James Eli Parish, City Marshal
City of Bennington
On Tuesday, July 23, 1912, City Marshal Parish, 33, was given a judgment to serve on Sam Buford, a local rancher who had been sued in civil court. Parish was to confiscate Buford’s cattle. That morning, Marshal Parish confiscated the cattle and headed back to Bennington when he was ambushed by Buford’s two sons, Newt and Iman. Marshal Parish was shot in the chest with a shotgun and in the head with a Winchester rifle which killed him. Marshal Parish was able to shoot Iman Buford in the right chest during the gunfight before he died. Iman and Newt Buford were tried for the murder of Marshal Parish and were acquitted. Marshal Parish was buried in the Bennington Cemetery and was survived by his wife Effie and five young children