Royce E. Cline

Saline County Sheriff's Department — Harrisburg, IL

Felonious

End of Watch August 14, 1925

Age 45

The Vigil Panel 49 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Deputy Royce Cline was shot and killed from ambush while attempting to arrest a bootlegger near Carrier Mills. On Friday, August 14, 1925 at about 8:45am, Sheriff Small sent Deputies Royce Cline, Silas Rude and Hubert Hawkins to the “Pond” settlement about two and a half miles south of Carrier Mills, where a large supply of alcohol was reported to be hidden. The Deputies arrived at the “Pond” settlement about 11:00am and entered a thicket that was very dense with briars, brush and vines, with limited visibility. After a short distance, the deputies found a path and followed it to a small clearing where barrels of mash had been hidden by a bootlegger. At about 11:30am, as the deputies lay in wait, they heard someone coming through the thicket. Deputy Cline rose and moved in front of Deputy Rude and crouched down on one knee with his Colt .45 pistol drawn. They waited for the party to approach. The man approached with a .12 gauge single barrel shot gun that was cocked and in both hands ready to fire. Just as the man saw the head and face of Deputy Cline he took aim and fired into his face. Deputy Cline fell back into the arms of Deputy Rude. The shooter dropped the gun and ran off; Deputy Rude fired at the fleeing suspect, but missed. Deputy Cline was horribly mutilated. His mouth, nose and ears were torn off and he was blinded in one eye. Deputy Rude rushed to get help. Deputy Cline was rushed to Lightner Hospital in Harrisburg where Drs. Lightner and Gaskins stopped the bleeding. Deputy Cline’s wife, Nellie, was summoned to the hospital and arrived just a few minutes before he died at about 2:30PM. Harrisburg was in an uproar over the murder of Deputy Cline. Determined and angry men and law officers formed up in possies to capture the suspect. A man-hunting German police dog was brought in from Sebree, Kentucky to aid in the search. For two days and nights the hunt continued. The suspect was finally captured in a corn field on the day of Deputy Cline's funeral. The

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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 Cline served with the Saline County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Harrisburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Cline.

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

Agency

Department Saline County Sheriff's Department

Location Harrisburg, IL

Platform Identity scso.saline.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 14, 1925

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Apprehended

Deputy Sheriff Royce E. Cline 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 IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Saline County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Saline County Sheriff's Department

of 5 officers

40% Felonious

IL — Statewide

842

of 1,318 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious