Fallen Heroes
Vernon County is located in the west central portion of Missouri. The County was organized in 1855 and named for Col. Miles Vernon, State senator and Veteran of the battle of new Orleans. The Office of the Sheriff was established in 1855 and has long since been a corner stone in the county's History. Throughout the ages there have lawmen who have given their life protecting the citizens of Vernon County.
JOSEPH BAILEY
Sheriff
Vernon County, Missouri, Sheriff's Office
Nevada, MO
Date of Death: 03/26/1867
Sheriff Joseph Bailey was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two brothers for hog stealing. The suspects robbed the Sheriff of his gun, horse, and money. Two of the suspects were never apprehended, a third suspect was lynched.
Sheriff Bailey had served with the agency for one year and previously as a Brigadier General during the Civil War and was a Freemason. He was survived by his wife and four children and is buried in section 3, lot 2 of Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas.
FRED O DAWES
Sheriff
Vernon County, Missouri, Sheriff's Office
Nevada, MO
Date of Death: 07/17/1919
Sheriff Dawes was shot and killed by a suspect he had just arrested for stealing bags of feed from a grain company. Sheriff Dawes was approached by the grain company owner who had had several sacks of feed stolen. The owner had discovered three sacks of feed sitting in front of the building.
Sheriff Dawes and the owner waited for the suspected thief to return. When a man appeared at about 2200 hours, they took him into custody and took him to the grain company office. Sheriff Dawes turned his back on the suspect to put some keys from the suspect's pocket on a table. As Sheriff Dawes turned back, the suspect shot him in the heart with a .32-caliber revolver.
The suspect then engaged in a running gun battle with two deputies. The suspect was shot four times and died several hours later of his injuries. Sheriff Dawes had been with the Vernon County Sheriff's Office for 2 1/2 years and was survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.
Sheriff
Vernon County, Missouri, Sheriff's Office
Nevada, MO
Date of Death: 03/26/1867
Sheriff Joseph Bailey was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two brothers for hog stealing. The suspects robbed the Sheriff of his gun, horse, and money. Two of the suspects were never apprehended, a third suspect was lynched.
Sheriff Bailey had served with the agency for one year and previously as a Brigadier General during the Civil War and was a Freemason. He was survived by his wife and four children and is buried in section 3, lot 2 of Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas.
FRED O DAWES
Sheriff
Vernon County, Missouri, Sheriff's Office
Nevada, MO
Date of Death: 07/17/1919
Sheriff Dawes was shot and killed by a suspect he had just arrested for stealing bags of feed from a grain company. Sheriff Dawes was approached by the grain company owner who had had several sacks of feed stolen. The owner had discovered three sacks of feed sitting in front of the building.
Sheriff Dawes and the owner waited for the suspected thief to return. When a man appeared at about 2200 hours, they took him into custody and took him to the grain company office. Sheriff Dawes turned his back on the suspect to put some keys from the suspect's pocket on a table. As Sheriff Dawes turned back, the suspect shot him in the heart with a .32-caliber revolver.
The suspect then engaged in a running gun battle with two deputies. The suspect was shot four times and died several hours later of his injuries. Sheriff Dawes had been with the Vernon County Sheriff's Office for 2 1/2 years and was survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.