Joseph Bruce Mathews led an adventuresome life. He served five years with the U.S. Army's Seventh Cavalry Regiment, known as "Custer's Avengers," and at one time guarded Sitting Bull and a band of Sioux Indians which had surrendered to the army. He led Custer's horse, Comanche, in all regimental reviews and parades. He later worked as a special agent for several railroads, guarding cargoes and investigating robberies and other crimes. He was assistant secretary of state under Caleb Powers during the brief administration of Kentucky Governor W.S. Taylor, and was present on the day Taylor's opponent, William Goebel, was killed, the shot apparently coming from Powers' office. Mathews testified in the ensuing trials. He served briefly with the Bureau of Investigation, then became a deputy U.S. Marshal with the New Orleans office of the Bureau of Investigation.
One escapade which made newspaper headlines involved the capture of a smuggler's schooner during a wild storm at sea. Mathews was fired from the Bureau in 1927, accused of conducting unauthorized investigations into the conduct of fellow officers. He retired to farming in Laurel County, Ky., and died at the age of 97 in 1959.
From the description of Joseph Bruce Mathews papers, 1899-1929. (University of Kentucky Libraries). WorldCat record id: 13718058
