Caldwell County Constable's Office - Precinct 1, Texas
End of Watch: Sunday, December 29, 1907
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: December 29, 1907
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Caldwell County Precinct 1 Constable Samuel B. Teas and three county deputy sheriffs went to Dale to arrest a man for arson.
The man initially refused to open the door. The man lit a match as if to unlatch the door when a deputy sheriff observed that the man had a pistol pointed at the officers. One shot was fired at the man and the officers broke down the door and had pistols pointed at him. Constable Teas handed Deputy Sheriff A. H. Gomillion his pistol which had Gomillion holding two pistols on the man. Constable Teas then attempted to handcuff the man but became tangled in the bedclothes and fell into Gomillion. One of Gomillion’s pistols discharged striking Constable Teas in the shoulder and instantly killing him. The suspect fled but was arrested and placed in the county jail. Gomillion and Teas were close friends and he was deeply grieved over the accidental death of his friend.
Constable Samuel B. Teas was born on June 8, 1866 and was 41 years old at the time of his death. He married L. V. Stiles on December 3, 1884. They had two children, Myrtle and Jesse. She died and the widowed Sam Teas married Julia Alice Butler on December 28, 1888. Constable Samuel B. Teas was buried in the Lockhart City Cemetery.