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Marion F. Thomas

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Marion F. Thomas

Birth
Missouri, USA
Death
4 Feb 1900 (aged 38)
Empire City, Cherokee County, Kansas, USA
Burial
Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas, USA GPS-Latitude: 37.0755615, Longitude: -94.6482391
Memorial ID
View Source
Marshal Marion F. Thomas
(October 01, 1861 ~ February 04, 1900)
1 October 1861 - 4 February 1900

Burial: Monday, 05 February 1900.

[Estimated Age at Death: 38 years, 4 months and 4 days old.]

***

Certain it is, the affair is a most deplorable one and casts a stain upon the fair name of Empire City. It has taken away a fearless officer and brought sorrow to a once happy home. It has also placed in jeopardy the life of another, besides bringing humiliation to the home of others. The dead officer leaves a wife and one little boy about four years of age to mourn over his sad and untimely death. [A son and daughter preceded him in death.]

Marshal Thomas was 38 years, 4 months and 4 days old. He had served in an official capacity for a number of years and for the past three years had been Empire City's faithful and vigilant peace protector. He was ever fearless in the discharge of his duties and has the record of maintaining better order in that city than any former marshal. His funeral occurred at 4 o'clock this afternoon from the family residence and interment was made in the Galena cemetery. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W. and S. K. [Knights and Ladies of Security.]

The Galena Evening Times, Galena, Kansas
05 February 1900, Monday, Page 1

Notes:
Marion F. Thomas
, died February 4, 1900, according to an extensive record of his death reported in the newspaper in Galena, Kansas, on February 5, 1900. He was born in 1861, October 1, son of James and Elizabeth Thomas. His wife was Olive "Ollie" Marie Hopkins, to whom he was married on December 15, 1892 in Cherokee County, Kansas. They had three children, a son, Jonnie, a daughter, Beulah, both preceded him in death, and a younger son, Willie, who survived.

Ollie moved to Canada after Marion's death and later the death of their surviving son, Willie and married two more times.

~~mjp~~

~*~
*~*

KANSAS OFFICER KILLED,

Marshal Thomas of Empire City Shot
by a Saloonkeeper.


Galena, Kan., Feb. 6. — Marion Thomas,
city marshal
of Empire City was
killed about 3 o'clock this afternoon by
John Norton. The killing occurred in
Norton's saloon. Thomas received
five bullets and was knocked on the
head by Norton with his own gun. It
is said Norton was drinking and creating
trouble. Thomas was notified and
went to arrest him. Norton had his
gun out. Thomas told him to lay down
his gun and come with him. Norton
answered with a shot. Thomas started
to pull his gun, but was shot again and
then he fell, but had got his gun out
and shot once or twice, but his shots
went in the air. He then became un-
conscious. Norton then picked up Thom-
as' gun and shot him two or three times
with it, then knocked him on the head.
Thomas died almost instantly. Norton
immediately after the killing came to Gal-
ena and gave himself up to Milford Parker,
city marshal. Parker and a deputy took
Norton to Columbus, Kan., the county seat
this evening. Norton is a brother of Hon. W.
S. Norton, ex-Representave.

Daily Iowa Capital,
Tuesday, February 6, 1900,
Page: 1. 6 o'clock Edition. Column: 1 of 8.
Des Moines, Iowa.

~*~

CONVICTS GO FREE

Twenty-five Released Because Sentenc-
ed in illegal Court.


By Scripps-McRae Press Ass'n.

Topeka, April 5.---The supreme court
today ordered the release from the
penitentiary of John Norton, sent-
enced to life for murder, by the court
of common pleas of Cherokee and Craw-
ford counties. The court holds that this
court was illegally created. Twenty-five
convicts sentenced by this court will be
released.

Iola Register,
Saturday, April 5, 1902,
Page: 1; 1 of 12.
Iola, Kansas.

~*~
*~*

City Marshal
Marion Thomas

Empire City Marshal's Office, Kansas
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 6, 1900

Bio & Incident Details
Age: Not available
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 2/6/1900
Weapon: Gun; Unknown type

Suspect: Released in 1902

City Marshal Marion Thomas was shot and killed when he attempted to arrest a man in a saloon who was drunk and creating a disturbance. The suspect surrendered to the city marshal in nearby Galena.

The suspect was convicted of City Marshal Thomas' murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. On April 5th, 1902, he was released from prison when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the court that tried him was illegally created.

Empire City, Kansas, was annexed into Galena, Kansas, in 1907.

The Empire City Marshal's Office has been absorbed by or is a component of:

Galena Police Department

~*~ * ~*~

City Marshal Marion Thomas
Empire City Marshal's Office
EOW: Tuesday, February 6, 1900
Cause: Gunfire

~*~ * ~*~

Marion F. Thomas

Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935

Marion F. Thomas mentioned in the record of Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins

Name: Marion F. Thomas
Birth Date: 1863
Age: 29

Spouse's Name: Ollie Hopkins
Spouse's Birth Date: 1874
Spouse's Age: 18

Event Date: 15 Dec 1892
Event Place: Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas


Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M73544-2, System Origin: Kansas-EASy, GS Film number: 1411996, Reference ID: p 565, LN 1030

Citing this Record

"Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW2Y-KM5), Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins, 15 Dec 1892; citing Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas, reference p 565, LN 1030; FHL microfilm 1,411,996.

~*~

Ollie Hopkins

Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935

Ollie Hopkins mentioned in the record of Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins

Name: Marion F. Thomas
Birth Date: 1863
Age: 29

Spouse's Name: Ollie Hopkins
Spouse's Birth Date: 1874
Spouse's Age: 18

Event Date: 15 Dec 1892
Event Place: Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas


Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M73544-2, System Origin: Kansas-EASy, GS Film number: 1411996, Reference ID: p 565, LN 1030

Citing this Record

"Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW2Y-KMP), Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins, 15 Dec 1892; citing Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas, reference p 565, LN 1030; FHL microfilm 1,411,996.

~*~
*~*

Marion Thomas (1861 - 1900) – Galena Cemetery –
Suggested By: ~~mjp~~, 21 February 2022.

Birth Date: October 1861; 1 October 1861
Birth Location: Empty; Missouri, USA
Death Date: 6 February 1900; 4 February 1900

Spouse: Empty; Olive MacGregor (1876-1962); Married: 1892

~*~
*~*
Marshal Marion F. Thomas
(October 01, 1861 ~ February 04, 1900)
1 October 1861 - 4 February 1900

Burial: Monday, 05 February 1900.

[Estimated Age at Death: 38 years, 4 months and 4 days old.]

***

Certain it is, the affair is a most deplorable one and casts a stain upon the fair name of Empire City. It has taken away a fearless officer and brought sorrow to a once happy home. It has also placed in jeopardy the life of another, besides bringing humiliation to the home of others. The dead officer leaves a wife and one little boy about four years of age to mourn over his sad and untimely death. [A son and daughter preceded him in death.]

Marshal Thomas was 38 years, 4 months and 4 days old. He had served in an official capacity for a number of years and for the past three years had been Empire City's faithful and vigilant peace protector. He was ever fearless in the discharge of his duties and has the record of maintaining better order in that city than any former marshal. His funeral occurred at 4 o'clock this afternoon from the family residence and interment was made in the Galena cemetery. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W. and S. K. [Knights and Ladies of Security.]

The Galena Evening Times, Galena, Kansas
05 February 1900, Monday, Page 1

Notes:
Marion F. Thomas
, died February 4, 1900, according to an extensive record of his death reported in the newspaper in Galena, Kansas, on February 5, 1900. He was born in 1861, October 1, son of James and Elizabeth Thomas. His wife was Olive "Ollie" Marie Hopkins, to whom he was married on December 15, 1892 in Cherokee County, Kansas. They had three children, a son, Jonnie, a daughter, Beulah, both preceded him in death, and a younger son, Willie, who survived.

Ollie moved to Canada after Marion's death and later the death of their surviving son, Willie and married two more times.

~~mjp~~

~*~
*~*

KANSAS OFFICER KILLED,

Marshal Thomas of Empire City Shot
by a Saloonkeeper.


Galena, Kan., Feb. 6. — Marion Thomas,
city marshal
of Empire City was
killed about 3 o'clock this afternoon by
John Norton. The killing occurred in
Norton's saloon. Thomas received
five bullets and was knocked on the
head by Norton with his own gun. It
is said Norton was drinking and creating
trouble. Thomas was notified and
went to arrest him. Norton had his
gun out. Thomas told him to lay down
his gun and come with him. Norton
answered with a shot. Thomas started
to pull his gun, but was shot again and
then he fell, but had got his gun out
and shot once or twice, but his shots
went in the air. He then became un-
conscious. Norton then picked up Thom-
as' gun and shot him two or three times
with it, then knocked him on the head.
Thomas died almost instantly. Norton
immediately after the killing came to Gal-
ena and gave himself up to Milford Parker,
city marshal. Parker and a deputy took
Norton to Columbus, Kan., the county seat
this evening. Norton is a brother of Hon. W.
S. Norton, ex-Representave.

Daily Iowa Capital,
Tuesday, February 6, 1900,
Page: 1. 6 o'clock Edition. Column: 1 of 8.
Des Moines, Iowa.

~*~

CONVICTS GO FREE

Twenty-five Released Because Sentenc-
ed in illegal Court.


By Scripps-McRae Press Ass'n.

Topeka, April 5.---The supreme court
today ordered the release from the
penitentiary of John Norton, sent-
enced to life for murder, by the court
of common pleas of Cherokee and Craw-
ford counties. The court holds that this
court was illegally created. Twenty-five
convicts sentenced by this court will be
released.

Iola Register,
Saturday, April 5, 1902,
Page: 1; 1 of 12.
Iola, Kansas.

~*~
*~*

City Marshal
Marion Thomas

Empire City Marshal's Office, Kansas
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 6, 1900

Bio & Incident Details
Age: Not available
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 2/6/1900
Weapon: Gun; Unknown type

Suspect: Released in 1902

City Marshal Marion Thomas was shot and killed when he attempted to arrest a man in a saloon who was drunk and creating a disturbance. The suspect surrendered to the city marshal in nearby Galena.

The suspect was convicted of City Marshal Thomas' murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. On April 5th, 1902, he was released from prison when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the court that tried him was illegally created.

Empire City, Kansas, was annexed into Galena, Kansas, in 1907.

The Empire City Marshal's Office has been absorbed by or is a component of:

Galena Police Department

~*~ * ~*~

City Marshal Marion Thomas
Empire City Marshal's Office
EOW: Tuesday, February 6, 1900
Cause: Gunfire

~*~ * ~*~

Marion F. Thomas

Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935

Marion F. Thomas mentioned in the record of Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins

Name: Marion F. Thomas
Birth Date: 1863
Age: 29

Spouse's Name: Ollie Hopkins
Spouse's Birth Date: 1874
Spouse's Age: 18

Event Date: 15 Dec 1892
Event Place: Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas


Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M73544-2, System Origin: Kansas-EASy, GS Film number: 1411996, Reference ID: p 565, LN 1030

Citing this Record

"Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW2Y-KM5), Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins, 15 Dec 1892; citing Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas, reference p 565, LN 1030; FHL microfilm 1,411,996.

~*~

Ollie Hopkins

Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935

Ollie Hopkins mentioned in the record of Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins

Name: Marion F. Thomas
Birth Date: 1863
Age: 29

Spouse's Name: Ollie Hopkins
Spouse's Birth Date: 1874
Spouse's Age: 18

Event Date: 15 Dec 1892
Event Place: Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas


Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M73544-2, System Origin: Kansas-EASy, GS Film number: 1411996, Reference ID: p 565, LN 1030

Citing this Record

"Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW2Y-KMP), Marion F. Thomas and Ollie Hopkins, 15 Dec 1892; citing Columbus, Cherokee, Kansas, reference p 565, LN 1030; FHL microfilm 1,411,996.

~*~
*~*

Marion Thomas (1861 - 1900) – Galena Cemetery –
Suggested By: ~~mjp~~, 21 February 2022.

Birth Date: October 1861; 1 October 1861
Birth Location: Empty; Missouri, USA
Death Date: 6 February 1900; 4 February 1900

Spouse: Empty; Olive MacGregor (1876-1962); Married: 1892

~*~
*~*


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