Killed In The Line Of Duty

Located at Oakwood Cemetery, Parsons, KS.

Officer

John Van Horn

Officer John Van Horn as killed in the line of

duty on July 28th 1899 while effecting the arrest

of three suspects.

The three were conspiring to break a gang of

robbers out of the city jail.  While arresting the

third suspect, the suspect produced a pistol and

shot Officer Van Horn.  Officer Van Horn

returned fire and wounded his assailant. Although

mortally wounded, Officer Van Horn pursued the

suspect until he fell from his wounds at what is

now 18th and Grand Avenue.

Presented the medal of Valor

The Parsons Police Departments

Highest Honor.

Note: John C. Van Horn

Feb 21, 1857 - July 28, 1899

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The following information was found Kansas Historical Foundation.

John Van Horn

Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Parsons
County: Labette
Death Date: 7/27/1899
Added to Memorial: 1994
Circumstances of Death:
Policeman Van Horn heard two shots fired near the Gulf depot in Parsons on the night of July 27th and went to investigate. Van Horn found four men in the vicinity and arrested one of them who was carrying a revolver. The three others fled the scene. On the way back to the jail one came back and was also subsequently arrested. In a block or so another of the original four was found to be sitting on a fence. When Van Horn went to pull him of the fence the killer fired twice mortally wounding Officer Van Horn. Van Horn returned fire striking his assailant J. W. Cook in the stomach. Cook would later survive his wounds and serve fifteen years in the Penitentiary at Lansing.