Town Marshal Sam Renaldi

Sam Renaldi

Marshal Sam Renaldi was shot and killed by a saloon owner over a disagreement about town curfew.

Residents near the commercial district of Rocklin complained often about late noise from Rocklin’s seven saloons, so Rocklin’s Board of Trustees ordered Marshal Renaldi to enforce Rocklin’s 12-midnight saloon curfew. They also told Renaldi to ensure that saloons were keeping empty beer kegs off the sidewalk.

Marshal Renaldi had cited the owner of a particular saloon earlier in the month. On February 18th, after the same saloon owner had threatened an employee by gun point to return to work, he challenged the Marshal to a showdown. The Marshal, his deputy, and the deputy's son were trying to decide how to deal with the situation at the town stable when the saloon owner, who had been drinking for most of the afternoon, appeared, at approximately 11 P.M. Deputy Marshal Willard's son, Alfred, met the saloon owner at the entry to try to calm him down and Marshal Renaldi ordered the saloon owner to surrender. At this point the owner reached back for his pistol and Marshal Renaldi fired hitting the owner in the stomach. The owner fired, hitting Marshal Renaldi in the right side. Marshal Renaldi fired three times again, hitting the owner above the heart, in the right arm and in the right shoulder. Both men slumped to the stable floor mortally wounded.

Both men were taken to a Sacramento hospital for treatment where they died the next day.