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Special Agent

James Nathaniel Malone

Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department — San Francisco, CA

Felonious

End of Watch July 8, 1924

Age 30

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 47 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 22

Incident

Location: Texas Incident Date: Monday, July 7, 1924 Weapon: Handgun Offender: Shot and killed

Special Agent James Malone was shot and killed near Uvalde, Texas.

Liquor smugglers on Southern Pacific trains between the Mexican border and San Antonio, Texas had been a special objective of Special Agent Malone for several months. He was riding a northbound train near Ulvalde, Texas, when he discovered a smuggler between two rail cars. The smuggler immediately opened fire, striking Malone three times.

He drew his revolver and returned fire, striking the man five times. As the smuggler fell from the train, he fired again, striking Agent Malone in the leg. The train stopped and picked up the deceased smuggler and Agent Malone, taking them to San Antonio. Special Agent Malone died just after midnight on July 8th, 1924.

Special Agent Malone was survived by his wife and one small son. An honor guard of two Texas Rangers accompanied his body to Del Rio, Texas, where he is buried. He had joined the Texas Rangers in 1916 and served five years. He subsequently worked for the U. S. Customs Service, where his father was employed. He then joined the Southern Pacific Railroad Police.

Survivors

Special Agent Malone was survived by his wife and one small son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-45088DFA
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.
Special Agent Malone gave the Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Malone.

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

Agency

Department Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department

Location San Francisco, CA

Platform Identity sprpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 8, 1924

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Shot and killed

Special Agent James Nathaniel Malone 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 CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department, 15 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.2% of this agency's fallen.

Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department

of 23 officers

65.2% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious