Bio & Incident Details
Age: 33
Tour: 3 years
Badge # Not available
Cause: Gunfire
Location: Texas
Incident Date: 5/12/1877
Weapon: Rifle; Winchester
Suspect: Lynched
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Two brothers, James and Dee Bailey, passed seventy-five cents in counterfeit coins for a night's lodging. They went into Comanche and passed more counterfeit coins for clothing and rode out of town. A man named Hill who had received the coins for the lodging went to town and contacted Deputy U.S. Marshal M. R. "Boss" Greene of the Western District of Texas.
Deputy Marshal Greene and Hill caught the men 10 miles outside town and arrested them. The lawman took Jim Bailey's pistol and handed it to Hill. He failed to take Dee Bailey's Winchester rifle. As the men were riding back to town, Dee Bailey dismounted from his horse. Greene's horse was difficult to manage and flared up. Dee Bailey pulled his Winchester from its scabbard and ordered Greene to hand over the money he had confiscated.
Deputy Marshal Greene complied and dropped the money to the ground. When the man bent over to pick it up Greene drew his revolver and fire at him, grazing the man in the head. Dee Bailey returned fire, striking Deputy Marshal Greene in the face, knocking him from his horse. He then shot him in the foot.
Deputy Marshal Greene was taken to a local residence where he died at 7:30 p.m. The two suspects fled on horseback. They remained at large for several years until being recaptured in Bell County in 1883. They were returned to Comanche County to face trial but were lynched by a mob on September 19, 1883 before the trial took place.
Deputy Marshal Greene had served with the agency for 3 years. He was the city marshal of Comanche prior to his federal appointment. He was buried in the Oak Wood Cemetery in Comanche.
