Sheriff John H. Dierker

John H. Dierker

Sheriff Dierker was shot and fatally wounded by a man he attempted to arrest for trying to shoot another man over a dispute about wages. Hours later an angry mob trapped the suspect in the hayloft of a barn. When he appeared at the door at the command of the mob many shots were fired at him, and he ran back into the barn and set it on fire. After he had set the barn on fire he again appeared at the door and held up his hands. Hundreds of bullets greeted him. He fell back into the blazing barn and his body was burned. Sheriff Dierker died about 45 minutes after the suspect was killed.

Sheriff Dierker was nearing the second of two four-year terms as sheriff of St. Charles County, he served from 1904 to 1908 and from 1912 until his death. He was survived by his wife who he had been married to for only six weeks.