Village Marshal Harold T. Swanson

Harold T. Swanson

Marshal Harold Swanson was shot and mortally wounded while investigating a suspicious man he spotted standing near the Altona Lumber Company close to midnight.

The subject, an ex-convict, opened fire with a pistol striking the marshal in the shoulder and abdomen as he approached him. Marshal Swanson returned fire hitting the suspect in the leg. Despite his wounds, Marshal Swanson marched his prisoner two blocks to a telephone where he called for assistance. He kept his prisoner covered until a Knox County deputy arrived and then he collapsed. Marshal Swanson remained in the hospital in serious condition until succumbing to his wounds five months later.

Marshal Swanson had served with the Altona Police Department for 12 years. He was survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.