90 years later, Eatonville marshal’s family wants his sacrifice honored

The mission of one Seattle policeman to have all fallen officers’ graves properly marked is having ripple effects for a local woman inspired to seek recognition for her own great-grandfather’s sacrifice.

Last year, retired Seattle Police Officer Mike Severance was able to locate and honor the resting sites of four previously forgotten Seattle officers killed in the line of duty. Some of their graves had remained unmarked for over 100 years.

“Number one the officers deserve to have an appropriately marked grave,” said Severance. “They gave their lives serving their community.”

A ceremony at Lake View Cemetery on Seattle’s Capitol Hill included SPD’s top brass, police chief, and honor guard.

When Ronda Snowden heard about Officer Severance’s mission, she thought of her own great-grandfather’s sacrifice.

The year was 1925. Eatonville Town Marshal Dolar LaPlant was only four days into the job when he responded to a fateful Sept. 4 call.

“Two boys ran to my great-grandfather’s home and told him about a man firing shots around town,” Snowden began.

The suspect, Charles Wright, had drunkenly shot his gun at least 10 times as he walked down a busy street in Eatonville.

Wright wasn’t at home when La Plant showed up to question him. When he finally arrived, a confrontation began that LaPlant was ill-prepared for.

“Back then, the marshals never carried weapons. So he had nothing,” Snowden said.

La Plant asked Wright if he was the one causing the “ruckus.” He had no idea the suspect had a pistol hidden in his coat pocket.

“All of a sudden, he shot my grandfather,” Snowden said. But La Plant wasn’t going down easy.

With a gunshot to his liver and a punctured lung, LaPlant was still able to grab the gun and use it to shoot and wound Wright.

LaPlant, 53, survived for another 13 hours, saying goodbye to his children in the hospital before succumbing to his wounds.

Wright died a year later in prison. “That was actually his alias,” explained Snowden. “He had a different name and he had already killed two people in two other states.”

Once lost to history, the Eatonville Town Marshall’s actions began to receive recognition in 1999, when La Plant’s daughter, Rosa Hibbard, succeeded in getting his name placed on law enforcement memorials in Olympia and Washington D.C.

Then, 90 years after his death, La Plant’s great-grandaughter picked up her own part of the family quest.

“After she passed away, I made it my goal [to] touch base with the family history,” Snowden said.

She went to the Tacoma library for research, pulling up 1925 news stories on microfiche. After hearing about his work in a story that aired on KIRO Radio, Ronda Snowden called SPD’s Mike Severance.

“He informed me that my great-grandfather did not get the law enforcement medal of honor. So that started the process,” Snowden said.

At that point, Eatonville Police Chief Jim Heishmann hopped on board and applied to Olympia for the honor.

Now, the Eatonville Town Marshall whose four days on the job ended tragically, will get the Washington Medal of Honor. The ceremony will be held on May 8.

“It’s a long time coming and it’s really great for this to happen,” Snowden said.

She is also raising money for a new memorial that will properly honor LaPlant’s service. She started a GoFundMe page. Crimestoppers of Pierce County chipped in to purchase a new headstone.

It includes the inscription: “End of Watch, September 5th, 1925. Ultimate Sacrifice for Eatonville.”

Snowden is glad she started researching the past.

“I recommend people find it. Look at your family history. It will be amazing to see what you can find.”