A modern polished red granite tombstone at the grave of former Travis County Deputy Sheriff and Texas Ranger Edgar M. B. Moore, the first Travis County Deputy Sheriff killed in the line of duty, whose grave had been unmarked for 115 years.
The tombstone reads as follows:
"[front]
EDGAR MAURICE BOWIE MOORE
Texas Ranger and Deputy Sheriff
Born
New Orleans In 1850
Killed In Line Of Duty
November 10, 1887
[back]
First Travis County Deputy
Killed In Line Of Duty
Grandson Of Resin P Bowie
Inventor Of The Bowie Knife
1st Sgt. Texas Rangers
Co E (Lt. B.E. Foster) 1876
As Travis County Deputy Sheriff, Engaged In Outlaw Sam Bass Final Shoot Out, Round Rock, Texas
August 19, 1878
As Travis County Deputy Sheriff, Killed In Shotgun Ambush During Warrant Service in Western Travis County
November 10, 1887"
From the save Austin's Cemeteries website, more on the life and death of Deputy Moore (probably from a newspaper account at the time): (
visit link)
"MOORE, EDGAR MAURICE BOWIE (1850-1887) Buried in Section 1, lot 309
Edgar Maurice Bowie Moore
The news that Maurice Moore had been killed was not a surprise to anyone who knew the man. During his residence in Travis County he had been regarded as a man quick to shoot and had more than one serious difficulty, being at one time involved in a murder case which created some excitement and a great deal of comment. He always went armed and prided himself on being a crack shot. He was said to be a domineering and of tyrannical disposition and counted but few friends in the section where he lived. Knowing him to be a man quick to quarrel, few persons cared to associate with him.
Yet, he knew all the hard characters that infested the hills, a was a friend to none of them. He sometimes aided the sheriff in serving warrants in that part of the county. It was in this capacity that Moore went to the house of Wilson McNeil, subpoenaing his two sons to appear in court. By Moore's account, Mr. McNeil drew a Winchester rifle on him and ordered him off his property. Maurice then claimed to have said that he would get a warrant and come back and arrest him. Moore returned to McNeil's two days later with the warrant and accompanied by officer Sam Platt. Mr. Wilson opened his door and ordered them to halt. With his Winchester in hand, McNeil threatened to kill Moore if he came in the gallery. There was a scrambling between the men over the gun. Just then someone, from a doorway leading into another room fired a charge of buckshot, which lodged in Moore's body and killed him instantly."
From the Officer Down Memorial page: (
visit link)
"Deputy Moore was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest a suspect on a warrant. When Deputy Moore entered the suspect's home the suspect drew a rifle and a struggle ensued. An unknown person entered the house and shot Deputy Moore with a shotgun.
Deputy Moore's grave remained unmarked for 115 years until a tombstone was put in place in May 2002."