Allen Police Department, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Saturday, January 16, 1909
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 16, 1909
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Two suspects apprehended
City Marshal Zeke Putnam was shot and killed while standing inside of a store. Someone standing outside of the store fired a shotgun through a window, striking Marshal Putnam in the neck. Two suspects were apprehended in connection with Marshal Putnam's murder.
While the two were in jail a lynch mob broke into the jail to lynch them. Ironically, the mob lynched four other prisoners but not the two arrested for Marshal Putnam's murder. One of the four that was lynched was in jail for the murder of Officer Ben Collins, of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, on August 1, 1906.
Marshal Putnan's killer was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life. In 1923 his sentence was commuted to 22 years. The other suspect was tried and acquitted.
Marshal Putnam was survived by his wife and five children.