James E Maloch, Chief
Perry Police Department
About 8 P.M. on December 11, 1915, Chief Maloch had an informant but make
a “buy “ of liquor from a known bootlegger named Lee Hilbert. Afterwards when
Chief Maloch and Noble County Deputy Sheriff Barnes started toward Hilbert to
arrest him, Hilbert pulled a .38 revolver from his pocket and fired once as he
started to run. Chief Maloch returned fire but soon slumped to the ground shot
in the abdomen. Hilbert was captured the next day. Chief Maloch died three days
later at 2 A.M. on December 14th. Hilbert was found guilty of the killing of
Chief Maloch and sentenced to life in prison. His wife Maggie and five children
survived Chief Maloch.
William Franklin Treadway, Patrolman
Perry Police Department
On Friday, February 21, 1930, Officer Treadway and two county officers discovered that the Arcade and Union pool halls had been burglarized. Treadway began checking other businesses including the Nelson Drug Store. Treadway discovered that the burglar was apparently still inside the drug store. He then fired one shot into the air to summon the county officers. As the county officers went to surround the drug store, they heard numerous shots fired. Going to the rear of the store, they found Treadway shot and lying just outside of the glass rear door and the burglar gone. A kit of safe breaking tools was left behind by the thief. A fingerprint expert from Oklahoma City was unable to find any prints, leading officers to believe that the man was an experienced safe-cracker and wore gloves. Treadway was rushed to the hospital shortly after the shooting. Shot through the neck, Treadway died as a result of the bullet wound, when his spinal cord was punctured by the shot from the thief’s gun.