Special Constable Benton Nance, Cooke County Constable's Office

Special Constable Benton Nance

Cooke County Constable's Office - Precinct 2, Texas

End of Watch Sunday, March 10, 1878

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Benton Nance

On Sunday, March 10, 1878, a Cooke County justice of the peace appointed Benton Nance and William Moran as special constables and gave them a warrant to arrest Ferdinand Lamb. The two lawmen located Lamb in Dexter, Texas in Cooke County. Lamb resisted arrested and shot Special Constable Nance with a double-barreled shotgun. Nance died shortly thereafter.

Lamb was arrested and charged with murder. The disposition of the case is missing from the county records.

No family information or a grave site was located on Benton Nance. One newspaper reported, "Mr. Nance, the party killed was a worthy and respected citizen, and his untimely death is much regretted."

Bio

Age Not available
Tour Not available
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Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Shotgun
Offender Ferdinand Lamb

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Benton Nance was the caregiver for his half-sister and half-brother's after the death of his father. He was born March 9, 1847 and was shot by a criminal he was following on March 10, 1878. I am a family history buff and had heard this story all my 89 years of life. The half-sister was my grandmother, Kate Lee Nance Roberts. He was truly a hero, beloved by friends and family and was sorely missed. I wish I had known him.

Pat Richardson

February 27, 2019