Roll of Honor
Incident
On Friday, February 19, 1915, Caldwell County Sheriff J. Henry Franks and Lockhart City Marshal John L. Smith were involved in a confrontation at the county courthouse. News accounts report that Smith was formerly a deputy sheriff under Franks, and ran against him for sheriff. Smith reportedly cursed and abused the sheriff who went to his office and got a shotgun. The two men opened fire and Smith was killed. Sheriff Franks was released under a $3,000 bond after an examining trial and the case was referred to the spring grand jury.
On Wednesday, May 12, 1915 at 9:30 p.m. Franks was returning from a motion picture show to his place of residence in the county jail when an unknown assassin hiding beneath a cotton platform at the railway depot fired two shotgun blasts at him. The first missed and struck a telegraph pole, but the second shot struck the sheriff in the back, neck and shoulder with eight buck shot killing him instantly. Other county sheriffs and Texas Rangers came to Lockhart to investigate the assassination. Caldwell County Commissioners’ Court and the Texas Governor posted a reward of $750. Texas Rangers later arrested two men, but the charges were dropped.
John Henry Franks was elected sheriff of Caldwell County on November 3, 1908. He was re-elected on November 8, 1910, November 5, 1912, November 3, 1914 and served until May 12, 1915 when was killed. He was survived by his widow, Daisy Abbot Franks, and a 12-year old daughter, Gladys. Franks was buried in Section K of the Lockhart City Cemetery next to his wife, Daisy.
The killer of Sheriff J. Henry Franks was never apprehended and the case remains unsolved.
Survivors
He was survived by his widow, Daisy Abbot Franks, and a 12-year old daughter, Gladys.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-ED767988- 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.
Sheriff Franks gave the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Lockhart community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Franks.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff John Henry Franks 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 Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Henry Franks's cause is highlighted.
How John Henry Franks Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Henry Franks is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Caldwell County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
