Deputy Collector

Richard W. Wallace

Felonious
End of Watch November 29, 1899
Age 42
Tour of Duty 5 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Texas Weapon: Rifle; Winchester Offender: Escaped

Deputy Collector Dick Wallace was killed about 20 miles north of Presidio, Texas, while transporting a prisoner and contraband goods to the town.

While passing a dangerous place about 200 yards from Rio Grande River near the Spencer Ranch, Deputy Collector Wallace was ambushed by four men hiding on both sides of the road. He was shot and killed and the men escaped with the prisoner and contraband goods into Mexico. Deputy Collector Wallace was found a few hours later by a citizen who went to search for him. When found, Inspector Wallace was lying in his own blood with a Winchester wound to the head.

Presidio is on the border in the Big Bend of the Rio Grande River, between Eagle Pass and El Paso, and is known as the Bloody Peninsula.

Deputy Collector Wallace was buried in the City Cemetery in San Antonio. There is no information available at this time as to his marital status or any children. The newspaper reported that Deputy Collector Wallace was a well known African American Republican politician in Presidio County. He had been appointed a deputy customs collector for the Saluria District with headquarters in Presidio five months earlier.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtnpv4ztjcs65hs1gdbrd
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 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

127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Collector Wallace served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 29, 1899
Tour of Duty 5 mo
Age 42
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Rifle; Winchester

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Richard is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1899, 90 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 66th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Richard was 42. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Richard had served 0.4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was rifle; winchester, in 0.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service has 94 officers remembered here, Richard among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Deputy Collector Richard W. Wallace

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service · End of Watch November 29, 1899

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-E

↑