Brewster County Family Stories

The following is about my great-grandfather, Frances Marion Young, who married my great-grandmother, Elvira Simpson. She was the daughter of William Jones and Barbra (Hunsaker) Simpson, all of whom were born in Illinois. It is a gruesome tale, but I know it to be true, as my great-grandmother told me some of the details when I was about 6 years old, leaving out the part of the discovery of just her husband's head after his murder. I received a copy of this "sketch" as they were called years ago, from a cousin in about 2000. What the story does not mention is the fact that Elvira and Francis had a young daughter, Etta Melissa, about 2 yrs. old, and that Elvira was pregnant at the time with my grandmother, Lilly Frances. Etta lived to be nearly 100 years old; she died in Alpine, TX. Lilly died of a heart attack in Uvalde. Elvira was remarried a few years after her first husband's death to William Jefferson Shackelford. They lived in the Leakey area for a time before moving to Marathon in Brewster County in the early 1900's, where they ranched for the rest of their lives. The Shackelfords had seven children of their own; he died in 1932 and she died in 1937 and both are buried in the Marathon cemetery.

FRONTIER TIMES
May 1924
Bandera Man Foully Murdered
Written by John F. Hodges

When I came to Bandera county in 1868, there were very few people living in the county, and Indians often made raids, and kept us in a state of dread, for we did not know just when some of our own loved ones would fall a victim of their cruelty. But the Indians were not the only menace to the happiness of the settlers of this region, for there were vicious white men, too, that brought sorrow and suffering to add to the hard lot of the early settlers. One such incident I will relate: In 1872 a man named Simpson moved to Bandera county, and settled on Red Bluff Creek, about twelve miles east of Bandera town. He and his family lived there several years. Mr. Simpson had a beautiful daughter, named Elvira, about seventeen years of age, and in 1873 a young man named Francis Young came into the country, met this young lady and fell in love with her. Within a short time they were married and were living happily together when a man who gave his name as McCracken drifted in from somewhere. He became acquainted with Young, and seemed to take a great fancy to the young man. McCracken represented that he lived near Austin and had decided to move to Bandera county, and hired Young to take his wagon and team and go after his household goods, agreeing to pay him a certain sum of money to do so.

Times were hard and money was scarce, and the young man was glad to get a chance to earn wages by honest labor, so he and McCracken set out, ostensibly to get the older man's household plunder, expecting to return within a very short time. But weeks passed and they did not return. No word was received from them. The young wife became alarmed over the husband's continued absence, and finally induced friends to go in search of him.

The searchers made inquiries along the route taken by McCracken and Young, and found that they had camped at the edge of a large cedar brake near Austin, and there all trace was lost for the time being. Later it was learned from an old woman at Dripping Springs that her dog had dug up a man's head, and brought it home. This proved to be the head of the missing man. He had been foully murdered while asleep, being killed with his own pistol. Going to the place where the head had been uncovered, parts of the young man's clothing were found, including a big handkerchief which he wore around his neck. But the body was never found.

The searchers again took the trail in an effort to apprehend the murderer. At Austin it was found where he had disposed of the wagon and team, but was never caught. All trace of him was lost, and the searchers returned home, bringing the sad news of the tragedy to the poor little woman, who looked longingly and anxiously for the husband's return.

The only theory advanced as to the cause of the murder was that McCracken killed Young in order to secure the wagon and team and convert them into money, as the young man was without funds and had nothing else to be robbed of. That they had a disagreement and a fight was not likely, as Francis Young was known as a mild-mannered, generous hearted, peaceable young man, and would hardly have indulged in a row with an older man. But such was only one of many instances like that which happened on the frontier in those days. Tragedies that brought grief and woe in the homes of the pioneers were of frequent occurrence, and is attested by the headstones that mark the resting places of those whose lives were taken by wild red men and savage white men who infested this fair land in those perilous days. submitted by: Gerry Sawyer