Guard J R McCall

J R McCall

Guard J R McCall was on duty in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug 27, 1933 in a dormitory with 120 convicts at the Central State Prison near Sugar Land in Fort Bend County. He heard inmate Beaumont King, 26, shouting to awaken the druggist because the inmate wanted medicine. As Guard McCall approached to assist King, King pointed a pistol at him and ordered him to raise his hands. Before McCall could comply, King shot him once in the chest. McCall returned fire wounding King in the chest. King was transported to prison hospital and survived. McCall was transported to a Sugar Land hospital and died at 145 pm that day.

Prison officials learned that some unknown party planted the German Lugar in a cotton sack left on the prison farm outside the walls. King was serving a 15-year sentence and was not considered a dangerous inmate. It was learned that 15 desperate lifers had convinced King to lead the escape attempt. King was unfamiliar with the pistol and it fired before he was ready.

Guard J. R. McCall had worked at the prison 3 years. He was 43 years old and single. He was survived by a sister in MS and a brother in FL. He was buried in Stonewall, MS.