United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Saturday, May 12, 1877
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 12, 1877
Weapon Used: Rifle; Winchester
Suspect Info: Lynched
Deputy Marshal Boss Greene was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two counterfeiters near Comanche, Texas.
Two brothers had 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. The victim who had received the coins for the lodging went to town and contacted Deputy Marshal Greene, of the Western District of Texas.
Deputy Marshal Greene and the victim caught the men 10 miles outside town and arrested them. The lawman took a pistol from one of the men and handed it to the victim for safekeeping. He failed to take the other man's Winchester rifle. As the men were riding back to town, one of the prisoners dismounted his horse. The horse was difficult to manage and flared up. The other brother used the distraction to pull his Winchester from its scabbard and ordered Deputy Marshal 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 Deputy Marshal Greene drew his revolver and fired at him, grazing the man in the head. The other brother 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 brothers fled on horseback. They remained at large for several years until being captured in Bell County in 1883. They were returned to Comanche County to face trial but were lynched by a mob on September 19th, 1883, before the trial took place.
Deputy Marshal Greene had served with the United States Marshals Service for three years. He was the city marshal of Comanche prior to his federal appointment. He was buried in the Oak Wood Cemetery in Comanche.