On a cold December day in 1911, a conflict over an unoccupied farmhouse would end in the death of a respected lawman. George Moody, a 48-year-old White / Caucasian male, served as the Sheriff of Richland County, North Dakota. His day took a fatal turn when a local farmer, Jake Steffes, arrived in Wahpeton with a complaint about a squatter on a farm he was renting seven miles outside the city. The farm, owned by U.S.
Marshal James Shea, had been empty for some time, and an unknown man had taken up residence in the house and refused to leave.
Sheriff Moody, accompanied by a deputy named George Moore, drove out to the farm in a buggy to serve an eviction warrant. Upon their arrival, they confronted the stranger, a man later identified as Charles Moline. Moody ordered Moline to come out of the house. After an initial refusal and a heated exchange of words, Moline emerged onto the porch, but he was not coming peacefully. He carried a shotgun and, without warning, fired both barrels at Sheriff Moody, killing him instantly. As Moore rode back to Wahpeton in a state of shock to report the murder, Moline stole the sheriff's buggy and horses, fleeing the scene at a full gallop.
The news of Sheriff Moody's murder galvanized the community. The police chief quickly organized a posse, which grew to include hundreds of able-bodied men from Wahpeton and the surrounding area, all determined to bring the killer to justice, dead or alive. Moline's escape was initially easy to track, as one of the buggy's rubber tires had come off, leaving a deep and clear indentation from the metal rim in the ground. The trail led the posse towards Hankinson, where more men joined the massive manhunt.
The pursuit eventually caught up with Moline near White Rock, South Dakota. When he saw the posse closing in, he opened fire. The posse returned fire, killing one of his horses and forcing him to abandon the buggy. Moline fled on foot into a swampy area where the cars and buggies of the posse could not follow. However, members on horseback were able to keep him in sight. As night began to fall, the fugitive ran towards some outbuildings for cover. Fearing he would escape under the cover of darkness, the posse opened fire. Moline fired back, wounding three of his pursuers before a bullet struck him in the head, killing him. It was later discovered that the suspect, Charles Moline, was an escaped patient from the State Hospital for the Insane in Jamestown. No arrests were made, as the sole suspect was killed by the posse.
