Deputy Lemuel Duncan had been a deputy sheriff for only 29 days when he was killed on the night of September 23, 1911. Deputy Duncan was at home asleep in South Travis County when he was awakened by the sound of gunshots coming from the nearby “Little South Austin Saloon”. The saloon was located on South Congress Avenue near West Mary Street.
Deputy Duncan responded to the scene and was met by the suspect leaving the bar, armed with a rifle. Deputy Duncan tried to apprehend the fleeing suspect who the bartender had witnessed shooting and killing the bar owner. The suspect used his rifle as a club and struck Deputy Duncan in the head causing Duncan to fall to the ground. The suspect then disarmed Duncan of his revolver and shot him through the heart, killing him. The suspect fled into what is now Westlake Hills. An Austin City Marshal captured the man, the next day. He stood trial, was convicted and sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murder of the bar owner.
In a miscarriage of justice, the suspect was never tried for the murder of Deputy Lemuel Duncan. Although sentenced to 99 years, he served only 13 years before receiving a pardon by infamous Governor “Pa” Ferguson, hours before he was forcibly removed from office by the Texas Rangers. Duncan left behind a wife and several children.
