In the small town of Troy, Idaho, a respected figure met a violent end on a cold winter day. John Henry Hays, a 59-year-old white male and a decorated veteran of the Civil War, served as the town marshal. His life, marked by bravery in his youth, was dedicated to maintaining peace in his community. On January 27, 1904, Marshal Hays responded to a domestic disturbance call, a common duty for a lawman in a small town. The call, however, would prove to be his last.
The man at the center of the disturbance was Paine Sly, a local resident with a notorious reputation. When Marshal Hays attempted to arrest Sly, the situation escalated dramatically. Sly, armed with a Springfield rifle, fired at the marshal, striking him in the neck. Despite the fatal wound, Hays displayed remarkable courage in his final moments. He managed to draw his own weapon and return fire, injuring Sly before succumbing to his injury.
The death of the esteemed marshal sent shockwaves through the community of Troy. Citizens apprehended the wounded Paine Sly on the same day, and tensions ran so high that there was a palpable threat of a lynching. However, the law was allowed to take its course. In June of 1904, Sly was tried and found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison at the Idaho State Penitentiary. In a turn of events that might have seemed surprising to the community that mourned their fallen marshal, Sly was paroled in 1909 and received a full pardon in 1910.
