In the summer of 1905, a dedicated lawman's life was cut short on a road near the quiet city limits of Cedar Vale, Kansas. Detective D. F. Calhoun, a 40-year-old man, succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound on July 12, 1905. A resident of Norwood, Missouri, he was working for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad at the time of his death.
The events leading to his untimely demise began with a robbery at the Brittum Hotel in Winfield.
A group of travelers had been relieved of their belongings, and the investigation pointed towards two individuals, William Chadburn and Ed Madigan. Detective Calhoun was in the process of attempting to apprehend these two suspects when the fatal encounter occurred. During the attempt to bring the men into custody, Calhoun was shot.
Before his service as a railroad detective, Calhoun had a commendable career in law enforcement in Kansas. He had previously served the public as a city marshal in Galena and as a deputy sheriff. His dedication to his duty ultimately cost him his life, leaving behind a wife and three children. The two men he was attempting to arrest, William Chadburn and Ed Madigan, were named as the suspects in his murder.
