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By Nelson Zoch
Feb. 24, 1954
Fred Maddox Jr. was born on March 10, 1924 in Galatia, Illinois. At an early age, his family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas where he attended public schools.
He voluntarily went into the U. S. Army at the age of 19 and proudly served his country during World War II, part of his service being in India. He joined the Houston Police Department on Nov. 16, 1950, entering Police Cadet Class No. 6 and graduating on Feb. 10, 1951.
Three years later, on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1954, Officer Fred Maddox was riding a north side wagon unit on the Evening Shift with his partner that day, Officer Martel Moon. Moon was a few years older than Maddox, having graduated Class 7.
Robs Liquor Store
On this same evening Carrol Dayton Farrar (White Male, 34) was in the middle of a three-day drinking spree. Having committed several burglaries and armed robberies to sustain his habits, he was armed with a stolen .38-caliber super automatic pistol when he hailed a cab at Jensen and Crosstimbers.
The cab driver was told to take him to Laura Koppe and Farrar streets. But he got out of the cab several blocks from the Gardner Liquor Store at 4819 Laura Koppe.
E. W. Gardner, the owner of the liquor store, was alone when Farrar came in and hijacked him, also threatening to kill him. Farrar then fled east on Laura Koppe on foot. Officer J. E. Tucker was dispatched to the liquor store robbery. While there, the HPD Dispatcher called the liquor store with additional information.
The L & J Cab Company had contacted Dispatch, advising that a suspect fitting the hijacker's description had called for a cab from George's Food Market at 5318 Laura Koppe.
This information was broadcast and Officer Tucker, riding alone, rushed to this location. As Tucker arrived, Farrar stepped out into view and fired point-blank at Tucker.
Reacting, Tucker crouched behind his patrol car and returned fire. Farrar fired five more times at Tucker, peppering the patrol car, a 1953 black Ford. Farrar then fled to the rear of the store.
Officers Maddox and Moon, hearing the shots as they neared this location, pulled up in their paddy wagon on the opposite side of the store from Tucker's car. As they got out of the wagon they were unaware that they were in plain sight of the shooter, who was shielded only 30 feet away.
As they rushed toward the rear of the store, Farrar jumped out in front of Moon and fired directly at him. Moon threw up his right arm in a defensive manner, likely saving his life. He was hit in the right forearm.
Farrar was then distracted by more shots from Tucker and as this suspect fell back, he turned and saw Officer Maddox crouched near a car attempting to locate Farrar and get a shot at him. Unfortunately, Farrar saw Maddox first and fired once, striking him in the head.
Shotgun to the Rescue
During this heavy exchange of gunfire, off-duty Officer W. F. Millican, a classmate of Officer Maddox, was visiting his wife's family liquor store/service station just four blocks away. Hearing the sounds of the gun battle, Millican grabbed a shotgun from the trunk of his personal car and ran toward the store. He handed the shotgun to Officer Tucker, who then sighted Farrar as he was slipping a third clip into his automatic weapon.
Tucker then fired at Farrar, wounding him. Farrar fell and was rushed by Tucker, Moon and Deputy Sheriff A. J. Randio, who also had come upon the scene. Randio kicked Farrar's pistol away from him and help take the hijacker into custody.
More than 50 shots had been fired during this shootout.
Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered around the mortally wounded Officer Maddox while awaiting arrival of an ambulance. The crowd became silent when a citizen came forward to offer a prayer. According to newspaper accounts, up to 60 people, including Night Police Chief H. "Buddy" McGill, other officers and many citizens, dropped to their knees to pray for the fallen officer.
Maddox was loaded onto an ambulance and rushed to Hermann Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:47 p.m. from a gunshot wound to the head. He was two weeks away from his 30th birthday.
At No. 60 Deboll, off the 5600 block of Airline, another part of this tragedy was unfolding. Officer Maddox's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Maddox Sr., received word shortly before 9 p.m. that their son had been wounded. This was the year 1954, well before the days of the North Freeway, the father and mother hurried to Hermann by way of Airline Drive. Inbound on Airline, they were coming over the railroad overpass near 33rd Street.
Eleven-year-old Margie Elliot was crossing Airline Drive on foot when she was struck by the Maddox vehicle and killed instantly. The Maddox vehicle wound up in a ditch after striking a utility pole. Mrs. Maddox was knocked unconscious and both she and her husband were taken by ambulance to Hermann Hospital.
Mrs. Maddox, who suffered numerous injuries, did not regain consciousness until 10 a.m. the next day. Upon being told of her son's death, she lapsed into hysteria and had to be sedated.
Officer Maddox' pregnant wife, Louise, and four-year-old daughter Brenda survived Officer Maddox. In addition to his parents, he left to mourn his death one brother, Army Corporal Billy Maddox, stationed in Korea and three sisters, Mrs. Betty Jean Lance, Mrs. Maxine Shaddo and Mrs. Charlene Brien. Other survivors were his grandmothers, Mrs. Belle Maddox and Mrs. Carroll Patterson.
A Sad Occasion
His son and namesake, Fred Maddox III, was born on June 16, 1954.
Funeral services for Officer Maddox were held at 10 a.m. Monday, March 1, 1954 at Victory Baptist Church at 8100 Jensen Dr. Burial followed at Brookside Memorial Park.
Officers Forrest Turbeville and Lamar Kimble were two of the HPD Officers who stood as an Honor Guard for their slain friend.
Carroll Dayton Farrar was filed on for the Capital Murder of Officer Maddox as well as the Attempted Capital Murders of Officers Moon and Tucker. Farrar was a thrice promoted and thrice demoted Army veteran of World War II. All of his problems in the service were alcohol-related. In 1948, he was convicted of Criminal Assault on a 12-year-old girl. He served four years of a 10-year prison sentence, having been released in March 1952. Farrar was tried and convicted of the Capital Murder of and was assessed the death penalty. He was properly executed Jan. 4, 1956.
In 2001, Officer J. E. Tucker was living in the Houston County area and has been active in ranching since his retirement from HPD. He also had worked in the Jail and Narcotics divisions. Officer W. E. Millican, who saved the day with his shotgun, worked the Accident and Point Control divisions before his retirement from HPD in 1972. He was living in Cypress. The retired officer still had vivid memories of that fateful day.
Officer Moon, who was wounded in this incident, continued what would be a long career with HPD. He recovered from his gunshot wound to the arm. However, the flash from the gunshot as well as nitrate particles caused severe eyesight problems for him in his later years. He later worked the Jail and Point Control divisions, from which he retired in 1978. Moon died in August 1999. His widow, Reba, was 82 and residing in Sargent in 2001.
Mrs. Moon said in an interview that year that the original information relayed to her that day in 1954 was that her husband was the officer who was shot in the head. Officer Moon's son-in-law, Accident Lt. Elden J. Smith, now retired, is a veteran of more than 42 years of HPD service, and his grandson, Central Patrol Officer Elden D. Smith, has served more than 20 year in the department.
Gardner Liquor Store is no longer in business and while it was not the scene of the shooting of Officers Maddox and Moon, the robbery of the store was the catalyst that brought about this tragedy. In this same liquor store in November 1969, Homicide Detective Jimmy L. Marquis was working an extra job for his brother-in-law, E. W. Gardner, when three armed hijackers entered the store. A shootout ensued and when the gun smoke settled, Detective Marquis was seriously wounded, one hijacker was dead and another wounded.
What Happened Later
The detective recovered from his wounds and retired in 1978. He died in 2000. One of his daughters is Sgt. Sharon Garcia of Burglary and Theft.
Homicide Detectives C. F. Langston, Virgil Hart, George Chapman, H. W. Rodgers, W. W. Walker, P. Y. Snow, H. E. Cole, J. E. Wilburn and C. L. Phillips investigated this offense. Supervisors were Lts. B. Porter and L. L. Watts. All are deceased.
Mrs. Louise Maddox died in 1999. Officer Maddox' grandparents, father and sisters Betty Jean and Charlene are deceased. In 2001, his mother, Mrs. Fred Maddox, was 95 and residing in a Tomball nursing home. Brother Bill Maddox is retired and lives in the Woodlands. Fred Maddox III, known as Trey, was living in San Antonio and is the father of three sons and a daughter. Daughter Brenda lives in Santa Fe, Texas, and is the mother of two adult daughters. She also has two grandchildren.
Both Trey and Brenda said the family experienced rough financial times growing up after their father's death, living off of Lyons Avenue and then in Denver Harbor. When their mother remarried, they wound up in Spring Branch, where both graduated from Spring Woods High School. Their mother had one son from a later marriage.
Bill Maddox said the Army didn't allow him to come home for his brother's funeral and that his mother attended the funeral on a stretcher. He also recalled that his father ran a service station on Baumann Road near their home and how police officers, particularly Forrest Turbeville, a close friend of Officer Fred Maddox, would drop by and visit their business.
Newspaper accounts indicated an outpouring of assistance from the Houston Police Officers Association, an automatic $200. The Fort Worth Police Officers Association was to make a donation. Also, Ned's Bar-B-Q on Irvington was to donate profits from three weekday sales. Hopefully, there were more.
This tragedy took place just before the 100 Club was formed. While the Maddox family appreciated these donations, nothing could have been enough to cover their loss.
Retired Lt. Chester Massey said the tragic accident involving the Maddox family rushing to the hospital was a catalyst for changes made in the notification process. After this incident, every effort was made to make these types of notification in person. A police escort is provided when appropriate.
Also, it was suspected that Farrar was shooting at the white hat worn by police officers in those days. Class No. 11, which graduated later in 1954, was the last police academy class to be issued white hats for street duty.
Feb. 24, 1954 was a dark day for the Maddox family and the Houston Police Department. The Maddox family and friends have not forgotten nor will they ever forget their loss.
Fifty-one years later, we should not forget the sacrifice that Officer Fred Maddox made on that day.
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