Timothy G. Smith

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT CITY-COUNTY OF CARSON CITY YEAR BOOK 1991

Ormsby County Sheriff Timothy G. Smith Killed in the Line of Duty

At approximately 9 o’clock in the evening, December 12, 1867, a man named Thomas Riley, the keeper of the Five Mile House, American Flat, Lyon County had an altercation, growing out of a business transaction, with one Mike Grad, at the town of Empire in Ormsby County. Riley shot Grad in the face and fled.

Sheriff Smith went from Carson City to Empire and, after determining that Riley was the suspect and that he had probably fled to his home in Lyon County, enlisted two residents as special deputy sheriff to aid in the arrest of the suspect. The Sheriff arrived at The Five Mile House at midnight, December 12.

The Sheriff placed his two Deputies at the front door of the residence and positioned himself at the rear door, assuming that if Riley thought he was about to be arrested he would attempt to escape through the rear of the house which was where Riley’s horse was tied up. The Deputies called out for Riley to surrender. Riley ran out the back door and, when confronted by the Sheriff, there was an exchange of shots. The Sheriff was shot in the groin and Riley escaped uninjured.

Sheriff Smith was taken to the Meyers Marshall house on the American Flat Road near the town of Mound House, Lyon County. He died there at 3 o’clock in the morning, December 17, 1867.

Three rewards were offered for the arrest of Riley: $1,000 by the State of Nevada; $500 by Ormsby County; and $500 by Mrs. Harriet Smith, the widow.

In June 1868, Thomas Riley was killed while resisting arrest at St.Clair’s Station, Overland Road.

Sheriff Smith was born at Gilmanton, New Hampshire, and at the time of his death was 43 years of age. He was married and had five children. Sheriff Smith became the third Sheriff of Ormsby County on December 5, 1864 and was reelected in 1866.

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