Clarksville Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Sunday, June 5, 1898
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 5, 1898
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Not available
City Marshal Walter Meloan was shot and killed as he was attempting to break up a fight on an excursion boat.
The boat had just arrived from Quincy, Illinois, with 300 passengers on board when a fight broke out between a man and a woman. As Marshal Meloan attempted to arrest the man, a shot was fired from within the crowd, which struck him in the back, killing him instantly.
Four suspects were arrested and confined in the local jail. That night an angry mob forcefully removed two of the suspects and hanged them from the nearest tree.