John Henry Dillingham
Agency: Platte County Sheriff's Department, Missouri
John Dillingham was elected Platte County sheriff on November 2, 1896 and served until his death. Prior to his terms as sheriff he had served as deputy under Sheriffs Synamon and Berry and also as a deputy sheriff in Nevada. Sheriff Dillingham also served as Platte City Marshal until he successfully ran for Platte County Sheriff.
Sheriff Dillingham was shot and killed near Farley, Missouri, after pursuing a suspect who had gone on a shooting spree. On August 19, 1900, the suspect attempted to kill his wife, Mary, but she escaped and went to Platte City for safety. At approximately 7:30 am on August 20th, the suspect, physician Dr. Sterling Price "Sturley" Harrington, was attempting to locate his wife when he shot and killed his uncle, James Wallace, and his mother-in-law, Mary Wallace with a revolver in the presence of his ten-year-old daughter, Maude. Dr. Harrington, accompanied by Maude, then drove a buggy to Leavenworth, Kansas where he purchased a .41 caliber Winchester rifle from the W.W. Carney gun store. News of the shootings was sent to Platte City by telegraph from East Leavenworth, about 4 miles from the town of Farley. Sheriff John Dillingham rallied a posse, composed of his son, Henry Dillingham, Liv Berry and Joseph Elgin and traveled eight miles to Farley to arrest Harrington.
Dr. Harrington and Maude then went to the William Wiehe's General Store in Farley where he again left Maude in the carriage and entered the store. Harrington approached Wiehe and two other men, H.H. Moss and John Polk, and requested money. After being refused he approached the store clerk, Dan Cannon, and asked the clerk to loan him $4 from the till. When Cannon refused, Harrington presented a pistol and robbed him at gunpoint. As Harrington left the store he lowered his revolver and Cannon produced a revolver from beneath the counter and opened fire. Cannon and Harrington exchanged gunfire with little effect but Cannon's last round struck Harrington's revolver, disabling the weapon and cutting off two of his fingers. Cannon dropped behind the counter and falsely announced he had been shot. Harrington threw the useless weapon away and drew another and stepped into the store's doorway.
Sheriff Dillingham confronted Harrington as he exited the General Store and they exchanged gunfire. Harrington shot through the store's doorway striking the sheriff in the forehead killing him instantly. The sheriff's bullet grazed Harrington's forehead. As Harrington stepped over the sheriff's body and out into the street, the sheriff's son, Deputy Henry Dillingham, shot Harrington three times in the chest, one bullet passing through the left breast, another in the left chest between his third and fourth rib and one round fatally pierced Harrington's heart.
Prior to the events at the General Store, Sterling Harrington became a heavy drinker, had previously submitted to treatment for alcoholism taking the Keeley "gold" cure in Kansas City, but returned to drinking and began abusing cocaine as well. Two years prior to the slayings Harrington attempted to kill G.S. Meyers, a fellow Mason, and was expelled from the order.
Sheriff Dillingham was survived by his wife Catherine Nash Dillingham and his five children: Henry, William, John, Joseph and Bessie.
Deputy Henry Dillingham, 22, finished out his father's term as sheriff. Thirty years later he would also serve as the United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri
The Dillingham descendents are still a major part of Kansas City. Jay B. Dillingham, Sheriff Dillingham’s grandson and son of Joseph, was a former president of the Kansas City Stockyards as well as the Chamber of Commerce for both Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. Similar to his grandfather, Jay continued a strong legacy of protecting and improving the greater Kansas City Area. Interstate 670 in Kansas and Missouri is named for Jay, known as Dillingham Freeway and memorializing the Dillingham name.
Additionally, John A. Dillingham is the grandchild of Sheriff John H. Dillingham and serves as the co-chair of the Regional Law Enforcement Memorial Garden. He also followed in the footsteps of the Dillingham name and has had a career full of public service. Notably, John formerly served as a commissioner on the Board of Commissioners for the Kansas City Police Department.
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