Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881Gillett, James B.
History
Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881
Gillett, James B.
Frontier and pioneer life -- Texas; Gillett, James B., 1856-1937; Texas -- History -- 1846-1950; Texas Rangers
The arrest and conviction of the Dublins, together with the other men
Lieutenant Reynolds had captured or killed completely cleaned out the
stage robbers, cattle and horse thieves and murderers that had made
Kimble County their rendezvous. Today Kimble County is one of the
most prosperous and picturesque counties in the state. Its citizens
are law-abiding and energetic. Junction City, the county seat, is a
splendid little city of probably twenty-five hundred inhabitants.
Forty years ago, the time of which I write, there were no courthouses
in Kimble County. The first district courts were held under the
spreading boughs of a large oak tree. The rangers, of which I was
frequently one, guarded the prisoners under another tree at a
convenient distance from the judge and his attendants.
Late in the spring or early summer of 1878 at a session of the County
Court of San Saba County, Billy Brown was being prosecuted by County
Attorney Brooks for a violation of the prohibition laws. Brown took
offense at a remark of the prosecuting attorney and attempted to draw
his six-shooter on him. T.J.T. Kendall, a law partner of Brooks, saw
Brown's move and quickly whipping out his own pistol, he killed Brown
in the courtroom. Then, fearing a mob if captured, Kendall fortified
himself in a second story of the courthouse and refused to surrender.
He held the whole town at bay while his wife administered to his wants.
Meantime, he sent a hurry call to the nearest rangers asking for
protection against mob violence. Captain Arrington received the message
and sent a detachment from Coleman to San Saba to preserve order.
General Jones was notified and ordered Lieutenant Reynolds at Junction
City to march to San Saba with his company, take charge of Kendall and
relieve Captain Arrington's men. It was probably two weeks after the
killing before Company "E" reached San Saba, but Mr. Kendall was still
holding fort in the upper story of the courthouse.
On the arrival of Reynolds' company, Kendall asked the court for a
preliminary examination. When court convened, the prisoner waived
examination and asked for transference to the Travis County jail at
Austin. The court, realizing the feeling against Kendall, ordered his
removal thither.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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