Roll of Honor
Incident
Night Watchman Samuel Hamilton was shot and killed as he confronted a group of men who were creating a disturbance.
The men had just left a club room and were walking south on Main Street and making a great deal of noise. When Night Watchman Hamilton attempted to quiet them, a fight broke out, and one of the men opened fire with a pistol. Night Watchman Hamilton was killed instantly.
The shooter was later arrested and charged with murder. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 8 years in prison December 26, 1889.
Night Watchman Hamilton was 27-years old, and had served with the Le Mars Police for a year and 3 months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-099982F9- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
138 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Night Watchman Hamilton gave the Le Mars Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Le Mars community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Night Watchman Samuel H. Hamilton is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samuel H. Hamilton's cause is highlighted.
How Samuel H. Hamilton Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 8 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Samuel H. Hamilton is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Samuel H. Hamilton was killed by handgun; pistol.