In the late summer of 1903 in North Vernon, Indiana, a domestic dispute escalated into a tragic event that would claim the life of a dedicated law enforcement officer. Marshal Gustive H. Schwake, a 64-year-old man who had served with the North Vernon Police Department for a year and a half, was killed in the line of duty. The incident began when a local resident, William Wilkerson, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol, was quarreling with his wife.
The argument intensified to the point where Wilkerson, armed with a knife, attempted to harm his wife. She managed to flee towards a neighbor's house, and a passerby quickly went to summon Marshal Schwake for help.
Upon his arrival, Marshal Schwake found Wilkerson sitting in his own front yard, now armed with a shotgun. As the marshal approached to question him, Wilkerson took aim and fired, striking Schwake in the head and chest. The marshal was killed instantly. Following the shooting, Wilkerson retreated into his house and then fled out the back towards a nearby creek.
With the knowledge that a posse was in pursuit, William Wilkerson's desperate flight from the law was short-lived. He ultimately turned the same shotgun on himself, taking his own life before he could be apprehended. Consequently, there were no arrests, trial, or conviction in the murder of Marshal Schwake. The community was left to mourn the loss of the brave marshal, who was survived by his wife, son, and daughter. His funeral was attended by a very large crowd, a testament to the respect he had earned in his community.
