A citizen reported to Officer Down Memorial Page that he had found three lost SAPD cases. Officer Albert Victor Bonnet, EOW 26 Feb 1913 was killed in an on duty motorcycle accident & Officer Charles D. Artzt, EOW 20 March 1913 was shot and killed on duty. I did the research earlier and both officers would be honored in 2015 at the National & Texas police memorials, I just finished the 3rd case. Here is some information. If anyone can locate any surviving family members of any of these three officers it would be appreciated. ROBERT LEE HARRIS POLICE OFFICER SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT INJURED: SATURDAY AUGUST 12, 1916 DIED: SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 1916 SAN ANTONIO LIGHT SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 1916 MOTORCYLE OFFICER SERIOUSLY INJURED R. Lee Harris May Die as result of a Collision R. Lee Harris, a motorcycle policeman, was perhaps fatally injured and Herman Reagan, son of Mrs. Ella Reagan, 105 West Florida street seriously hurt when motorcycles they were riding collided at the intersection of South Alamo and South Presa streets, shortly after 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon. The officer is in the city hospital and attending physicians Saturday night held out little hope for his recovery. Reagan is in Santa Rosa hospital badly bruised and lacerated, a fractured right leg and, it is feared internally injured. Both young men, it is said, were traveling at a fast rate of speed at the time of the accident. The motorcycles were practically demolished. A remarkable feature of the collision was that Officer Harris; despite his fractured skull and other injuries, arose from the wreck and walked to a nearby store before he collapsed. According to information gathered by the police, Herman Reagan was riding a motorcycle on South Alamo street, going east. Officer Harris was responding to a call for an officer at South Presa street and Arkansas avenue. The motorcycles came together at the intersection of the two streets. The machines were bent, twisted and broken in the collision and both riders hurled to the pavement. Herman Reagan was unconscious when picked up and taken to the Santa Rosa hospital in a Sloan & Hagy ambulance. Officer Harris was placed in the police ambulance and rushed to the city hospital. He bled profusely from the ears and nose and had not regained consciousness late Saturday night. Examination by physicians disclosed his skull was fractured, beginning at a point above the left ear and extending to and beyond the base of the brain. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 1916 TWO MEN HURT IN CYCLE COLLISION PHYSICIANS GIVE LITTLE HOPE FOR RECOVERY OF POLICEMAN R.L. HARRIS Herman Reagan of 105 West Florida Street and Policeman R. L. Harris of 205 Camargo Street, both of whom were riding motorcycles collided at the corner of South Alamo and South Presa Street shortly after 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon. As a result Harris is at City Hospital with a fractured at the base of his skull and Reagan is suffering with a broken tibla bone of the leg at Santa Rosa Infirmary. Mrs. W.H. Butler, a sister of Policeman Harris, who was summoned to his bedside shortly after the accident, said that physicians had given out little hope for his recovery. Up to a late hour last night he had not regained consciousness. Harris had been sent from Police Headquarters at St. Mary’s Street to answer a call at Pine and Porter Streets. Although no eyewitnesses of the actual collision could be found, Dr. Lon H. Herrington of South Alamo Street, who was one of the first to arrive on the scene, saw Harris just before the crash occurred, “I was sitting on the porch of my home with a friend,” said dr. Herrington, “which is but a few doors from the corner.” South Presa and Alamo meet at an angle, and from where I sat it was impossible to the see the spot where the accident occurred. I could, however, see some distance up South Presa Street and observed Harris as he came though the street. “I remember [unreadable] my friend and remarked that I imagined Harris was on a hurry call, on account of the speed he was making. The words were scarcely out of my mouth when the crash came. “I ran to the corner. The two machines were in a heap and harris was beneath them. His motor was still running, so I concluded that he had not had enough warning to even start to turn it off. “As soon as possible, several others had run up and myself dragged the motorcycle off of him. The other man was sitting up at the time, aided by several people who had come to his assistance, so I gave all my attention to Harris. He was unconsciousness and water would not revive him. A call was sent for an ambulance and the injured man was rushed to the City Hospital. Mrs. Harris is out of the city and although every effort was made to locate her, Mrs. Butler said, up to a late hour she could not be found. The couple have children. Young Reagan was only 20 years old, is employed by Clifton George Auto Company. After his leg had been cast he was able to tell what happened. In as far as he knew. He was visited by his [accidentally cut off rest of article] SAN ANTONIO LIGHT MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 1916 ACCIDENT PROVES FATAL Robert Lee Harris, Motorcycle Policeman, Dies of His Injuries Robert Lee Harris, motorcycle policeman, injured Saturday when a motorcycle on which he was responding to a call collided with another at South Presa and South Alamo streets, died at 10:45 o’clock Sunday morning at the city hospital. The condition of Herman Reagan, 105 West Florida street, taken to Santa Rosa Infirmary as a result of the collision is improved. Officer Harris was 37 years old, a native of San Antonio and is survived by his widow, three brothers, T.J., W.L. and M.D. Harris of San Antonio; four sisters, Mrs. T.G. Miller of Austin, Mrs. F. Caughfield of Lytle, Mrs. W.C. Singleton and Mrs. W.H. Butler of San Antonio. The funeral will be held at 4 o’clock Monday afternoon from the home 205 Camargo street, and interment will be in cemetery No. 6. Services will be conducted by Rev. Alfred B. Owens of Sam Houston Camp No. 55, Woodmen of the World. Thirty mounted officers and fifty patrolmen will form the van guard of the funeral procession. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1916 POLICE HONOR OFFICER Seventy-two Mounted Men and Patrolmen Escort Body of R.L. Harris to the Grave. Fifty patrolmen and twenty-two mounted officers headed by captain of Police Al Mussey led the funeral procession yesterday afternoon of Robert Lee Harris, San Antonio motorcycle officer, who died Sunday from injuries received in a motorcycle accident Saturday. Of the city motor cycle squad, Albert Kohr, Tony Subtra, Johnnie Cusack and Lowy Eckert attended. Six patrolmen, Frank Jones, George Jackson, Tom Carver, Tom Patton, Charles Bartholame and John Stark, were the honorary pallbearers. Each man wore white gloves and draped his badge in mourning cloth. The cortege moved from the Harris home, 205 Camargo Street, yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock into Water Street, and then up East Commerce Street to City Cemetery No. 6, where interment was made. Rev. Alfred B. Owens of Sam Houston Camp No. 55, Woodmen of the World, conducted the services. Harris died Sunday morning at 10:45 o’clock, death resulting from a fracture of the skull received in the accident Saturday afternoon. The officer, responding to a call had collided, head-on, with Herman Reagan, another motor cyclist, at South Alamo and South Presa Streets. Reagan, who resides at 1095 West Florida Street, at the Santa Rosa Hospital, was reported to be improving. Harris, who was 37 years old, besides his widow, is survived by three brothers and four sisters. SAN ANTONIO LIGHT TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1916 Funeral of R.L. Harris Fifty patrolmen and twenty-two mounted officers headed by captain of Police Al Mussey led the funeral procession Monday afternoon of Robert Lee Harris, the San Antonio motorcycle officer who died Sunday at D&S hospital of injuries received in a collision while answering a call. From members of the city motorcycle squad Albert Kohr, Tony Subtra, Johnnie Cusack and Lowy Eckert attended. Six patrolmen, Frank Jones, George Jackson, Tom Carver, Tom Patton, Charles Bartholame and John Stark, were the honorary pallbearers. Each man’s badge was draped with black. The funeral left the Harris home, 205 Camargo street, at 4 o’clock; the interment was in City Cemetery No. 6. Rev. B.A. Owen, pastor at Hillcrest Baptist church, conducted the services. Personal Information: Robert Lee Harris was a white male, married, who was born on August 27, 1878 and died at age 37 years, 11 months and 16 days on August 13, 1916. His father was J.E. (James Ervin) Harris and his mother was Mary C. (or May) Garrett. The 1880 US Federal census for Fayette, Texas, reported James Harris, 39, birth year about 1841, living with his wife, Mary Harris, 32, and children, Thomas, 15, William, 13, Emily, 10, Emma, 10, Mary, 4 and Lee, 2. The 1900 US Federal Census for San Antonio reported Lee Harris, 21, birth date Aug 1878, married in 1898, living with his brother William Harris and his family. His wife was not on census. His occupation was listed as a peddler. The 1910 US Federal Census for San Antonio reported Robert L. Harris, 31, birth year about 1879, married to Anna Harris, 30, and son Raymond J. Harris, 7. His occupation was reported as a jewelry salesman. Ancestry reported Raymond J. Harris, birth 1903, and parents Robert Lee Harris (1879-1956) and mother Annie Williams (1872-). It appears the year of death for Robert Lee Harris is a typo – 1916 not 1956. One newspaper article said the couple had children, and the obit did not mention any children. The only child located was Raymond J. Harris who would have been about 13 at the time of his father’s death. He was buried in City Cemetery No. 6 in San Antonio. WOODMEN OF THE WORLD MEMORIAL IN MEMORY OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND R.L. HARRIS AUG. 27, 1878 AUG. 13, 1916 AT REST MARY C. HARRIS BORN IN SC MAY 5, 1848 DIED JULY 19, 1905 J. ERVIN HARRIS BORN IN TENN NOV. 1, 1837 DIED SEPT. 5, 1915
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 16:24:58 +0000