- Mason County -

Old Crimes and Criminals

His Uniform Made Him
Target for Hood's Gun.

ARLO SLAGLE was a typical, average Ludington resident.

He was married to a fine wife, HELEN ALTA, and had two lovely children, DIANE MARIE, 5, and DUANE MARK, 3. He lived in a neat white house at 806 St. Catherine st. He was a veteran of the Korean War and was severely wounded by shrapnel.

But ARLO SLAGLE was distinguished from other 27-year-old Ludington citizens because of his work. He was a police officer and a good one.

From the time he put on his blue uniform with the silver badge, and buckled on his gun belt, SLAGLE was a target for hoodlums, cheap crooks and young punks who assumed it was their privilege to give a police officer a rough time.

His blue uniform also made him a marked man for the gun of CHARLES "CHUCK" HANNA. HANNA bore no personal grudge against SLAGLE. The young Ludington policeman was killed for what he represented, law and order.

ARLO SLAGLE was not trying to be a hero when he and two other officers walked into the Grand Hotel bar. He was simply trying to do his duty, which was to protect citizens from such people as HANNA and BENJAMIN DAVIS.

For his efforts he received a bullet in the heart.

The death of SLAGLE touched off a manhunt that is unequaled in Western Michigan history. Every law enforcement officer in the state would give his right arm to catch up with HANNA.

It makes no difference if the policeman is from New York City, Ludington or a village of 10 persons, if he is killed in the line of duty, the killer is a marked man until the day he is caught.

Ludington Daily News - 21 July 1958

*Note: Charles Hanna was arrested in Valdosta, Ga., and brought back to Ludington, arriving on July 27th. On October 14th he was found guilty of 2nd degree murder and sentenced to the Michigan department of corrections for 20 - 40 years.