Sheriff Noah H. McGinnis

Noah H. McGinnis

Sheriff Noah McGinnis was shot and mortally wounded by two notorious train robbers that he and his posse were attempting to arrest near Plainville.

As Sheriff McGinnis and his deputies surrounded their log cabin, gunfire erupted. Sheriff McGinnis was struck in the abdomen with a load of buck-shot, and one of his deputies was seriously wounded. After a lengthy gun battle, one suspect surrendered but the second escaped. Sheriff McGinnis died from his wounds two days later.

The captured suspect, 34, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison May 27, 1893. On September 2, 1893, he and five others escaped from the Floyd County Jail. He was captured in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on November 4, 1893. His sentence was reduced to 20 years September 5, 1899. He was pardoned by Governor Joseph M. Terrell on January 15, 1903. Over a 15 year period, since Sheriff Mcginnis' murder officials arrested who they thought was the second suspect three times, only to find out they had the wrong man. The two suspects and their gang were responsible for several robberies in Floyd County and surrounding counties.

Sheriff McGinnis was a Civil War veteran, having served with the Georgia Calvary.