Frontier peace officer. Collins served in the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers. He served as a Deputy Sheriff of Taylor County, Texas and, on January 8, 1884 he was also serving as Deputy Marshal of Abilene. In his dual capacity as a deputy sheriff and deputy marshal, he and his brother, Frank Collins, an Abilene city council member, entered the Cattle Exchange Saloon to confront Zeno Hemphill who was running a gambling operation. The city council had issued an order closing down gambling and Frank Collins informed Hemphill of the order. The exchange grew heated and Hemphill punched Frank in the face, which caused Frank to pull his pistol and point it at Hemphill. At that point, Deputy Walter Collins stepped between the two antagonists, telling them to stop the argument, whereupon Hemphill pulled his pistol and shot Deputy Collins in the chest. Frank Collins and Hemphill then began shooting at each other, with Hemphill being killed almost instantly and Frank being mortally wounded. Deputy Collins died of his wound within a half-hour. Frank lingered for two months, dying on March 14. Deputy Walter Collins is memorialized at West Panel 16 Line 26 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
Frontier peace officer. Collins served in the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers. He served as a Deputy Sheriff of Taylor County, Texas and, on January 8, 1884 he was also serving as Deputy Marshal of Abilene. In his dual capacity as a deputy sheriff and deputy marshal, he and his brother, Frank Collins, an Abilene city council member, entered the Cattle Exchange Saloon to confront Zeno Hemphill who was running a gambling operation. The city council had issued an order closing down gambling and Frank Collins informed Hemphill of the order. The exchange grew heated and Hemphill punched Frank in the face, which caused Frank to pull his pistol and point it at Hemphill. At that point, Deputy Walter Collins stepped between the two antagonists, telling them to stop the argument, whereupon Hemphill pulled his pistol and shot Deputy Collins in the chest. Frank Collins and Hemphill then began shooting at each other, with Hemphill being killed almost instantly and Frank being mortally wounded. Deputy Collins died of his wound within a half-hour. Frank lingered for two months, dying on March 14. Deputy Walter Collins is memorialized at West Panel 16 Line 26 on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.
Gravesite Details
Another brother, James Madison Collins, was also killed in the line of duty. He was a police officer in Meridian, Mississippi when he was shot, ironically, during a gambling raid there on Oct. 28, 1888.
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
