Herschel (Hursel on his death certificate, Hershel on his grave marker) Courtney (Cortney on another record) McMinn was born in Wichita Falls in Texas in 1912. At the time of his death, his parents and a couple of sisters lived in Eastland County, one county north and two counties east of Runnels County. That's where he is buried.
I couldn't find him in either the 1920 or 1930 census, the only two in which he might have been enumerated. His parents are in the 1910, 1930 and 1940 censuses. H.C. is not in the household in 1930, when he was 18.
I don't imagine it was impossible for an older teenager to buy a gun in Texas in 1930, and it's also not impossible that someone -- a father, say, or an ex-con with whom he paired off -- gave him the engraved gun as a gift.
Attached are images of his initial death certificate and a supplementary certificate issued a day later. The only change is the addition of the word "Student" as his profession.
My hunch is no better than anyone else's, but I think bank robber McMinn is less likely to be the one-time owner of this revolver than a contemporary lawman whose name we have not yet worked out.
__________________
David Wilson
Last edited by DCWilson; 01-21-2022 at 10:39 PM.
|