Sheriff Charles Henry Oglesby

Charles Henry Oglesby

Sheriff Charles Oglesby was shot and killed while attempting to arrest three men stealing a ride on a Pennsylvania Railroad freight train in Winamac, Indiana.

Sheriff Oglesby was requested to assist the engineer in removing three hobos from the train. The engineer had found them during a stop in Star City and ordered them off, but they refused. Unbeknownst to the sheriff, the three men were not hobos but actually a gang of safe-crackers who had recently burglarized the Marsh store in Burnettsville in White County.

As Sheriff Oglesby approached, one of the three suspects ran from the train up the railroad tracks north from Pearl Street in Winamac. The other two suspects stood their ground. Both men fired shots at Sheriff Oglesby, and the sheriff returned fire. The second suspect attempted to run from the scene and was hit below the left shoulder by one of Sheriff Oglesby's bullets as he climbed a fence. The third suspect fired again at the sheriff, this time hitting him in the chest; however, before he could escape, he was shot in the abdominal area by Sheriff Oglesby.

Sheriff Oglesby was taken to his home, where he died several hours later in the company of his family. A posse was quickly deputized and set out after the bandits. Two suspects were found wounded in a cornfield just north of Winamac and surrendered without incident. The third suspect was captured along the railroad tracks north of Winamac.

The suspect that was wounded by Sheriff Oglesby later died of his wounds. The other two suspects were sentenced to prison.

Sheriff Oglesby had served with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department for only 10 months. He was survived by his wife and three children.