Marshal William Hatfield was shot and killed while on patrol. On August 10, 1927 at approximately 4:00 to 5:00 am his body was found in the middle of the street with evidence of a struggle. Marshal Hatfield been felled by a 10 guage shotgun blast with #4 shot blew away part of his face and head.

Marshal Hatfield was a well known Methodist pastor who had preached temperance from the pulpit as a Methodist minister in Oklahoma and the Indian territories in a militant campaign against bootleggers. He then became a marshal deep in the Ozarks bootlegging territory. After discharging suspicions that the marshal had been murdered after happening upon potential bank robbery suspects it was determined that he had actually been killed by a resident alcoholic physician caught by the marshal in the act of purchasing two quarts of liquor from a bootlegger in front of his office. The 10 guage shotgun was found hidden between two mattresses in the suspect's office. The suspect physician, Edward Croxdale, was sentenced to life in prison.

Marshal Hatfield was a well known Methodist pastor for 40 years in the county. He had been appointed as town marshal only eight months earlier and was survived by his wife. Interred: Southwest City Cemetery.