More Information:

About John Blank:

John BLANK Sr. was hung by a group of outlaws during the Civil War the Germans called the Hangerband (Hanging Band). These outlaws would single out draft age men who did not serve. They would kill them and steal their belongings. The Confederate State of Texas had their hands full with the war and therefore did not deal with them until after the war. Then the group was declared "Vogel Frei" or free as birds. In other words, if you see one of them, you can shoot him like a bird. After the Civil War Mr. WALDRIP, their leader, was spotted in Fredericksburg and immediately a telegram was sent to San Antonio to a relative of a man killed by the Hangerband. The man rode to Fredericksburg as fast as he could, located Mr. WALDRIP and tried to shoot him at point blank range. However, the ride from San Antonio generated much sweat from him and his horse. The powder in his pistol was wet and would not ignite. "Throw me a gun" he screamed and a gun fight started. Several shots were exchanged, but Mr. WALDRIP was not a brave man. The owner of the saddle shop across Main Street saw Mr. WALDRIP hiding behind some shrubs next to the Nimitz Hotel (now the Nimitz Museum). The saddle shop owner shot Mr. WALDRIP in the head from an upstairs window. No one knew who had fired the fatal shot until after the saddle shop owner died and his wife revealed "The rest of the story". He knew that Mr. WALDRIP was just one member of a gang and his wife was the only person he trusted with this information.