Roll of Honor
Jesse F. Goodwin
Incident
Two convicts at the Butterfield State Coaling Camp near Alto in Cherokee County (managed by the Texas Prison System as a work camp) shot and mortally wounded Guard Jesse Goodwin.
Goodwin was left alone in charge of the camp hospital. The guards and convicts were all out on work details. One of the convicts in the hospital had been supplied a pistol from the outside. When Goodwin entered the hospital, the convict leveled his pistol at the guard and demanded the guard’s pistol. Goodwin refused to surrender his weapon, and the convict shot him. Goodwin ran outside. A trusty fired a shotgun at Goodwin, striking him with buckshot in the legs and hip. The two convicts fled to the woods with the weapons. One convict was shot and killed by a posse of guards, and the disposition of the other convict is unknown.
On June 30, 1890, escaping convicts had murdered Guard Benjamin Williamson at the same prison coal camp.
Jesse Goodwin died two days later with his father and sister at his side. His body was returned to Hempstead in Waller County for burial.
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BO-US-TX-A233B685- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Correction Officer Goodwin served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correction Officer Jesse F. Goodwin is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 31 of 124 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jesse F. Goodwin's cause is highlighted.
How Jesse F. Goodwin Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jesse F. Goodwin is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jesse F. Goodwin was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
