In the small town of Harriston, Mississippi, a day of gambling and drinking took a violent turn, ending in a tragic loss for the community and the death of Sheriff Groves Benton Hammett. The 34-year-old male Sheriff was killed in the line of duty on September 28, 1913, during a chaotic and deadly rampage carried out by two brothers.
The tragic events began to unfold when two brothers, under the influence of alcohol and narcotics, became enraged after losing money in a gambling game.
In a sudden burst of violence, they opened fire on the other players, killing several men and a woman. Their deadly spree continued at the local railroad station, where they shot and killed a conductor. The brothers then targeted local law enforcement, first going to the home of Constable Benjamin 'Frank' Kinstley. They lured him to his door and fatally shot him, also wounding his son in the process.
Alerted to the escalating violence, Sheriff Groves Benton Hammett responded from the nearby town of Fayette, accompanied by his father, who was a sheriff's deputy, and the court clerk. Upon their arrival in Harriston, they were informed that the two brothers had taken refuge in a nearby house. As the lawmen approached the dwelling, one of the brothers, who had been hiding underneath the building, ambushed them. In the ensuing gunfire, Sheriff Hammett was killed, and the court clerk was wounded.
Following the murder of Sheriff Hammett, the two brothers barricaded themselves inside the house. A posse quickly formed and surrounded the home, firing an estimated 3,000 rounds into the building. One of the brothers was killed during the intense shootout. The second brother was captured by the posse and subsequently lynched. In total, the brothers' violent rampage claimed the lives of nine people, including Sheriff Hammett and Constable Kinstley, and left fifteen others seriously wounded.
