At approximately 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, 1948 Deputy Eddie Shofner, a bailiff in the Justice Court, was off duty and drove to his wife’s job at the Southern Pacific Telegraph Station located just west of the South Main underpass. Roughly two hours earlier, a convict from the Blue Ridge Prison Farm escaped after breaking into the armory and stealing two .38 revolvers, a rifle and ammunition. As the convict made his way toward Houston, he noticed the Shofner’s new car parked at the telegraph station and decided to steal it. At approximately 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, the convict approached the telegraph office. Deputy Shofner and his wife, Novita, were playing rummy while waiting for her to get off work. The convict reached for the screen door, attempted to enter, and according to his statement stated, “put ‘em up; I’m going to get the car.” The door was latched and as Deputy Shofner turned and drew his weapon, the convict fired once striking Deputy Shofner in the forehead. The convict fired twice more missing the deputy and his wife. As the convict fled he ran into Mrs. Shofner’s father, who also worked for the telegraph office. While Mrs. Shofner was on the phone with the Sheriff’s Department dispatcher, she watched the convict pistol whip her dad. Mrs. Shofner then took her husband’s gun, opened the door and fired several shots at the convict. Deputy Frank Wino, the night shift dispatcher, immediately dispatched all five Sheriff’s Department units on duty that night. He also called out four more units and contacted the Houston Police Department who dispatched five units. In addition, Texas Ranger Captain Hardy Purvis and three other Texas Rangers responded in two vehicles. An ambulance driver traveling along Highway 90 heard the shooting and responded. The driver loaded Deputy Shofner and took him to Hermann Hospital. A responding sheriff’s unit observed the convict flee across the highway and enter a prairie. The convict fired several shots at the deputies, who returned fire. The deputies began chasing the convict until their car became stuck in the mud. The deputies then exited their unit and began chasing the convict on foot. The convict dropped down in tall grass and began to crawl. Losing sight of the convict, the deputies directed the additional units to form a perimeter around the field. Two HPD homicide detectives, while easing along Anderson Road heard groans coming from a bushy area along the roadway. The two detectives captured the convict and turned him over to sheriff’s deputies. Physicians fought to save Deputy Shofner’s life at Hermann Hospital, but it was to no avail. Deputy Shofner died at 7:10 a.m., Wednesday morning; he was 31 years old. Deputy Shofner was the 6th deputy to die in the line of duty.