Deputy Constable Johnnie Harris, aged 24, was fatally wounded on December 22, 1905, while performing his duties in Saratoga, Texas. Harris had gone to Dearborn, a saw mill plant of the McShane Lumber Company, to collect fines from men in the area. During his visit, a disturbance occurred, and Harris disarmed two men involved. Later, while standing near a saloon, a shotgun was fired from outside the gate, hitting Harris in the back with buckshot. He was taken to a hospital in Beaumont, Jefferson County, where he underwent surgery, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries early on December 24, 1905.
Harris had suspected that one of the men he had disarmed might have been the assailant, but despite a search, no one was ever apprehended. The case remains unsolved, and the identity of the shooter was never determined. Harris was unmarried, and his parents resided near Austin, Texas, with a brother living in Jasper County, near Hardin County. He was buried in Saratoga, though the exact location of his grave is now unknown.
The tragic death of Johnnie Harris highlights the dangers faced by law enforcement officers even over a century ago. Despite the efforts of the local authorities, the case did not lead to any arrests or convictions, leaving a lingering mystery around the circumstances of his death.
