Text Box: A Memorial To Our Fallen

Text Box: Policeman Scriven wounded, but saves life by quick turn. ROBBERY SUSPECT WHIPS OUT GUN AS TWO QUESTION HIM.   Kirksville officers trying to get trace of men who robbed Loney’s Garage at 3 a.m.. When they come upon man who robbed Hannibal Theater last night - Rose Killed instantly, but Scriven returns fire - bandit runs away and leaves car which contained money stolen in Hannibal, burglar tools and shotguns - Several stolen license plates found - sheriff in communication with Chicago police.   Sheriff Winslow received a message this afternoon stating that two young men were being held at Ottumwa, in response to the word sent out from Kirksville for investigation in connection with the killing of policeman Rose. Sheriff Winslow says that the description of the men does not appear to correspond with that given of the slayer of the policemen, but that they will be held a few days and someone will be sent from here to look them over.   Night Marshal John Rose was instantly killed and George Scriven, another night marshal was shot twice but not seriously wounded, by an unknown bandit who they were questioning at the Missouri Storage Garage filling state at 5 o’clock this morning. The officers were on the search for two men who had robbed the Loney Filling Station at 3 0'clock this morning. Although Scriven emptied his gun at the man, he apparently did not hit the bandit who left his car and made his escape on foot. It is believed that he got away by reaching the woods west of this city or had a companion and made his escape in another car. No trace of the man had been obtained by the officers this afternoon and they have only a meager description to work on.   Rose’s body was removed to the Summer & Son funeral home where an inquest is to be held later this afternoon, and Scrivens was removed to the Grim-Smith hospital where it was stated that he will no doubt make a speedy recover.   Scrivens was shot in the left shoulder, the bullet entering near the joint and emerging in the back near the lower point of the shoulder blade. An X-ray picture was taken and it shows that the bullet did not break the shoulder blade and the only danger is a complication from infection. The second shot fired at Scrivens hit some keys and shells in the front pocket on the left side, and while these prevented the bullet from penetrating the leg, it made a large bruised spot on the thigh which was giving Scrivens more pain this morning that his shoulder. He was permitted to leave the hospital this afternoon and return home.   Rose was shot twice, one bullet entering the lower part of his neck on the left side, going through the neck and upper part of the body and emerging near the right shoulder. The bullet was found in his clothing. It was a steel jacket bullet and fired from a 45-caliber revolver. The other shot entered the left groin.   The Loney Garage filling station on North Franklin Street had been robbed of $10.44 at 3 o’clock this morning by two bandits and this had been reported to the officers. Scrivens stated this morning that the officers were on the lookout for the Loney garage robbers when he received a tip that a car containing a man had been parked for some time near the Summers & Son Funeral Home at the corner of Jefferson and Elson streets. The men giving him the tip drove him past the car twice and he saw the man there apparently asleep. He conferred with other officers and asked if one of them would go along. Rose replied that he would.   They drove to the corner but the car was gone, and they saw it going north on Elson street. They followed it to the Missouri Garage filling station where the man was purchasing gasoline. Scrivens stepped up to the car and inquired of the bandit where he was going. He replied "down on the Missouri River bottom hunting," and when asked where he was from, stated that his home was in Moberly. Scrivens then told him to step out of the car and he replied that he would.   Shot Scrivens First   The car was facing the east and as the bandit stepped out of the car Scrivens moved back to allow the door to be opened. As the man reached the concrete floor, he whipped out his gun and fired at Scrivens, striking him in the shoulder, and the shot knocked him down. He then shot Rose twice and Rose fell dead. Scrivens said that he shot at the bandit twice while on the floor and jumped up when the bandit shot him the second time, making four shots in all fired by the bandit and all of them took effect. Scrivens continued shooting as the bandit ran around the back of the car and headed north on Elson street, and turned west on the vacant plot of ground and went towards Main street. No more was seen of him.   Scrivens said the entire affair took place in so short a time that he hardly realized what had happened. He had his revolver in his hand as the bandit stepped out of the car but as the man did not seem to object to being questioned, he did not expect him to shoot and was unprepared for such an emergency. Scrivens said that he had an excellent opportunity to shoot the bandit as he ran around the car and in front of him but his gun was empty. Scrivens shooting, however, prevented the man from getting in his car and driving away. Rose had a gun in his pocket but did not have an opportunity to use it. The shooting was witnessed by C.R. Watts, attendant at the station and "Dopy" Reese, who had driven up to get gasoline. Watts was in the office getting change for the bandit when the shooting began and Reese was standing near Rose. Reese made a quick dive for safety as the shooting began and was not hurt. One of the bullets fired in the fray struck his truck.   Burglar Tools in Car   The bandit apparently is experienced in robbery as the car he left here contained a suitcase filled with burglar tools, another one with some clothing, two automatic shotguns and several boxes of shells for the 45-caliber revolver he used in the shooting, as well as a sack containing money and checks he had secured in the robbery of the Orpheum Theater at Hannibal last night after closing time. Among his effects was a bank book from the Commercial State Bank of St. Paul, Minn. made out to John R. Davis, showing that he had deposited $800 there last Saturday. There was also a new cap in the automobile which had been purchased in Council Bluffs, Iowa.   The sack containing the money was one issued by the Farmers & Merchants Bank & Trust Company at Hannibal and it contained between $60 and $100 in change and a like amount in checks made payable to the Price Theaters, Inc. at Hannibal. Owners from that city are on their way here to claim the money. This robbery occurred after the show closed and was not discovered until this morning.   An expert is to be secured in an effort to obtain fingerprints from the burglar tools and the shot guns and bloodhounds arrived here this afternoon for an attempt to track the robber.   Deposited Money in St. Paul   Officers got in touch with St. Paul and found out that the John E. Davis who made the deposit in the bank there was 27 years old, weighed about 140 pounds, had dark hair and heavy eyebrows, which tallies fairly well with descriptions by the men who saw him. Scrivens stated that he did not get a good look at the man but he thought he had a rather light complexion, was about 25 and was rather tall and slim.   The automobile which the bandit left was a new Dodge Eight and had license plates which had been issued to E.E.. And Fannie Hackett of Burlington Junction, MO according to information secured by officers. There were two sets of Missouri plates in the car, and one Nebraska set, so that the bandit could change them in the event he desired.   Harry S. Jonas and a representative of the Automobile Clubs of Missouri carefully examined the car this morning and found a sales receipt nailed under the floor board and well covered with grease and dust. This receipt showed that the car had been sold by a Des Moines dealer to J.W. Middleton on Oct. 20 this year. The automobile club representative then got in touch with Iowa officials and found that the Dodge car bearing that motor number and the license plate numbers shown on the receipt had never been reported stolen. Officers are working on this information to obtain further clues concerning their identity of the murderer. There were no Iowa plates in the car.   Two Men Robbed Loney Garage   The robbery of the Loney Garage Filling Station occurred at 4 o’clock said that two young men with black while Bill Haynie was on duty. He masks entered the place and demanded the money. They secured $19.44 and even took all of the keys to the place. They walked south and made their escape in a car parked in front to A.C. Bigby’s sales room. Mr. Loney believes this job was the work of local people or they would not have taken the keys.   This is the first time a police officer has been killed in this city by a bandit and it created not only a great deal of sympathy for the Rose family, but stirred up more excitement than anything that has happened here in recent years. Mr. Rose has been a police officer in Kirksville for a number of years serving as night marshal several years ago and he has always been known as a fearless and efficient officer.   Mr. Rose was 60 years old having been born in Putnam County, MO on May 8, 1876. He was married to Miss Iona Johnson Oct 28, 1891.   He came to Kirksville with his family from Unionville about 18 years ago and for a number of years was a city policeman. He then went to Moberly where he was employed by the Wabash Railroad company as a detective for four years. He returned to this city this spring and was placed on the police force again.   He is survived by his widow and six children, Mrs. Fred Speaks, Mrs. Jack Maize, Mrs. Fred Kelley, Journey and Guerney Rose all of this city; and Mrs. Roy Fryhoff of Springfield, Ill., and one brother, Enoch Rose, of Putnam county, and one sister, Mrs. S. F. Terrim, of Des Moines, Iowa.   No funeral arrangements have been made but services will probably not be held until Wednesday Filling Station Man Tells of Shooting   It all happened so quickly - just sounded like a bunch of fire-crackers popping - that I couldn’t imagine what was going on for a minute." said C. R. ("Chet") Watts, night attendant at the Missouri Storage Garage and service stations, who was filling the robber’s car with gasoline this morning when the shooting in which John Rose was killed and George Scrivens injured, occurred.   Watts was not alone when the man drove up. Delbert Reese having driven a truck in the right-hand service driveway for gasoline some minutes before, and was waiting for Gus Wright to come along so both could go to the coals mines for loads.   "The Dodge eight drove in the left driveway - next to the building, coming in from the west on Missouri street," Watts said. "I said, "What do you say?" "Five gallons of gas," he answered. "Regular or high test?" "Regular." "I had just turned the gas loose in the hose when the law pulled up in a car and started talking to the man. Scrivens did the talking and Rose was right behind him. After the gasoline was in I asked the fellow about his oil and he said I might look at it. I did and found it O.K. Then he handed me a one dollar bill and I went to get the change."   Postscript: According to an article written in 1984 and authored by Leigh Klinginsmith and Kristy Mollick the bandit in the above story had many names. " After being captured in later years he was known as Lawrence Barton, alias DeVolt. On January 9, 1933, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the slaying of an officer in Minneapolis, apparently ending any chances for extradition to Kirksville to face charges for the death of Officer John Rose."   "The Kirksville Daily Express helped to organize a John Rose Fund for the Rose family because of his heroic duty as a police officer. The newspaper asked for people to send their donations to the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce. As for George Scriven, he was bedridden for quite a while after the incident. He was unable to return to the police force and eight years later, in 1949, he died of heart failure."

Text Box: The following front page newspaper article appeared in the November 17, 1930 edition of the Kirksville Daily Express. It is reproduced here in its entirety.

Text Box: BANDIT KILLS POLICEMAN ROSE

Text Box: Link to the Officer Down Memorial Page