Constable John C. McBride, Jr.

John C. McBride, Jr.

Constable John McBride was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man who had been accused of stealing provision's from a local farm.

The farmer had driven his wagon to the constable's office in Round Rock and informed Constable McBride of the theft.

The two men set out to return to the farm in Duval but encountered the man during the trip. The suspect was armed with a .22 caliber rifle. Constable McBride informed the man he was under arrest and advised him to drop the rifle. The man resisted and during the ensuing struggle, shot Constable McBride in the right eye, killing him.

The suspect fled the scene as the other man fired at him. The man rode back into town and alerted the sheriff and other authorities. A constable from Travis County arrived at the scene and began to track the suspect. He located the man in a cabin near Merrilltown and attempted to arrest him. The suspect, who had stolen Constable McBride's service weapon, pointed the weapon at the constable and pulled the trigger. However, the weapon was not loaded and did not fire. During the ensuing struggle the constable shot and killed the suspect.

Constable McBride had served as the elected constable for 2 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.