George W. Dillaway

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch December 14, 1911

Age 53

The Vigil Panel 26 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 312

Incident

Deputy Marshal George Dillaway succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained one week earlier when he was mistaken for an armed striker during a railroad labor dispute in Memphis, Tennessee. Deputy Marshal Dillaway, along with another deputy marshal and a Special Policeman Victor Benner of the Illinois Central Railroad Police, were on a switch engine which was traveling south from the McLemore Yards to the Nonconnah Yards. When the engine reached Horn Lake Road it stopped so the conductor could throw a switch in the track. Several other railroad guards were near the scene and had been drinking. They saw the three men on the switch engine, and believing they were trespassers, opened fire. Special Policeman Benner was struck in the neck and killed instantly. The two deputy marshals returned fire, wounding two of the guards before Deputy Marshal Dillaway was struck in the chest. He succumbed to his wounds seven days later. None of the drunk guards were prosecuted for either murder.

Survivors

Deputy Marshal Dillaway was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-738D2AFA
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 U.S. Marshal Dillaway served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy U.S. Marshal Dillaway.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 14, 1911

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Never prosecuted

Deputy U.S. Marshal George W. Dillaway 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 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.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

251

of 313 officers

80.2% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious