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Washington, Death Certificates
Name: James Frank Chatfield
Event Date: 28 Jul 1921
Event Place: Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington
Gender: Male
Age (Formatted): 44 years 23 days
Birth Year (Estimated): 1877
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Bertha A. Chatfield
Father's Name: James T. Chatfield
Mother's Name: Ella Splawn
GS Film number: 1992884
Digital Folder Number: 4221130
Image Number: 1231
Reference ID: 144
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Find A Grave Memorial# 32121375
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Deputy Sheriff James Chatfield was shot and killed as he and another deputy confronted two men they suspected of smuggling liquor and narcotics on a trail crossing the Canadian border near Blaine, Washington.

Deputy Chatfield had his service weapon out when he ordered the men to stop. One of the men, believing that the deputies were smugglers themselves, drew his own revolver and opened fire. Despite being wounded in the abdomen, Deputy Chatfield returned fire but did not strike the subject.

Both men fled but returned to the scene a few minutes later and turned themselves in to the other deputy. They took Deputy Chatfield to a hospital in Lynden where he died several hours later.

The men were charged with Deputy Chatfield's murder but released following a mistrial after they claimed they were just hiking in the area and mistook the deputies for criminals.

Deputy Chatfield had served in law enforcement with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office and Blaine Police Department for four years. He was survived by his four children and his stepdaughter, and his half-brother; he is buried at Fern Hill Cemetery in Anacortes, Washington.

Read more: http://www.odmp.org/officer/21868-deputy-sheriff-james-franklin-chatfield#ixzz30FhYFKab
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THE BELLINGHAM HERALD April 28, 2014
On a weekday afternoon, Chatfield and fellow Deputy Holman Drain were driving on H Street Road when they saw three men, one with a large knapsack, by a Model T Ford.

That area was full of logging trails used by bootleggers and drug smugglers, so the deputies, who were dressed in plain clothes, stopped to investigate, with guns drawn. A short distance into the woods they came across Alfred "Red" Anderson, 22.

According to McClary's research, CHATFIELD, without identifying himself, ordered Anderson to raise his hands, and fired two warning shots with his police revolver.

Anderson, a veteran of World War I who later said he feared that Chatfield and Drain were drug smugglers, responded by firing his own revolver, striking Chatfield in the abdomen.

After an exchange of gunfire, Drain flashed his badge and told Anderson that he had shot a deputy. Anderson immediately surrendered and helped carry the wounded Chatfield to the patrol car so he could be taken to medical help.

Anderson and a friend, Frank Tool Jr., the son of a Customs inspector in Blaine, told officers that they had planned to camp in the woods. When officers searched Anderson's pack, they found camping gear, but no contraband.

County Prosecutor Loomis Baldrey charged Anderson with first-degree murder, but the trial was delayed several months while the state Supreme Court ruled that Baldrey had muddled his original charging document and needed to file an improved version.

Anderson's trial began in May 1922, but on the morning of the fourth day the judge declared a mistrial because a juror had chatted, but not discussed the case, with a probation officer in the courthouse. Jurors had been instructed not to speak to members of the public.

After the mistrial, all of the jurors, 10 men and two women, signed a statement saying they would not have convicted Anderson, who claimed self-defense. Baldrey chose not to retry the case.

Chatfield was buried in Anacortes, where his wife was interred. He was survived by three children and two stepchildren.

Two of Chatfield's great-grandsons, James and Brian Feyler of Beaverton, Oregon, plan to attend the ceremony in Spokane. James Feyler, an electronics designer, said he grew up knowing about his great-grandfather's untimely death, but didn't realize that law enforcement memorials honor officers who died in the line of duty in the distant past.

"It was quite a surprise," he said. "It's quite an honor."
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USA Census, 1900
Name: James F Chatfield
Event Place: ED 113 North Yakima City Ward 1, Yakima, Washington
Birth Date: Jul 1878
Birthplace: Washington
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: Washington
Mother's Birthplace: Washington
Race: White
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 0
Marriage Year (Estimated): 1900
Page: 6
Sheet Letter: B
Family Number: 136
Reference ID: 100
GS Film number: 1241754
Digital Folder Number: 004118883
Image Number: 00382
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head James F Chatfield M 22 Washington
Wife Vera M Chatfield F 18 Oregon
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USA Census, 1910
Name: James F Chatfield
Event Place: Laurel, Whatcom, Washington
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Birthplace: Washington
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Birthplace: Washington
Household ID: 204
Page: 10
Household Gender Age Birthplace
SELF James F Chatfield M 30y Washington
WIFE Bertha C Chatfield F 29y Wisconsin
DAU Vonnie M Bowen F 7y Wisconsin
DAU Jessie C Bowen F 5y Wisconsin
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USA Census, 1920
Name: J F Chatfield
Event Place: , Whatcom, Washington
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Birthplace: Washington
Birth Year (Estimated): 1878
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Father's Birthplace: Oregon
Mother's Birthplace: Oregon
Household ID: 23
Sheet Number: 1
GS Film number: 1821943
Digital Folder Number: 4391492
Image Number: 00886
Household Gender Age Birthplace
SELF J F Chatfield M 42y Washington
DAU Reba Chatfield F 8y Washington
SON Reid Chatfield M 6y Washington
Vonnie Bowen F 17y Wisconsin
NOTE [Vonnie was daughter of Wm Bowen and Bertha Crandall Bowen]

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