United States Department of Labor - Immigration Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Saturday, October 21, 1922
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 20, 1922
Weapon Used: Handgun; Flare gun
Suspect Info: Not available
Mounted Guard Charles Gardiner was shot and killed on the Upper Valley Road in El Paso County, Texas.
He and several other officers noticed a suspicious wagon being driven along a road by two men. The officers stopped the wagon, and as they advanced the suspects opened fire and fled. Mounted Guard Gardiner and another officer were wounded in the initial round of fire. The officers returned fire as the suspects waded across the Rio Grande River and escaped into Mexico. Several sacks containing 12 bottles of tequila were found in the wagon. Both wounded officers were taken to the hospital, where Mounted Guard Gardiner died on Saturday, October 21st, 1922, at 5:00 a.m.
Mounted Guard Gardiner was survived by his wife and children. He had served with the United States Border Patrol for four years. He was buried in Concordia Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.