Bio & Incident Details
Age: 32
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available
Cause: Accidental
Incident Date: 8/6/1886
Weapon: Rifle; Winchester
Suspect: Not available
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John W. Vaden was an undisputedly hard character who became mean when drunk. Varden had killed numerous African Americans and a Union sympathizer. Varden decided to open a saloon in Ballinger in Runnels County. Tom Hill, the former city marshal of Abilene, had taken the city marshal’s job at Ballinger and left his wife and family in neighboring Taylor County. Varden was intoxicated and armed himself with a Winchester rifle and shot out the streets lights outside his saloon. He went to the Palace Saloon and started creating a disturbance. Varden fired his rifle and accidentally shot City Marshal Tom Hill in the left foot, when Hill attempted to disarm him. Hill’s foot had to be amputated. The surgery was not a success. Hill died at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 8, 1886.
On October 7, 1886, John Varden was drunk in Fort McKavett in Menard County. Varden was armed with a pike and confronted Benjamin F. “Ben” Daniels, a future U.S. Marshal. Daniels shot and killed Varden. Daniels was no-billed by the grand jury.
Hill was survived by his wife and three children. He was buried in the Abilene City Cemetery.
