Deputy Sheriff Daniel Pratt Kenyon, aged 45, was shot and killed on April 1, 1927, in Hutchinson, Texas. Kenyon and Deputy Sheriff Almer Terry were killed by members of the Cotton Top Walker Gang, who had just robbed a bank. The deputies had received a tip about the impending robbery and went to stop the gang, but were shot and killed upon their arrival at the bank.
The Cotton Top Walker Gang was led by the Kimes brothers, who had previously murdered Deputy Perry Chuculate of the
Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, Sheriff's Office, on August 27, 1926. The Kimes brothers were convicted of manslaughter in connection with Deputy Chuculate's murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, one of the brothers, Matthew Kimes, escaped from prison and continued his crime spree.
During the following year, the escaped brother continued robbing banks with the Cotton Top Walker Gang, which was responsible for the murders of several law enforcement officers, including Deputy Kenyon and Deputy Terry. Matthew Kimes was eventually arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 23, 1927.
Deputy Kenyon was survived by his wife and seven children and was buried in Kaw City, Kay County, Oklahoma. His death was part of a series of violent incidents involving the Cotton Top Walker Gang, which terrorized the region during that time.
