On a Saturday in September of 1937, the community of Lonoke, Arkansas, was struck by a tragedy that would end the life of its City Marshal, J. Robert Bennett. At 57 years of age, Marshal Bennett was a dedicated lawman who found himself in a fatal confrontation while investigating a burglary at the local post office. He had interrupted a man in the commission of the crime and gave chase, a pursuit that would tragically be his last.
The chase ended near a railroad crossing just two miles
west of Lonoke, where the suspect, armed with a. 38 caliber handgun, shot and killed Marshal Bennett. His body was discovered at this location, marking a somber end to his watch over the town. The man he was pursuing managed to flee the scene, sparking an immediate and widespread search for the killer of the respected law officer.
The following day, the suspect was located and apprehended in Texarkana. He was discovered on a freight train, carrying with him a large quantity of stamps taken from the post office and the weapon used in the murder. Swift justice followed, as the suspect was tried and convicted of first-degree murder. In a final chapter to this tragic event, the convicted man was executed for his crime in the electric chair on February 8, 1938. City Marshal Bennett was laid to rest in the Lonoke Cemetery.
