Deputy Sheriff John Boykin

John Boykin

On April 20, 1907, Deputy Sheriff John Boykin shot and wounded a bartender he was attempting to arrest for abusing a female at a saloon in the City of Orange. A Constable arrested DeputyBoykin and Deputy Boykin posted a $500 bond pending an examining trial which was customary at the time.

Earlier on the night of May 7, 1907 two men were shot and wounded from ambush. At about 11:10 p.m. Deputy Sheriff Boykin was at same saloon where he had shot the bartender on April 20th, socializing with friends. Deputy Boykin was shot from outside the saloon and started walking outside when he was shot twice more. Deputy Boykin fell to the ground, and was shot three more times, killing him.

The Sheriff and a local lawman arrested seven men and women as material witnesses. The sheriff stated that these suspects knew who killed Deputy Boykin and wounded the two other men. The newspaper reported that the shootings of Deputy Boykin was revenge for the earlier shootings. While the grand jury investigated the death of Deputy Boykin and the wounding of the two other men, and some indictments were issued, it is unknown anyone was indicted, tried or convicted for the murder of Deputy Boykin.

Very little personal information is known about John Boykin. There is no mention of a wife or children. His place of burial is unknown and not in any of the cemetery books for Orange County. He was born in July 1878 which would have made him 28 years and 10 months old at the time of his death. The 1900 census for Orange County has John Boykin, 21, living at home with his father, Ely Boykin, 60, mother, Ann Boykin, 56, and siblings, Emma, 20, Annie, 17, Allis, 15 and Warren, 12.