William Louis Ellis - Seymour, TX - Graves Mentioning a Cause of Death on Waymarking.com

The 1969 Texas Historical Marker reads:

(January 25, 1861 - August 6, 1916)

Sheriff of Baylor County 1912-1916. A champion of the law, he was feared by the many rustlers and bandits in the area. He gave his life in the line of duty.

First wife was Barnetta (Ashton); second, Sarah E. (Scott). He was Presbyterian.

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Note the "H T W S S T K S" Masonic keystone on the cap, complemented by fronds. The family name, "Ellis", is on the plinth, and the inscription is:

W.L. Ellis
Jan. 25, 1861
Aug. 6, 1916

Earth has one pure spirit less, Heaven one inmate more.

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He has a listing on the Officer Down Memorial Page, describing his fate. Sheriff Ellis had previously (1913) been shot by an escaping prisoner in Baylor County, and on August 6, 1916, history repeated itself. Ellis had apprehended an alleged thief, Stephen Brown, and was bringing him into town when Brown attacked the sheriff with his handcuffs, stunning him long enough to take his gun and shoot him fatally. Brown, still locked in his handcuffs and carrying the sheriff's pistol, was caught by a posse four miles from town, and the posse administered prairie justice to him.

Type of Death Listed: Murder Website (if available): [Web Link] Cause of death inscription on headstone: Not listed

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