Thomas Alexander Jones

Eastland County Sheriff's Office — Eastland, TX

Felonious

End of Watch November 20, 1929

Age 56

The Vigil Panel 58 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Thomas Jones succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day during an escape attempt by a suspect who was in jail for the murder of two police officers, Officer George Carmichael and Chief George Bedford of the Cisco Police Department, in 1927. The suspect had been sentenced to death for the previous murders but his conviction was returned to the county court from an appeals court for a sanity hearing. While in jail he had been faking paralysis. Deputy Jones and another deputy had left his cell door open as they completed serving meals. The suspect took the opportunity to run out of his cell, grab a gun from the jailer's office, and then shot Deputy Jones. A group of 200 townspeople came to the jail, overpowered the other guard, and lynched the suspect. Deputy Jones was a former police officer who was volunteering at the jail.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and is buried at Eastland City Cemtery in Eastland, Texas.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-86D688FB
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Jones served with the Eastland County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Eastland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Jones.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Eastland County Sheriff's Office

Location Eastland, TX

Platform Identity ecso.eastland.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 20, 1929

Age 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Lynched

Deputy Sheriff Thomas Alexander Jones 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Eastland County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Eastland County Sheriff's Office

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious