Crime and Punishment in Atascosa County, Texas
Atascosa County TXGenWeb

Crime and Punishment:
Murder and Mayhem in Atascosa County History

The quote, "It is grievous to be caught." (In Latin, "Deprendi miserum est.") is attributed to the Roman poet, Horace (65 BC - 8 BC)


RUMOR-We hear rumors of a painful tragedy, said to have occurred at Rancho Frio. It will be remembered that an account of an encounter between a man named Gossett and a Mexican belonging to a train on its way to Laredo was published a few days ago in the city papers. Mr. Gossett killed the Mexican, and nothing more was heard of the matter, until a day or two ago a party of thirty Mexicans returned to the neighborhood and killed some five white persons. Among the number was Mr. William Hall, a brother of Frank Hall, of Atascosa county. - San Antonio Express
The Galveston Daily News, 20 January 1867

The San Antonio Herald has an account of the killing of the notorious Billy Thompson, recently, by Mr. Walton, of Atascosa. Thompson is the man who killed Mr. James Minter in Live Oak a short time ago.
The Galveston Daily News, 15 May 1868

The San Antonio Herald says Mr. Walker, of Atascosa county, was killed recently by a man named Montgomery, near Lockhart.
The Galveston Daily News, 19 May 1868

The Herald has news from Medina of more bloody work by Indians. Three men are believed to have been murdered on the Nueces. The bodies of two brothers, named Waters, and whose residence is unknown to the doctor, have been found. Eugene Mudd, a son of a well known citizen of Somerset, Atascosa county, has been missing for more than two weeks, and is also supposed to have been killed. He was hunting stock with the brothers Waters two weeks ago.
The Galveston Daily News, 27 February 1869

On Tuesday week a man was killed in St. Marys, the first case of homicide since the town was started. Wm. Robertson, of Atascosa county, visited St. Marys to close a contract for a stock of cattle. He had a difficulty with L. B. Randolph, and was shot twice and killed. Randolph escaped.
The Galveston Daily News, 1 October 1869

Murder of Mr. Robinson - We hear that a Mr. Robinson, a worthy citizen of Atascosa county, living near the Rocky, has been murdered. It is supposed that the deed has been committed by the murderers of Peevey, as Robinson had something to do with the evidence in that affair. We have no particulars. - San Antonio Express, 26th ult.
The Galveston Daily News, 3 Oct 1869

The San Antonio Herald learns that on Sunday, the 1st inst., a worthy German, Frank Knider, aged some thirty-five years, left his house in Atascosa county, on horse back, for the purpose of going about a mile from home to kill a beef, since which time not a word has been seen or heard from him, though thorough search has been made. Monday evening late his horse returned home, with saddle on, and rope and bridle fastened up carefully.
The Galveston Daily News, 8 May 1870

From the Georgetown Record, Oct. 5th: "The sad intelligence has just reached here of the killing, at Pleasanton, in Atascosa county, of William Love, eldest son of our fellow-citizen, David Love. A man rode up to his door, called him out and shot him. No further particulars of the case have reached us."
The Galveston Daily News, 9 October 1872

CAPTURED-Officer Nelson Williams arrested a man named Sullivan on Monday night, from Atascosa, who is charged with horse stealing. He was turned over to the officers from that county and has been taken to Pleasanton for trial. - San Antonio Herald, 1st inst.
The Galveston Daily News, 5 Oct 1873

From our exchanges we learn that the prairie has been set on fire in Atascosa County, destroying thousands of acres of fine pasturage. The editor of the State Journal, who is an attorney, offers his legal services gratis in the prosecution of the nefarious perpertrators of the deed, when detected.
The Galveston Daily News, 31 January 1874

San Antonio, March 18, 1874 - I, H. D. Bonnet, Sheriff of Bexar County, do hereby certify that I have never arrested, or had any authority from any court of this county to arrest, J. J. Ellis, as stated in the Stock Journal, of Atascosa County.
The Galveston Daily News, 22 Mar 1874

ATASCOSA COUNTY - A man named Wilson was arrested on the Sesteadera by the Sheriff of DeWitt county on the 9th instant, charged with horse stealing. While lodged in jail at Pleasanton, he said: "I am a doomed man, and know that I shall be murdered as soon as they take me back to Nichols'. But they shall never get me there; I will escape or die on the way." In the morning he was placed on horseback, securely handcuffed, and in the presence of a large crowd that had assembled to satisfy their curiosity, the party set out for DeWitt county.
-- Three valuable horses were stolen from Mr. Bennett Musgrave, of Black Hill, six miles south of Pleasanton. He had employed three Mexicans to do some work for him, and this was their last job. They were too well mounted to be pursued.
The Galveston Daily News, 24 June 1874





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