Patrolman Martin P. Randolph

Martin P. Randolph

Patrolman Martin Randolph and Chief Deputy Edward Furry of the Clark County Sheriff's Department were shot and killed while attempting to arrest two men wanted for robbery and kidnapping.

The suspects were located at a cottage at Crystal Lake. As the deputies and officers entered the cottage, the suspects opened fire, mortally wounding Chief Deputy Furry and Patrolman Randolph and wounding a third officer. Patrolman Randolph was taken to City Hospital where he died.

One of the suspects was shot and killed at the scene, and another was wounded and arrested. The remaining two suspects were eventually apprehended in Michigan and returned to Ohio. All three were sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair at the Ohio State Penitentiary on April 19th, 1939.

The suspect who was shot and killed had previously served 11 years in prison for murdering Patrolman Harrison L. Boyd of the Marietta Police Department, Ohio, on January 11th, 1925. He had been paroled on December 6th, 1936.

Patrolman Randolph was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Springfield Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife.

He was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery.