On a Friday in Cosmopolis, Washington, the 15th of November, 1901, a dispute over a house would end in the death of Town Marshal Silas W. Smith, a man of 57 years. Marshal Smith, accompanied by the Aberdeen marshal, went to serve a warrant on a man who was in the process of tearing down the house at the center of the disagreement.
Initially, the man seemed cooperative with the two officers. However, the situation quickly deteriorated when he began to resist arrest.
As the marshals attempted to disarm him, the man asserted that as a U.S. letter carrier, he was permitted to be armed. He then pulled away from the officers, produced a. 32-caliber handgun, and began firing.
In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, Marshal Smith was struck in the chest and died instantly. The Aberdeen marshal was also wounded, as was the suspect. The gunfight continued until both the suspect and the remaining officer ran out of ammunition. At that point, the Aberdeen marshal struck the suspect in the head with his pistol, rendering him unconscious.
Both the wounded Aberdeen marshal and the suspect were taken to a hospital for treatment. Following his medical care, the suspect was transferred to jail. He was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was ultimately paroled on May 22, 1907. Marshal Smith was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
