Texas Tate

Texas Tate

Name: Texas Tate
Alias: Harry/Hank/Jack Tate
Birth Name: Henry Austin Tate
Hometown: Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Died: 1930-12-16 (Age:42)
Height: 188cm
Reach: 198cm
Referee: Record
Pro Boxer: Record

Managers: George P. Ellsworth, Billy McCarney

Henry Austin Tate (Texas Tate) was born April 27th in 1888 or 1889 in Seattle, WA. On his WWI Draft Card he put 1888, but his grave says 1889. His profession listed on his WWI draft card was "pugilist." (He served as a private in World War I for the 165th Depot Brigade 29th Company. December 30, 1918 papers reported that Tate had been recently released from the military, and that he had been the Boxing and Wrestling Instructor at Camp Travis.)

Despite being born in Seattle, he lived most of his life in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He was frequently referred to as being from Nowata, OK, and probably was living in Nowata around the time of his bouts with Fred Fulton, but was definitely in Chickasha by 1918.

Around 1910-1915 he was playing baseball professionally. [1] In the Allentown Democrat of April 15, 1911, there is a story about Connie Mack and Jack Coombs working with Tate on his pitching and predicting great things for him. In a story in the Houston papers in 1911 about his baseball exploits, it says he had been the baseball star in Taylor, Texas for the last few years. This was probably for a semi-pro team.

A story April 12, 1918, in the Chanute Daily Tribune (Kansas) claimed that Tate had won six fights since being knocked out by Fred Fulton.

He was scheduled to meet Bob Williams the first week of October 1915 in Muskogee, OK at the state fair but no report has been found. He was scheduled to meet Carl Morris in Enid, OK in late October 1915, but the sheriff forced the promoters to call off the show. He was later scheduled to meet Carl Morris in Nowata, OK, Feb. 25 1918, but no report of that fight has been found either.

At the time of the Jim Flynn fight he was being managed by George P. Ellsworth. At the time of the Fulton fights he was being managed by Billy McCarney. (In reports about his fight with Fulton, Tate is described as a "former football husky.")

On Jan 18 1913 he was part of a three man team that wrestled Indian Champion Chief Montour in Waco, TX.

Aug 23 1913 He lost a wrestling match to William Demetral in Temple, TX.

On Jan. 19, 1916, he was injured in a wrestling match with Arthur Saxon in Fort Sill, OK, when he fell out of the ring into the crowd. (Tulsa Daily World)

On Feb. 23, 1916, he was in a two hour wrestling match in Lawton, OK that ended in a draw. (Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light)

He was scheduled to wrestle Young Gotch in Winfield, KS, February 15, 1918. The two had wrestled twice before, with Tate winning both times. (Coffeyville Daily Journal)

In 1918 there were stories in the papers of him being shot and killed by "Texas Joe" (allegedly also a fighter) in a Van Buren, Arkansas restaurant. (La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, Oct 15.) The December 20, 1918 Des Moines Daily News reported that he had died. These were untrue. In at least one of these stories, however, it is asserted that he had been knocked out by Dan Dailey in Oklahoma City in early 1916.

According to the Hoisington Dispatch (Kansas) March 3, 1922, he had lost one fight and had two draws with Jack Clark. Tate was scheduled to meet Chief Korems, March 1st, 1924, in Amarillo, TX, but there is no report of the fight.

Tate became a Chickasha police officer and was married in 1925.

On December 16th 1930 he was shot and killed while serving a warrant.

Chickasha, Oklahoma

Police Officer, Henry Austin "Texas" Tate, was shot and killed while serving a warrant for a theft. Officer Tate and his partner were serving a warrant on a man at his home for some stolen clothing when his partner lifted a mattress and revealed a half gallon of whiskey. Officer Tate was standing in the door when he was knocked down from behind by a blow on the head with the stock of a shotgun by the suspect's son who seized his weapon and before his partner could react, fired three shots into Officer Tate's chest, heart and abdomen. His partner then shot the shooter through the chest causing him to drop the gun. The original suspect then attempted to pick up Officer Tate's gun and his partner also shot him. A daughter then tried to retrieve the gun, but was stopped. Officer Tate died on the way to the hospital. The suspect died from his wounds two weeks later. His son recovered from his wounds and was charged with Officer Tate's murder. Officer Tate was survived by his wife and a step-son.

Thursday, 18 Dec 1930, Chickasha Daily Express:

Texas Tate Laid to Rest with Military Honors
With full military honors the body of Texas Tate, murdered city policeman, was laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery, Wednesday afternoon. The Christian church was packed to the doors when the funeral cortege led by his brother officers filed into the church. Funeral services were conducted by the Reverend Hightower, presiding elder of the Methodist church and the Reverend James, Pastor of the First Christian Church. James delivered the funeral sermon and paid a tribute to the dead man as an officer and citizen. James declared that the people of Chickasha, Grady County and Oklahoma were at fault in that they did not give full support and aid to the officers of the law in helping to clean up vice conditions. The services at the cemetery were in charge of the American Legion, with Lieutenant Henry White, commanding officer. The firing squad fired three rounds, the colors were dipped and taps were sounded and the body of the slain policeman laid to rest. Tate had a remarkable record as a peace officer. He was especially skillful in ferreting out dope addicts and the finding of dope. Tate served on the police force at Pawhuska before coming to Chickasha. He also had a commission as federal officer. He served during the World War in a Texas training camp. He was a boxer and wrestler, and standing over six feet was a perfect specimen of physical manhood. Tate is the first peace officer in Grady County to ever be killed while in line of duty. Emmett Goodwin, chief of police of Chickasha, was killed about twenty years ago on the streets of Chickasha. He was shot by Bill Thomas another policeman, over some trouble between the two men. Thomas was tried for the murder of Goodwin but was acquitted. Tate was born at Seattle, Wash., April 27, 1889, and came to Oklahoma a number of years ago. For some time he was known as a boxer and wrestler and during the war he served as an athletic officer in Texas army camps. Mr. Tate is survived by his widow, a stepson, Frank King, both of Chickasha; a brother, J. F. Tate of Waxahachie, Texas, two sisters, Mrs. South of Waxahachie, Texas, and Mrs. Suttle of Electra, Texas, and a nephew, John Giles,, of Fort Cobb. Pa ll bearers at the services were Chief of Police J. C Hunter and Patrolmen Jim Snell, Lee Tuck, Tex Bryant, Victory Looney and Carl Adudell.

Another obituary:

Henry was the son of Sarah Adaline Giles and Isaac Ike Tate. He married Ardie Holder King on 24 Dec 1925. Henry and Ardie were married at the Epworth Methodist church (Chickasha) by pastor John R. Abernathy in the presence of Mrs. I or J. C. Jeffery. Ardie was 34 years old and Henry was 37 years old at the time of the marriage. Henry and Ardie were married about five years before he was shot and killed while working as a Chickasha City policeman.

Officer H. A. Tate and his partner had gone to the home of George B. Hale to serve a warrant when Hale's son Clifford hit Tate over the head with a stock of a shotgun. Clifford and George Hale recovered from their wounds and were charged with Tate's murder.