturbance, the man suddenly produced a gun and shot at Marshal Thomas four times, fatally striking him twice. The marshal's son was at the scene and was able to disarm the suspect. As he tended to his father's injuries the suspect escaped, but turned himself in the next day in Gainesville and was indicted on murder charges.