Roll of Honor
Thomas Calton Smith
Incident
Deputy U.S. Marshals Tom C. Smith, Dave Booker and a man named Tucker left Gainesville for the Chickasaw Nation in the Indian Territory. The three lawmen boarded a northbound Santa Fe train. Around 11:00 p.m., just inside Indian Territory, the three deputy marshals entered a passenger car, reserved for African Americans, to walk to the smoking car. One of the African American passengers took offense to white men in the sleeping car, and pulled a pistol and shot Deputy Marshal Smith through the heart killing him. Deputies Booker and Tucker pulled their pistols and killed the assailant. It was reported the killer was Commodore Miller who was wanted in Dallas County and was escaping to the Indian Territory. Smith was survived by his wife, Sallie, and their four children. He is buried in the Taylor Cemetery. Smith’s father was the sheriff of Fort Bend County from 1852-1856. Smith later served as a Fort Bend County deputy sheriff and was involved in the Jaybird-Woodpecker War, Democratic “Jaybirds” were fighting the Republican “Woodpeckers” who had power since Reconstruction, in which Sheriff J.T. Garvey and others were killed on August 16, 1889. Smith also served as the city marshal of Taylor, Texas; a deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas; and a cattle detective involved in the Johnson County War in New Mexico. He returned to Texas in 1892 and became a deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas operating out of Paris, Texas. His territory covered Texas and southern part of the Indian Territory.
Survivors
Smith was survived by his wife, Sallie, and their four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-8FC43343- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
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Deputy U.S. Marshal Smith served with the United States Department of Justice.
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 U.S. Marshal Thomas Calton Smith 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, 251 of 313 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Calton Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Calton Smith Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Calton Smith is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Thomas Calton Smith was killed by gun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
312 officers from United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
