In the small, quiet town of Albert City, Iowa, a violent confrontation on a November afternoon in 1901 shattered the peace and left an indelible mark on the community's history. The events that unfolded on November 16th of that year led to the death of the town marshal, Charles Lodine, a man known by his full name, Karl Johan Emanuel Lodine. He was a male of 33 years.
The catalyst for the tragedy was a bank robbery in the neighboring town of Greenville the night before.
Three men, having made off with their illicit gains, sought refuge and a meal in the unassuming Medlicott Restaurant located within the Albert City depot. Believing they had outrun suspicion, the trio settled in, unaware that their presence had not gone unnoticed. Word of the robbers' whereabouts reached Marshal Charley Lodine, who quickly assembled a posse of local citizens to apprehend the fugitives.
Expecting a quiet surrender, Marshal Lodine and his armed group entered the depot. However, the robbers had no intention of being taken into custody. The scene rapidly devolved into a chaotic shootout. In the exchange of gunfire, Marshal Lodine was struck by a bullet in his left hip, the projectile lodging near his groin. Another member of the posse, a local flour merchant named Sundblad, was also mortally wounded, a bullet piercing his lung.
Despite the hail of bullets from the posse, the three criminals managed to slip out the back of the depot, continuing the gun battle. Two of the robbers, who would later be identified as Albert Phillips and Lewis Brooks, though these were believed to be aliases, were killed in the ongoing fight. The third outlaw was captured but succumbed to his injuries the following morning, taking his true identity to the grave. His tombstone bears the simple, anonymous inscription: "Bank Robber."
Marshal Charles Lodine fought for his life for several days following the violent encounter. Ultimately, his injuries proved too severe, and he passed away. The deadly shootout at the depot, which resulted in the deaths of the town marshal, a citizen, and the three perpetrators, became a somber landmark in the history of the young town of Albert City. No arrests were made beyond the confrontation that left all suspects dead.
