Marshal Francis A. Colclough
Died on August 7, 1912
Age 53Midvale Police Department
Homicide: Handgun
Night Marshal Colclough was shot to death during an attempted armed robbery. In the late evening hours, the 55-year-old victim conducted a business check on the Vienna Saloon. As the victim was discussing with the bartender the robbery of a nearby saloon, two armed men entered and announced a holdup. Marshal Colclough and one of the armed robbers were mortally wounded during the pitched gun battle that ensued. A second robber escaped. A suspect was eventually arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. However, this sentence was overturned in 1914 by the Utah Supreme Court. The suspect was not retried. Marshal Colclough was married and the father of four grown children. He is buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery. His bronze name plaque is sponsored by the Sandy Police Alliance, FOP Lodge 21.
Five months later, the fiancé of Marshal Colclough’s daughter, Midvale Special Officer William C. Nelson, was also murdered in the line of duty.
the picture is messed up on this site with that of another officer
December 25, 1912 William C. Nelson, 21
Midvale P.D.
Homicide: Handgun
Hired as a temporary special officer to augment the city’s police force during the holidays, William Nelson, 21, was shot to death while trying to quell a disturbance on Main Street. His killer was never identified.
https://www.utahsfallen.org/fallen_cause.php
I am so proud to be a member of the Utah Peace Officer Association which started the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial. Both are proud members of Utah’s Law Enforcement Community. The UPOA recognizes, each year, 14 (different) fallen officers. If anyone has contact information on relatives I am the keeper of fallen officer relative information. When events come up that honor our fallen officers we reach out to family/relative members when these events occur. I can be reached at blsmith@sandy.Utah.gov.