In the winter of 1905, a deadly confrontation cut short the life of Constable Alonzo 'Lon' Rains. The male lawman, a U.S. Army veteran of the Spanish-American War, had been specifically asked by citizens to be present in the village of Chickamauga to maintain peace during a Christmas celebration. On the evening of Saturday, December 23rd, a group of men began causing a disturbance in a house nearby.
Constable Rains responded to the home to investigate the commotion.
As he stepped onto the porch of the house, one of the men inside fired a shotgun, striking him in the chest. The blast killed Constable Rains instantly. In the ensuing chaos, the man responsible for the shooting managed to flee the area, sparking a manhunt.
Four days after the fatal shooting, the suspect was captured and subsequently charged with the murder of Constable Rains. His journey through the justice system was a lengthy and convoluted one. The man was tried and convicted of murder on three separate occasions, but each conviction was successfully appealed. Following the third appeal, he faced a fourth trial, which ultimately concluded with his acquittal on a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. Constable Rains was survived by his father, stepmother, and five brothers.
