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Assistant Warden

Dewitt Frisby Oliver

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division — Huntsville, TX
Accident
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch September 17, 1921
Age 43
The Vigil Panel 41 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 123

Incident

Assistant Warden Dewitt F. Oliver was working at the “Walls Unit” in Huntsville, Walker County. Oliver was standing on the east wall when convicts Maximo Vega and Ernest Conner approached him from behind. The convicts were armed with knives and slashed Oliver’s throat. They bound his hands and used Oliver as a shield and threatened to kill him if other guards fired at them. They seized the picket guard’s guns. They then pushed Oliver off the wall and escaped through the railway gate. Oliver fractured his left leg and suffered internal injuries. Early reports had him recovering rapidly.

Vega and Conner were chased by bloodhounds but stole a horse and later boarded a train. They were captured on September 3rd on board the train as it arrived in Houston. Both men were returned to the prison. On September 12th Vega allegedly tried to escape from a prison work gang and was shot and killed. The Justice of the Peace held an inquest and declared the death as justifiable homicide. Vega was from El Paso and considered one of the both dangerous prisoners in the system. Conner was serving two years for burglary out of Fort Worth and was reportedly charged with the murder. The disposition of the case is unknown.

On September 17 Oliver died from his injuries in the local hospital. Oliver’s body was shipped to Henderson, Rusk County, for burial. He was survived by his father, a brother and a sister. The place of burial is unknown.

Survivors

He was survived by his father, a brother and a sister.

In Our Keeping

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Assistant Warden Oliver served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Assistant Warden Oliver.

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

Agency

Department Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division
Type Corrections
Location Huntsville, Walker County, TX
Platform Identity tdcjcidcorr.walker.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 17, 1921
Age 43
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Fall

The Sacrifice · Accident

Dewitt is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

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

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1921, 68 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 54th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Dewitt was 43. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36.

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

When

September holds 9.2% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Dewitt among them.

Across the years

Assistant Warden Dewitt Frisby Oliver

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch September 17, 1921

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 46-W

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