Ellis County Poor Farm, Texas
End of Watch: Thursday, July 9, 1891
Age: 22
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: July 9, 1891
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 12 gauge
Suspect Info: Not available
During this time period, many Texas counties operated “poor farms” and "convict farms" which were correctional facilities where the inmates were required to work off their fines or debts. The armed guards were employed by the county, and not the sheriff. Ellis County operated a poor farm from 1883 until the early 1960’s.
Guard Charlie D. Cain was employed at the Ellis County Poor Farm. In the late afternoon he was returning with the convicts who had been working in the fields all day. Cain stepped on a trough that had been used for feeding or watering stock, and it turned or he stumbled. He was carrying his shotgun by his side and apparently struck the hammer some way. The shotgun discharged, the load passing through his right hand and entering just beneath the right jaw bone, ranging upward. He died in two to three hours. The newspaper reported he was a young man of good standing in the community and was the brother-in-law of the manager of the poor farm.
Cain was born on February 28, 1869 and was 22 years of age at the time of his death. He was buried in the Waxahachie City Cemetery.