Henry Andrew "Heck" Thomas (January 3, 1850 – August 14, 1912) was a lawman on the American frontier, most notably in Indian Territory.

In 1889 as a deputy in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he tried to capture Ned Christie (Cherokee), wanted as a suspect in the killing of a US marshal.

Emmett Dalton, the surviving member of the gang, said that due to Thomas's relentless pursuit, they attempted two simultaneous robberies in Coffeyville, Kansas, planning to leave the territory with a haul.

Just after this, Stonewall Jackson crossed over into Maryland and captured the city of Frederick; that was after taking Harper's Ferry and about 14,000 federal prisoners.

I had ridden the horse and cared for him up to that time, and I hated to part with him.In 1863, Thomas contracted typhoid fever and returned to his family in Athens, Georgia.

He was appointed a U.S. Deputy Marshal based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, working under U.S. District Judge Isaac C. Parker.

[citation needed] By 1889, Thomas teamed with two other deputy U.S. marshals, Chris Madsen and Bill Tilghman.

[citation needed] In August 1896, Thomas led a posse that tracked down and killed outlaw Bill Doolin.

[1] Heck Thomas was featured as a character in two episodes of the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Ronald Reagan.

Brad Johnson, cast as lead Bill Tilghman, pursues the Doolin gang in Oklahoma Territory with Thomas.

He serves as a deputy US Marshal along with Frank Dalton (Don Collier), who questions a suspect in a missing persons case.