Reuben T. Mattox

Wood County Sheriff's Office — Quitman, TX

Felonious

End of Watch June 2, 1900

Age 52

The Vigil Panel 16 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Rube Mattox was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a subject accused of assault.

Deputy Maddox and a posse located the subject four miles south of Winnsboro. When Deputy Mattox attempted to arrest the man, he was shot and killed by the subject's father. The posse scattered, and Deputy Mattox's body was not discovered until the next day.

The suspect was indicted by the grand jury and tried for murder but was found not guilty.

Deputy Mattox was survived by his wife and six children.

Survivors

Deputy Mattox was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-3CA48694
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 Sheriff Mattox served with the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Quitman community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Mattox.

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

Agency

Department Wood County Sheriff's Office

Location Quitman, TX

Platform Identity wcso.wood.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 2, 1900

Age 52

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Unknown weapon

Offender acquitted

Deputy Sheriff Reuben T. Mattox 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Wood County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Wood County Sheriff's Office

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious