City Marshal William Sprinkle

William Sprinkle

City Marshal William Sprinkle was shot and killed by a man who was attempting to help a friend escape.

Marshal Sprinkle had arrested another subject who was unable to post bail was ordered held at the city jail. As Marshal Sprinkle walked the man to jail a second subject approached and demanded that the prisoner be released. Several prominent citizens exited their offices, armed with revolvers, and ordered the man to drop his gun. The man turned and opened fire, wounding one of the citizens.

A running gun battle ensued in which Marshal Sprinkle was fatally wounded.

The two men fled and were pursued by a crowd from the main area of town. The man who attempted to free the prisoner was unable to continue to run, due to being wounded in the gun battle, and killed himself before the crowd could overtake him. The other subject was later captured in Campbell, Missouri, and sent to the Stoddard County Jail in Bloomfield, Missouri. He was later abducted from the county jail by a lynch mob and hung just south of Bloomfield.

Marshal Sprinkle was survived by his wife.