Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, Montana
End of Watch: Sunday, January 24, 1897
Age:
Tour of Duty: 1 day
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 10, 1897
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 81 years
Deputy Jack Allen was shot and mortally wounded while assisting the sheriff serve arrest warrants on two youths for larceny. The suspects opened fire from within a barn where they were cornered in neighboring Madison County, striking Deputy Allen in the head.
One of the suspects fled to Nevada where he was apprehended ten months later. He was returned to Madison County, convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to 81 years in prison. He was pardoned by Governor Edwin L. Norris on February 1, 1910. The other suspect fled to Canada and was never apprehended.
Deputy Allen had been deputized by the sheriff to assist him with serving the warrants the same day he was killed.