Deputy John Thomas A. "Bud" Holloway
Bexar County Sheriff's Department, TX
Cause of Death: Gunshot
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 24, 1924
Date of Incident: Wednesday, July 24, 1924
Age:
Badge Number:
Tour of Duty:
Suspect Info: Eugeno Bianquini
Weapon Used: Officer's pistol
Buried: San Fernando Cemetery #3
Location of Name on National and Texas Monuments
NLEOMF:
TPOM: 28, B, 12
On Tuesday, July 23, 1924, Bexar County Sheriffs Deputy John Thomas A. "Bud" Holloway was sent to Eagle Pass, Texas, to return a stolen vehicle and the suspect (Bianquini) back to Bexar County. Deputy Holloway and his prisoner, Eugeno Bianquini, left Eagle Pass for San Antonio on Wednesday morning. About eight miles from Eagle Pass, Sheriff Weathers from Frio County stopped and conversed with Holloway for a short time. The next sighting was from La Prior, where officers observed Deputy Holloway and Bianquini at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday Morning. Later, a passing bus driver stated that he had observed Holloway on the side of the road at Rocky Hill, located 9 miles east of Batesville, pumping up a flat tire and a Mexican male was standing beside him. This was the last time anyone saw Deputy Holloway alive. Later on Wednesday, July 24, 1924, a long distance phone call was received from Carrizo Springs, Texas, saying that an abandoned car had been found west of Pearsall, Texas. When officers arrived, it was gone. Bexar County Deputies became concerned when Deputy Holloway did not show up on Wednesday afternoon at the Bexar Sheriffs Office. Wednesday night, July 24, 1924, Deputy U.S. Customs Officer Roland Garza stopped a speeding car about 4 miles beyond Pearsall. Officer Garza had suspected the occupant of being a rum runner. The Mexican male driving the car jumped out and covered Garza with a silver plated pistol; he then retreated into the darkness. The car that was abandoned by the unknown Mexican male was brought to Pearsall, where the license plates matched the vehicle that Holloway had been driving. A large manhunt ensued with posies from Bexar, Frio, Maverick, and Webb Counties and the San Antonio Police. Also in the search were Texas Rangers, U.S. Customs, and U.S. Immigration Officers, along with other State Officers. The search included airplanes from Kelly Field and tracking dogs. Through information learned in the search, officers became aware that Bianquini was trying to get to Mexico.
On Friday, July 25, 1924 Sheriff Condren from Webb County stated that a Mexican Male fitting the description had rented a service car to drive him from Laredo to Eagle Pass. The service car driver became suspicious when the Mexican started asking questions about the police and told the driver to speed up; he stopped the car 4 miles out of Laredo, and refused to drive any farther. The Mexican pulled a silver plated pistol on the drive, and ran off into the brush. Sheriff Condren went to that location and started the search. While searching, it was reported that persons had seen a Mexican male fitting Bianquini's description swimming across the Rio Grande into Mexico. Sheriff Condren then reported finding a coat and holster on the bank of the Rio Grande, where the suspect had gone into the river. The holster was later identified as belonging to Deputy Holloway. When Bianquini was arrested on a bus in Mexico, he had Holloway's pistol, watch and wallet, containing a small sum of cash in his possession. He attempted to bribe the Mexican Officials out of arresting him, but they turned him in.
On Saturday, July 26, 1924, Officers found Deputy Holloway's body. The badly decomposed body was located under a clump of bushes approximately 40 yards from a little used road, and 14 miles west of Pearsall. Because of the location of his wounds, Bexar County Deputies theorized, Deputy Holloway's car had a flat tire and that Holloway removed the handcuffs from the prisoner, in order to help him repair the flat tire. They believe that while both men were stooping over the car wheel, Bianquini struck Holloway with a tire tool, stunning him. Blanquini grabbed the deputy's pistol and started to run. The dazed officer, unarmed started in pursuit. One shot was fired. Holloway was found with a bullet hole in his shoulder.
According to an interview of Bexar County Sheriffs Chief Deputy Alfonso Newton, in the San Antonio Light Newspaper, on June 22, 1936. Eugeno Bianquini was arrested by Mexican Authorities, who wanted $100 to bring him to the middle of the bridge at Nuevo Laredo and turn him loose, so that the Texas officers could capture him on this side. Chief Deputy Newton said that former Deputy F.N. Flores telephoned to find out if he should pay the $100 and Newton told him to pay it, but the delay caused the Mexicans to raise the price for Bianquini to $500, The Texas Officers were unable to meet the new demand. Then legal proceedings were started. The governor asked the state department in Washington to request the extradition of Bianquini from the President of Mexico. Finally all of the official red tape was completed and the necessary papers signed. Before the extradition was carried out word reached San Antonio that Bianquini would "escape" from the Nuevo Laredo jail. Newton said he telephoned the jailer, and promised to pay him well if he would hire extra guards, and make every effort to keep Bianquini in custody. The Mexican official assured him that there was no possibility of the man getting away. But the official was mistaken and Bianquini escaped. He was arrested a second time, but escaped again. In 1933, word reached San Antonio that Bianquini was driving a bus between Mexico City and Puebla, but again money would be required to get him to return. The money was not available, and the plan was abandoned. There was a story the circulated that Bianquini had a sweetheart in El Paso and that he crossed the Rio Grande at times. The young woman was kept under surveillance for months, but the man did not appear. Officers heard rumors that he had made a trip to San Antonio in 1934, but the search met with negative results.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs. Holloway; one young son and daughter of San Antonio; grown sons, Don Holloway, 28 and Jack Holloway, 21 from a previous marriage. The funeral was held on Sunday, July 27, 1924. The Rosary was held at the Alamo Funeral Home and the Mass and Funeral Services were held at St. Johns Berchmans Church. Burial was at Roselawn Memorial Park. The pallbearers for the funeral were Deputies Ed Knight, John Garoni, John Subira, Angel Barloco, Tom Donoghue and W.V. Speer. ------source Bexar County Sheriff's Office website, San Antonio Light, and San Antonio Express News
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