Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Mississippi Weapon: Shotgun Offender: Executed in 1886
Deputy City Marshal W.T. Wise was shot and killed in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, while working undercover in an attempt to apprehend two men who were wanted for murder in Texas.
Marshal Wise had gone to Pontotoc to extradite a prisoner from Texas back to Mississippi. While in town the Pontotoc County sheriff requested Deputy Marshal Wise's assistance to capture the two men. Marshal Wise returned to Fort Worth where he was permitted by the City Marshal to return to Oxford to help with the investigation.
Upon his return to Mississippi, Deputy Marshal Wise disguised himself as a cattle buyer and made contact with a man close to the suspects. The man agreed to help Marshal Wise in exchange for part of the reward money. Deputy Marshal Wise devised a plan to drug the suspects with tainted whiskey and then take them into custody. The informant, however, betrayed him and informed the suspects of the plan. As Deputy Marshal Wise approached the home the suspects ambushed him on the roadway and shot him with a shotgun and pistol.
The suspects buried his body on the side of the road where it was located the next day by a search team. Three suspects were eventually apprehended and sentenced to death. Two of the death sentences were overturned but the third man was hung in Pittsboro, Mississippi, on July 3rd, 1886.
Deputy Marshal Wise had served with the Fort Worth Marshal's Office for 18 months. He was survived by his wife and children. He is buried in Sarepta Cemetery in Sarepta, Mississippi.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-6AAC68DB- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
142 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy City Marshal Wise gave the Fort Worth Marshal's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy City Marshal W. T. Wise 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 Fort Worth Marshal's Office, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. W. T. Wise's cause is highlighted.
How W. T. Wise Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. W. T. Wise is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. W. T. Wise was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Fort Worth Marshal's Office are honored on badge.nw.
