Age:  38
Served:  11 months
April 20, 1868, to February 28, 1869

Marshal Thompson was shot in front of the tollhouse of the Covington and Cincinnati (Suspension) Bridge on February 5, 1869, as he attempted to arrest a person fitting the description of a highwayman who had robbed a man on the Lexington Turnpike.  The ball entered his abdomen and buried itself in one of the lumbar vertebrae producing partial paralysis to the left lower extremity.  Death was inevitable unless the bullet was removed, but that was not possible in 1869.  During the morning of February 28, Marshal Thompson’s condition took a turn for the worse and he died at 3:21 p.m.

The murderer was never charged, though a $1000 reward was offered for his identity.  On March 1, 1869, Thomas McHale and his brother-in-law, William White, both of Newport, were arrested for the murder, but apparently were never charged. 

Marshal Thompson’s funeral was held in the afternoon of March 2, 1869, at the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati and conducted by Father Verdin.  He was buried in Linden Grove Cemetery.  The procession through the streets was one of the largest ever witnessed in Covington.  It was composed of citizens on foot and in carriages, the Catholic Benevolent Society, police force, firemen, City Council, and nearly every officer in the Covington government.

If you have further information, artifacts, or pictures of this officer, please contact the Museum Director at Director@GCPHS.com.