Sheriff William B. Mathis, Lafayette County Sheriff's Office, Florida

Sheriff William B. Mathis

Lafayette County Sheriff's Office, Florida

End of Watch Monday, February 25, 1901

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William B. Mathis

Sheriff Mathis was shot and killed by a murder suspect that he and his posse were in pursuit of.

A few hours earlier, the suspect had shot and mortally wounded a naval stores operator in his commissary on the Suwanee River. When Sheriff Mathis came upon the suspect, a demand to surrender was met with gunfire. Sheriff Mathis fell mortally wounded but was able to return fire and killed the suspect.

Bio

Age 42
Tour 13 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Shot and killed

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Most Recent Reflection

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He was my Great Grandfather on my Dad's mothers side of the Mathis family.....killed by a colored man hiding behind a large tree while William was tracking him and shot off his horse in the back........had enough left to get up and kill the other man...... William for some reason got ahead of the posy all on horse back and the posy heard the shooting and arrived minutes later to find both dead 10 feet apart from each other..... Left 9 children with out a father in 1901 and all kids were raised by other families after his wife died of heart failure in 1903..... I would do anything to have his badge.... This story was passed down to me from my father....

Don Welch
My Great grandfather

March 18, 2024