Roll of Honor
Richard W. Wallace
Incident
Location: Texas Weapon: Rifle; Winchester Offender: Escaped
Deputy Collector Dick Wallace was killed about 20 miles north of Presidio, Texas, while transporting a prisoner and contraband goods to the town.
While passing a dangerous place about 200 yards from Rio Grande River near the Spencer Ranch, Deputy Collector Wallace was ambushed by four men hiding on both sides of the road. He was shot and killed and the men escaped with the prisoner and contraband goods into Mexico. Deputy Collector Wallace was found a few hours later by a citizen who went to search for him. When found, Inspector Wallace was lying in his own blood with a Winchester wound to the head.
Presidio is on the border in the Big Bend of the Rio Grande River, between Eagle Pass and El Paso, and is known as the Bloody Peninsula.
Deputy Collector Wallace was buried in the City Cemetery in San Antonio. There is no information available at this time as to his marital status or any children. The newspaper reported that Deputy Collector Wallace was a well known African American Republican politician in Presidio County. He had been appointed a deputy customs collector for the Saluria District with headquarters in Presidio five months earlier.
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BO-US-FED-BA3252FF- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Collector Wallace served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Collector Richard W. Wallace is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 47 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard W. Wallace's cause is highlighted.
How Richard W. Wallace Compares
Offender Outcome
Escaped
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Richard W. Wallace is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Richard W. Wallace was killed by rifle; winchester.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
93 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
