Deputy U.S. Marshal George Wise

George Wise

Deputy Marshal George Wise of the Western District of Texas, stationed at Laredo, Webb County, Texas, was advised that a smuggler named Francisco Flores would pass at a certain place with smuggled goods from Mexico. At about 2:00 a.m. on Friday, October 31, 1891, Wise summoned Calixto Garcia and Fernando Salazer and stationed them at different points near a house one block northeast of School House Plaza. At 4:30 a.m. Flores approached the house leisurely from the direction of the School House Plaza. Deputy Marshal Wise drew his pistol and ordered him to stop. Flores stated, “I will.”

He stopped and laid down his bundles of goods. On rising, he stabbed Wise in the stomach with a large dagger. Wise fired two shots at Flores [one account said Wise missed and another later reported Flores was wounded]. Wise called out to Garcia that he was killed and called upon Garcia to catch his murderer. Wise staggered towards Salazar and said, “Help me, I am wounded.” Garcia gave chase and as he closed the distance, Flores stabbed Garcia about one inch below the left nipple, and Garcia died instantly. Garcia’s body was carried to his home. Wise was conscious until he died about 8:00 a.m. that same morning. Flores, a naturalized U.S. citizen and a native of Nueva Laredo, Mexico, fled into Mexico. The bundles were found to contain ten gallons of mescal.

Deputy Marshal Wise was survived by his wife and two children. His place of burial in Laredo has been replaced by a building. Wise was one of the first members of the Laredo Fire Department in April 1883. He was a Laredo city policeman as of May 1890 and a Webb County deputy sheriff as of November 1890.