James Jackson

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division — Huntsville, TX

Felonious

End of Watch December 15, 1890

The Vigil Panel 29 · Column 1 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 123

Incident

Mr. George Jarvis, manager of Retrieve state prison farm at Angleton in Brazoria County, sent one of his guards, James Jackson (referred to as Joe in the newspaper) to the express office at Oyster Creek station for a package of money containing about $300. Jackson was seen at the express office about 4:00 p.m. About 9:00 p.m. a man opened the gate of the prison farm and he discovered Jackson lying upon the ground. An investigation found that Jackson had been shot in the face with a shotgun. The money was missing. Brazoria County Sheriff Yerby and Magistrate Fackney conducted an inquest at the scene. A prominent merchant at Oyster Creek had seen Jackson, and in talking to him, Jackson asked how far in advance of him was Bill Davidson. Jackson immediately put his horse to a gallop saying that he and Davidson were going to kill ducks and he wished to catch him. This was the last time Jackson was seen alive.

A search warrant was issued for Davidson’s house where blood was found splattered on his boots and ashes on the soles from an ash pile outside the prison gate. Davidson was located in Brazoria City where he had been drinking and spending money freely. He had been seen repeatedly at the express office asking about the express package. He was placed in jail and set for an examining trial. Davidson had been a carpenter at the prison and knew all of the guards. It is unknown at this time whether Davidson was ever prosecuted for the crime.

No personal information is currently known about Jackson.

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Tributes

136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Correction Officer Jackson served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— 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 December 15, 1890

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun; 12 gauge

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1890, 65 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 113th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun; 12 gauge, in 0.3% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded