David Neagle

David Neagle
David J. Neagle
Born(1847-10-10)October 10, 1847
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedNovember 28, 1925(1925-11-28) (aged 78)
Oakland, California
Occupation(s)Saloon owner, miner, police officer, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Years active1870–1906
Known forKilling former California Supreme Court Chief Justice David S. Terry; Establishing precedent In re Neagle for U.S. Marshals to protect judges
Spouse
Bertha Blanch
​
(m. 1874)​

David Butler Neagle (October 10, 1847—November 28, 1925) was a Deputy U.S. Marshal who, while guarding Associate Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Field, killed former California Chief Justice David S. Terry when he assaulted Field. Neagle was arrested by the county sheriff and charged with murder. Insisting he was acting within his capacity as a federal marshal, his case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in In re Neagle affirmed the executive branch's right to protect judges and the supremacy of federal law over state law.

He met Bertha Blanch in 1870.[1] They had two daughters, Louisa and Emma, who died before their sixth birthday. They were married in 1874 and later had Winifred Mary and Albert Victor.[2] He was also a saloon owner, miner and deputy town marshal in Tombstone, Arizona Territory shortly after the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

  1. ^ US Census Year: 1900; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; p. 5; Enumeration District: 0162; FHL microfilm: 1240104
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference dearment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).