1931 :: Death of John H. Bickett

San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 21. -- Funeral services will be held Saturday for John H. Bickett Sr., former chairman of the Texas Prison Commission and former member of the State Highway Commission. Mr. Bickett, long prominent in Texas politics and Sheriff and County Treasurer of Milam County before he moved to San Antonio from Cameron twenty-one years ago, died at his home after several years' ill health. He was a past president of the Texas Sheriffs' Association. A native of Abbeville County, South Carolina, he moved to Texas in 1897. From 1915 to 1919 Mr. Bickett was chairman of the Prison Commission. Later he served under two Governors as member of the Highway Commission. Besides his wife, survivors include four sons, John H., L.M., Brandon and E.W. Bickett, San Antonio; a daughter, Mrs. Elliott Brockenbrough, Waco; two sisters, Mrs. Jennie Etheridge and Mrs. Elizabeth Burnett, Cameron. Dallas Morning News, August 22, 1931 [his findagrave memorial apge]

1892 :: Death of Rev. Dr. James H. Stribling

Dallas, Aug. 15. -- [To The News.] -- The announcement in yesterday's News of the death of the Rev. Dr. James H. Stribling of Rockdale at Eureka Springs, Ark., on the 12th instant, recalls to my mind the old aphorism, that when "a good man dies the people mourn." 

Having known and loved this man for fifty-two years, none will gainsay my right to mourn -- the more so as I knew and loved his father and mother, his brothers and sisters. 

Born in Alabama, he came with his parents to Washington county, Texas in 1837. He was one of the first students of Baylor university, and in his youth resolved to be a minister of the gospel, in which service he died fifty-two years later. He was not only intensely religious, but intensely patriotic.

When but twenty years old he and his cousin, John Tremier, were the only men from east of the Colorado valley who participated in the battle of the Salado on Sept. 18, 1842. He was in the subsequent pursuit of the Mexican army under Gen. Wool, and was in the charge on its artillery on the Arroya Honda on the 22d of the same month. Late in the same year he was in the famed Somervell expedition against Mexico, and only abandoned it when his command returned home. 

Resuming his studies he persevered until about 1845, when he received ordination as an elder in the Baptist church. He has since been a pastor at Gonzales, Tyler, Rockdale and other places, and everywhere by the people and all the different churches has been held as a pure and spotless man.

His father, Benjamin H. Stribling, was one of the first judges of Lavaca county. His mother was truly a "mother of Israel." His brother, Thomas H. Stribling, died a distinguished lawyer in San Antonio. A younger brother, Cornelius K. Stribling, has been county judge and representative from Shackelford county. All of the brothers and sisters have been worthy of him. 

The good he has done in these fifty years will be his passport to the life to come.

As a printer boy in Missouri in October, 1844, the first paragraph I put in type read: "The United States sloop of war Peacock, Commander Cornelius K. Stribling, has arrived at Norfolk, Va., after a three years' voyage around the world." That commander was a brother of Mr. Stribling's father. When the war between the states began in 1861 he was Commodore Stribling of the United States navy in command of the navy yard at Pensacola.

Blessed be the memory of James H. Stribling. 

John Henry Brown. 
Dallas Morning News, 
August 16, 1892 

1908 :: Death of Capt. Strayhorn

Capt. S.M. Strayhorn, aged past 70, died yesterday at Granger. Father of Dr. J.M. Strayhorn. Confederate. Survived by wife and three children: Dr. J.M. of Waco, Mrs. Lee Clark of Rockdale, and Mrs. Dr. Pipkin of Elberta La. Waco Times-Herald, Tuesday, August 11, 1908

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Granger, Williamson Co., Tex., Aug. 11. -- Capt. Sam M. Strayhorn died at his home here Monday at noon and was buried with Masonic honors at the Granger Cemetery today. Capt. Strayhorn was 76 years of age and came to Texas with his parents about sixty years ago. He was one of the first settlers of this county and for a number of years served as Sheriff and Tax Collector. He is survived by a widow and four children. Dr. J.M. Strayhorn of Waco, George Strayhorn of Granger, Mrs. Dr. Pipkin of Waco and Mrs. Lee Clark of Rockdale. Dallas Morning News, August 12, 1908 [his findagrave memorial page]

1898 :: Death of a Centenarian

Cameron, Milam Co., Tex., Aug. 7. -- Nelson, Hillery, colored, known as Dad Nelse, died last night on the Goodhugh Wilson farm, about three miles from Cameron. He was by far the oldest citizen of Milam county, being at least 100 years old. He was a good-sized mill boy, living in Mississippi, at the time of the great battle of New Orleans. About twenty years ago he borrowed a mule from Mr. Goodhugh Wilson, who was well off and liberal, and was told by Mr. Wilson to keep the mule until he got through with him, so Dad Nelse kept the mule until his death. Dallas Morning News, August 8, 1898

1865 :: Beating of Patout

Stephen Patout (col.) was so severely beaten by H. Patout (white) with a club that he was confined to the house for several weeks in consequence. H. Patout claimed that Genl. Merritt had authorized him to whip his ex-slaves as usual. Date August 1865 Milan [sic] Co. Freedmen's Bureau Report of Murders and Outrages in Texas

1896 :: Death of W.S. Puryear

Rockdale, Tex., July 30. -- In the examining trial of J.F. Greenwood for the killing of W.S. Puryear, an account of which was published in yesterday's Galveston News, it was developed from the testimony of the widow of Puryear and other corroborating witnesses that the difficult was provoked because of Greenwood's wife's refusal about a week before the killing to loan Puryear a wagon sheet. Puryear drove out of Rockdale at a breakneck speed not more than thirty minutes before the killing with his wife in a wagon with him. On his way out home, which was only a short distance from the home of Greenwood, he said to his wife that he was going to stop at Greenwood's and tell him what he thought of his (Greenwood's) wife. The execution of this threat was what provoked the difficulty which ended in Puryear's death. Justice Wells, in whose court the examining trial was conducted, admitted Greenwood to bail in the sum of $500. He was satisfied from the evidence that it was a case of excusable homicide. Galveston Daily News, Saturday, August 1, 1896 [Puryear's findagrave memorial page]