Officers who will be honored include:
Hence H. Harmon, of Adairville was killed on July 4, 1896 in Adairville during the Strawberry Festival. Reportedly Harmon was in a shootout with Wick Younger, and bullets killed both.
Younger was extremely intoxicated and was being persuaded to leave town by Harmon or he was going to have to arrest him. Wick waved a pistol in Harmon's face and took off on horseback. Harmon gave chase out of town. Approximately 10 minutes later word came that Harmon was in the road dead.
When others arrived they found just that, with Younger in a cornfield a few feet away. Harmon was survived by a wife and no children. Harmon is buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Adairville.
Bluch Soyars
Nancy Ellen Hayes Soyars (wife)
8-19-1875 to 10-15-1932
Nancy (daughter)
Vicky Wilkins (granddaughter)
James Alexander Soyars (father)
Martha Victoria Dowling Soyars (mother)
Frank Allen Mather
Mary Ann Washer Mather (wife)
2-10-1883 to 10-16-1932
Special Deputy Bluch Soyars was killed on Oct. 15, 1932 at First and Caldwell Street in Russellville. Soyars, along with Russellville officers and Federal agents, were at a raid location when Soyars was struck with a bullet. Soyars is buried at Berea Church Cemetery.
Special Agent Frank A. Mather of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was also killed in crossfire. Mather was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in LaRue County.
Taylor Gray Walker
12-07-1855 to 9-10-1939
Nora Walker (wife)
Elizabeth Williams (mother)
Chief (Town Marshall) Taylor Gray Walker of Adairville was reportedly killed on Sept. 10, 1939 when he was struck by a vehicle. Walker is buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Adairville.
Rufus Barrow
Carrie Ethel Rhea Barrow (wife)
12-04-1879 to 04-29-1948
Mattielee Barrow (daughter)
Patricia Kay Bolls (granddaughter)
Larry G. Bolls (grandson)
Chief Rufus Barrow was killed on April 29, 1948 in Adairville at the home of Martha Burk. Ms. Burk's grandson, William Downs, 23, was being persuaded by Barrow to return to a Veterans hospital in Murfreesboro, Tenn. where he had been confined for a mental disorder for the past year. Downs stabbed Barrow with a small paring knife, pinned his arms down, and proceeded to shoot him above the heart with his own gun.
Barrow died instantly at age 65. After funeral services at Betts Funeral Home in Adairville, Barrow was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.
Arthur Dotson
11-02-1899 to 2-16-1966
Mary Ellen Dotson (wife)
Patrolman Arthur Dotson died on Feb. 16, 1966 at the Logan County jail. Dotson was attempting to arrest a drunk when the subject began resisting. After wrestling with the subject, Dotson died of a heart attack. He was 66 years of age at the time, and was scheduled to retire the next day.
Funeral services were held at Pleasant Ridge, with burial at Walnut Grove Church Cemetery.
Cloyd Charlton
3-18-1929 to 2-06-1967
Jackie, Jan, Jane, Joy Charlton (daughters)
Chief Cloyd Charlton of Adairville died on April 29, 1967 at the home of Dan King, age 50. Charlton had previously stopped King for no operator's license and had observed King driving in town. Charlton turned on lights and sirens in an attempt to stop King. King refused to stop and a chase to King's home followed.
After an emergency call to dispatch from Charlton, officers arrived and found him shot to death beside his cruiser. Charlton had a bullet wound to his abdomen and another in his chest. King stated he shot Charlton in self-defense. Charlton reportedly called State Trooper Walter Thurtell less than an hour before the incident occurred and stated King had threatened his life. Charlton is buried at the Pleasant Ridge Church Cemetery.
Walter Thurtell
8-23-1930 to 9-29-1972
Shirley Thurtell (Graydon) (wife)
Keith Thurtell (son)
Carla Thurtell (Quick) (daughter)
Kentucky State Trooper Walter Thurtell died on Sept. 29, 1972 at age 42. Thurtell was going home on supper break when his vehicle struck another driven by Eugene Edwards. The investigation revealed that the rain and strong winds were a contributing factor.
Edwards was taken to Vanderbilt University Hospital in critical condition, but was later upgraded to satisfactory condition. Thurtell is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Adairville. Funeral services were held at Betts Funeral Home in Adairville.
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