Ret. Texas Ranger Clayton Smith: Modern Day Matt Dillon

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By Kris Smith

Retired Texas Ranger and former DPS Trooper, Clayton Smith, has seen more than his share of crime during his career.
Mr. Smith stated, “I was planning on a career as an aircraft mechanic.” However, a few rides with then Corsicana Police Captain, Bill Onslott, who later served as Corsicana Police Chief, changed his course. After his tour in the Air Force, he applied for the Texas Highway Patrol in 1958 and began his training at recruit school on December 2, 1958, in Austin.

A question asked often ‘Why law enforcement?’ Ranger Smith’s answer is simple. “Law Enforcement Officers have an opportunity to be servants to the people. Personally, I have a desire to help people.” Smith continued, “Law Enforcement gets in your blood. It was a good choice and I enjoyed it more than working on airplanes.”
During his time as a DPS Patrolman, Smith worked the trainwreck in 1962 in Chandler, Texas. He was tasked with evacuating the city after cars jumped the tracks. He said, “The Smith County Deputy Sheriff called and requested our help evacuating the city. They never told us what was on that train, only that it would destroy the entire city.” The ones tasked with the evacuation figured it was probably nuclear. There was a drum filled with antifreeze and a team from Ft. Hood flew in to retrieve the drum.
On October 16, 1975, prior to his Texas Ranger career, Clayton Smith was patrolling a stretch of I-45 in the Angus/Mustang vicinity, when a random traffic stop nearly took his life. As the driver of the speeding vehicle was approaching, I was parked perpendicular between the north and southbound lanes. When I pulled onto the southbound lane, he never looked at me. When I got behind him – he sped up and finally pulled over around the 216-mile marker.”
The speeding driver, identified as Charles Albert Stewart of Houston, exited his vehicle – wearing a tie. “He looked like a businessman, tall and lean.” Holding the gun between his body and Trooper Smith, he fired his 9 mm at Smith, striking the wrist and thigh. Smith said, “I immediately returned fire, later determined that he had a bullet through his liver.”
Gunfire continued on both sides of the Trooper patrol vehicle in a ‘raise up, duck down’ fashion. After fatally wounding Stewart, it was found that he had a roll of money in his sock and had robbed a Dallas attorney. Renting a car with a stolen credit card, law enforcement located 2 jars of pills, determined to be quaaludes, stolen from a Houston pharmacy. Stewart had also bought the gun, used in the assault, in Houston with a hot check. After the shooting was over, Smith had no shots left in his service revolver, and it was determined Stewart had 3 hollow point bullets remains with an extra clip in his pocket.
Smith stated, “At the time, I thought it was going to be my last day on earth. I am glad that it wasn’t.’
Another turning point in his career was joining the 1983 Task Force identifying victims of the Henry Lee Lucas murders, across the United States. Lucas, alongside partner Ottis Toole, admitted to 500 serial murders in 1984, including the murder of 15-year-old girlfriend, Becky Powell and landlord Kate Rich.
The self-proclaimed serial murderer, attempting to attain notoriety, admitted to 600 murders, but only 100 have been proven. In 1983, long before the rise of DNA forensic investigation, law enforcement had little choice but to accept his claims as fact.
Smith stated, “I don’t remember locating bodies, but I interviewed him in Georgetown alongside then Williamson County Sheriff, Jim Boutwell.”

Ret. Ranger Smith was one of the first Texas Rangers called to the Branch Davidian Compound at Mount Carmel, near the community of Axtell. He said, “Before this (the stand-off) went down, I was called by DPS Intelligence. The siege began after the ATF ran a search warrant out of cattle trailers, in a supposed effort to conceal until reveal. Vernon Howell, also known as David Koresh, a name given to himself, unlocked the weapons in his concrete bunker and a 51 day stand off began, with shots fired upon ATF agents. Smith said, “My job was to interview ATF agents to determine what windows they were shooting out of.”
Clayton Smith has worked with many law enforcement departments in his tenure and remembers the late retired Navarro County Sheriff Les Cotton well, stating, “Les Cotten was a mild-mannered man, willing to help people that had messed up in life. He truly did what he could to help people. I had a high respect for him.”
Upon his retirement from the Rangers in 1993, DPS called him back to work as a civilian. His law enforcement career ended with his official retirement in 2000. Since then, he has served as interim and guest pastors for First Baptist Church of Streetman, First Baptist Church of Powell, and Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Navarro County Commissioner Eddie Moore stated, “From the first time I met Clayton Smith, I knew he was one of the most honest men I’ve ever met in my life. I always considered him a personal hero and a modern day Matt Dillon. It has been an honor to have him for a friend and a mentor in my life. “
Commissioner Eddie Perry, who invited Clayton to the event held at the courthouse this past week honoring DPS Trooper Curtis Putz, said “I’ve known Clayton all of my adult life. He is the finest upstanding lawman I’ve ever known.”
Personal note: I’ve known many law enforcement officers in my life, and speaking with Mr. Smith was a blessing and I was very proud to write this article honoring him and his dedication to service.