Drunken Gunman Barricades Alley in Pomeroy
A laborer went on a violent rampage, forcing a shootout with law enforcement that left two officers wounded.
Joseph Kline, a laborer, while under the influence of liquor, pulled his gun Saturday night at Pomeroy on several persons, threatening their lives. The officers started after him when he ran into an alley, barricaded himself and fired on them. The officers returned the fire. Marshal Dixon received a shot in the left arm; Night Watchman Whittaker received a slight wound in the foot. Kline was shot in the back and shoulder, and is in a serious condition.
“The officers started after him when he ran into an alley, barricaded himself and fired on them.”
This violent incident highlights the precarious state of small-town policing in the early 20th century, where rural law enforcement often relied on local marshals to confront armed, volatile individuals without backup. While public safety concerns remain, modern Pomeroy has evolved from this frontier-style policing to more centralized municipal standards.
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