Lee,
I have an old "junk" collector friend who has a K frame that is "Pawn Shop" engraved that is documented to have belonged to a Chief of the Ft. Worth PD. However, he thinks it is worth more than I do so I haven't been able to pick it up yet...still trying though.
Regarding the story about the happenings in Sherman, I'll quote from the story in Lone Wolf Gonzaullas, Texas Ranger by Brownson Malsch:
"Captain Hamer told Judge Carter (the trial judge of the black man charged with the rape) that in his opinion, the trial could not be continued in Sherman without blood being shed. The judge announced that a change of venue would be ordered and pandemonium ensued when the crowd thought that the man they sought would be removed from their grasp.
At that point Hamer received a message from Governor Dan Moody that told him to 'protect the Negro if possible, but not to shoot anyone'. Captain Hamer was quoted as telling Judge Carter 'This means the mob will get the Negro'.
The mob leaders heard about the message and decided that the alleged instruction to Hamer would apply with equal force to the National Guardsmen. It was concluded that no matter the extreme to which the crowd might go, no one was in danger of being shot. That was judged to have been the turning point in the whole ugly affair. Tear gas was used but the only result was to further enrage the crowd.
The Grayson County Court House was masonry but the interior was dry old wood and gasoline was poured in a window and ignited. The 21 man Sherman fire department responded and attempted to fight the fire but as soon as they laid hoses, the hoses were slashed. Mob leaders allowed the firemen one sound hose to put out fires which ignited on adjacent buildings but warned that if the hose was turned toward the Court House, it would be cut."
An ugly page in the history of that community.
Bob
