C. R. V. Schefsky

Location: Texas
Incident Date: Wednesday, September 7, 1870
Weapon: Unknown weapon
Offender: Unknown disposition

In 1870, census taking was one of the duties of the US Marshals. This task was so time consuming that it caused the Marshals to hire deputies for that specific purpose. US Marshal Thomas Purnell appointed C.R.V. Schefsky as a Deputy US Marshal for the Western District of Texas. Deputy Marshal Schefsky lived in Bastrop and took the census for that area.

A passerby noticed a buggy alongside Fiskville Road about four miles from Bastrop. He also saw a horse nearby, grazing on grass. He approached the buggy and found a man slumped in the seat. Officers discovered the dead man was Deputy Marshal C.R.V. Schefsky. He had been brutally beaten about the back of his head. His gun, money and the census rolls were missing. An inquest jury ruled that Deputy Marshal Schefsky had met his death through violence by unknown persons. The Austin newspaper speculated the killer or killers might have thought Deputy Marshal Schefsky was carrying tax rolls. It is unknown at this time if anyone was ever arrested or convicted for the murder.

Deputy Marshal Schefsky was survived by his wife, Johanna Schefsky. His place of burial is unknown.