In the late autumn of 1888, a lawman's duty cost him his life in the town of Gadsden, Alabama. Deputy Marshal D. J. Kinney, a 40-year-old man serving with the Gadsden Police Department, met a violent end on Thursday, November 22, 1888. With two years of service under his belt, Kinney was a dedicated officer of the law. On that fateful day, he had gone to a residence with the intention of making an arrest.
The situation escalated tragically after Deputy Marshal Kinney had successfully
taken the man into custody. As the arrest was being made, another individual inside the house emerged and fatally shot the deputy marshal. The weapon used in the deadly assault was a rifle. The unexpected attack left no opportunity for Kinney to defend himself, and he succumbed to the gunshot wound.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a suspect was apprehended. The individual accused of firing the fatal shot was subsequently tried and convicted for the murder of Deputy Marshal Kinney. Justice in the 19th century was often swift and severe. The convicted killer was executed by hanging on December 6, 1889, a little over a year after the murder. Deputy Marshal Kinney was survived by his wife.
