Deputy Sheriff Barney Stiel

Barney Stiel

Deputy Sheriff Barney Stiel and Sheriff William Preston, of the Desha County Sheriff's Office, were shot and killed by two brothers they were attempting to arrest near Dumas.

As Deputy Stiel, Sheriff Preston, and several other deputies approached the suspects cabin one of the brothers opened fire killing Sheriff Preston instantly. As Deputy Stiel returned fire killing his sheriff's murderer, the other suspect shot and killed him. The other deputies shot and killed his killer and seriously wounded their father as he arrived on the scene firing his rifle at them.

The next morning the suspects father was seized from the local jail by a mob and hanged from a water tank just outside of town on the Iron Mountain Railroad.

Deputy Stiel was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and had served with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office for 11 years.