Night Marshal John Wesley Rose

John Wesley Rose

Night Marshal John Rose was shot and killed while he and another marshal questioned a man in connection with a gas station robbery. During the questioning the suspect shot Marshal Rose and the other officer before escaping into nearby woods.

In 1933 the suspect was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Patrolman Ira Evans and Patrolman Leo Gorski, both of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department, on December 16, 1932.

In 1934 the suspect was believed to have gone insane and was transferred to a state hospital. Two years later he led an escape of 15 inmates and continued to rob banks. On July 8, 1936, he shot and killed Officer Cal Palmer, of the Enid, Oklahoma, Police Department, after getting drunk in a local bar.

Marshal Rose had been in law enforcement for 18 years and was survived by his wife and six children. He is buried in Maple Hills Cemetery, Kirskville, Missouri.