Type of Officer: Deputy Constable
Jurisdiction: Columbus
County: Cherokee
Death Date: 12/31/1929
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death: Gunshot
On December 29, 1929, Crawford, deputy constable of Spring Valley Township, was fatally shot at an abandoned coal mine near Columbus. Crawford was with the constable and a justice of the peace taking part in a raid at the mine suspected of housing contraband liquor and a still. Unknown to Crawford, another group consisting of two deputy sheriffs and a federal officer, were also staging a raid on the location. Neither group knew the other was present and had not earlier notified the other. In the confusion, Crawford was mistakenly killed and a deputy sheriff was wounded. A coroner’s inquest exonerated all the officers from blame. Contraband was located in the mine and its owner was arrested for bootlegging.
Panel: 8