Roll of Honor
Cyrus W. Abel
Incident
Special Deputy Constable Cy Abel was shot and killed while assisting the Precinct 4 constable make an arrest inside of a saloon in Albany, Texas.
The constable had observed one man assault another with a pool cue and told him he was under arrest. He then called upon Special Deputy Abel to assist him. As they neared the man he began to curse them and opened fire. One of the shots struck Special Deputy Constable in the leg and severed his femoral artery.
The subject was also shot but survived. He was acquitted of murder in October 1881. Authorities in Louisiana unsuccessfully attempted to extradite him for an unrelated murder.
Special Deputy Constable Abel,
On today, the 145th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of Shackelford County.
BPA Mike Casey United States Border Patrol(Retired) June 30th, 2025
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-615167AF- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
146 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Special Deputy Constable Abel served with the Shackelford County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Albany community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Deputy Constable Cyrus W. Abel 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Cyrus W. Abel's cause is highlighted.
How Cyrus W. Abel Compares
Offender Outcome
Acquitted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Cyrus W. Abel is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Cyrus W. Abel was killed by gun; unknown type.