E. T. "Ellzey" Perkins

TEXAS RANGER, PRIVATE, COMPANY L, FABENS, EL PASO COUNTY, TX. Private T.E.P. (Ellzey) Perkins was born Mar 12, 1884, in Milam County, Texas, to Jessie and Nannie Perkins. He had one brother and two sisters. Ellzey stood 6 feet 1/2 inch tall, had grey eyes, brown hair and a medium complexion. Records state that he was a cowboy. His brother, James Clarke Perkins, was also a Texas Ranger in Company L, of Fabens, Texas. Ellzey Perkins joined the Ranger force as a private in Company L, September 1, 1918. He was killed in action on November 7, 1918. Ellzey and another Ranger, Special Ranger Joe T. Place, were ambushed at night while investigating Ben Anaya, a rancher on the Island near Fabens, in El Paso County. It was believed that Anaya was a supporter of Pancho Villa and was assisting Villistas in getting arms and ammunition across the border. The Rangers had stopped to put water in the car and repair the hose, when Perkins spotted riflemen in the brush and called for Place to take cover. The riflemen opened fire. Ben Anaya approached the car with his pistol drawn, but Perkins fired first and killed him with three slugs to the chest. Perkins was hit in the stomach and wounded. He took cover in the brush, but Place was captured, placed on a horse and he rode to Fabens for assistance. Perkins crawled into the brush, but the old man Anaya, father of Ben, trailed him and upon finding him, beat him to death with a club, and mutilated his body. He then fled to Mexico, never to return. That may have been one shipment of arms and ammo that Villa never got. Ellzey's brother, Ranger J. C. Perkins, took his body to Cameron, Milam County, Texas for burial. Death of Milam County Man. The news that Elzy Perkins was killed last Thursday night on the Faben's Island, near the Mexican border, was received in Cameron by his uncle, J. M. Eplen, last Sunday. Perkins is a former Milam County boy and has been a member of the Texas Rangers for a number of years and was a fearless law enforcer for Texas. The deceased with his partner, Special Ranger Joe Plate, had gone to a hut in the woods where it was thought some Mexican smugglers were hid. There they found quite a number who opened fire on them, Perkins was wounded and in his flight was overtaken and brutally murdered by the bandits. There was one or more of the smugglers killed according to the story of Perkins' partner and there was nine of them fled across the Rio Grande horseback. Elzy Perkins was born and reared in Milam County, his home being in the Yarrellton community. The remains were shipped to this city and funeral was held from the home of his uncle, J. M. Eplen, on Monday afternoon, services being conducted and interment taking place in the North Elm cemetery. Besides his mother, Mrs. Hallie Perkins, who lives at Dimmitt, the deceased is survived by a brother, Jim Perkins, who is also a member of the Texas Rangers, and two sisters, Mrs. Watt Henderson, and Mrs. John Meyer of Fort Worth. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. B. B. Blaylock of the First Baptist Church. The Cameron Herald, 14 Nov 1918