Roll of Honor
Incident
City Marshal Richard Cloy was shot and killed while attempting to collect a license fee from a local hotel owner. The subject began to argue with Marshal Cloy who left, giving him an opportunity to calm down. Later on in the day he shot him in the back with a rifle from a distance of 130 yards.
On October 16, 1891, the suspect, 42, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On March 8, 1893, he was hanged at Magnolia. The suspect invented the Ford-Whitworth Automatic Car Coupler, that allowed train cars to connect by simply bumping into each other without having a worker involved. It made him a wealthy man, with a net worth of well over $100,000. Relatives and others described him as a genius with a bad temper he could not control.
Marshal Cloy had served with the McComb Police Department for only seven months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-B78BCD77- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Richard. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
135 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
City Marshal Cloy served with the McComb Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the McComb community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal Richard M. Cloy 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 MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At McComb Police Department, 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. Richard M. Cloy's cause is highlighted.
How Richard M. Cloy Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed in 1893
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Richard M. Cloy is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Richard M. Cloy was killed by rifle.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from McComb Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
