UVALDE COUNTY, TEXAS
County History

Source: "Branches & Acorns" SWTGS Quarterly Vol. V, No. 1 - September 1989
The following stories were submitted by Grace Rose, reprinted from The Uvalde Leader-News in Vo. 7, No. 8, pgs. 367-369 of "Frontier Times" as edited by Marvin Hunter.

Recalls Early Elections in Uvalde County
By H. W. Baylor, in Uvalde Leader-News

I was elected county commissioner of Uvalde County in 1882. Ben Boatright was then sheriff and McCormick was county judge. The other commissioners were Harvey Alexander from Con Can, Henry Patterson from Sabinal, and A. B. Dillard from Uvalde. I had to travel thirty miles which required one day to come and one to return, and was paid $2.50 for time actually served. The county judge was paid $200 per annum, and the sheriff and clerk similar amounts. The county had gotten behind financially and the commissioners had the salaries fixed in order to get the county on a cash basis.

During the time I was commissioner the town was wide open. Monte games were played in all the saloons. An enterprising man came to Uvalde and built a dance hall, saloon and gambling place. The place was known far and wide by the name of "The bull pen." The place became quite popular, and many of our leading citizens attended the dances and other amusements that could be found at the Bull Pen.

During one session of the commissioners court, it was reported that some of Uvalde's ladies had set fire to the Bull Pen. The ladies claimed that they had appealed to the officers to close the place, as it was a nuisance. The officers paid no attention to their plea, so these good women decided to take the law in their hands, and fired the Bull Pen. It seems there was a large attendance at the dance hall and they rushed out and put out the fire. Next morning the matter was discussed at the commissioners meeting. Some of the commissioners said it would be a serious matter against the women as the proprietor had said he would have them prosecuted. I remarked that the only mistake made was that they did not make a good job out of it, and burn the place to the ground, as it was a shame to stay in a decent community, and if I was sheriff, this town would be cleaned up.

Some one remarked, "Well, you had better run for sheriff and see how far you get in the race. There are enough gamblers in this county to elect a sheriff who will do the right thing." So from that time I was in the race, and it was a hot affair.

I was residing north of Montell at that time, and I could count on that box, something like forty votes. The Dry Frio box had 21 votes. I felt sure of dividing the box with my opponent. The people in that box raised a great many hogs, and just before the election someone started the report that I had said I was in favor of hanging all the hog thieves. This report was so well circulated that when the returns came in, I had received one vote. There were several men who claimed to vote. Later on I was told that the man who gave me the vote was an old man whom everybody said was crazy.

The main fight was made in Uvalde where there was about 150 Mexican voters. These men were wined and dined, and for several days before the election were corralled at night so no one could give them tickets. At that time anybody could have tickets printed. Each candidate would have many tickets printed and leave his opponent's names off. These tickets were given out to the Mexicans, all marked ready to go in the box. The judges had to see the voter only put one ticket in.

On the morning of the election I saw a great bunch of Mexicans rounded up on Market Square where the bandstand now is. There were 110 Mexicans guarded by several men on horseback who would cut out teb and march them down to the courthouse, and after they had voted they were released to go home. This procedure was kept up until the 110 had voted. That did not look very encouraging to me and I began to think I was to be numbered among the defeated. After midnight the box was counted out and I had a majority. My opponent and his side began to cry fraud and were demanding a re-count. The other boxes came in the next day and I had a majority of 64 votes, so I was elected sheriff of Uvalde County. The hotel and boarding house owners said if I enforced the law on gambling that it would ruin the town. I said, "You know what Governor Roberts said about Texas." He said 'If Texas goes to hell it will go according to law.'

I soon gave bond and took charge of the office, and the first thing I did was to close the Bull Pen, run the gamblers and dance hall women out of town. The saloons took down their screens, cut out music and obeyed the law of the land. Drunks were jailed. The pistol toters were fined. I shambled the Mexicans for being herded like cattle and that was the last of the corral business. The Mexican, if not over-persuaded, would vote the way he wanted to. I am still for law enforcement and from what I hear, another cleanup wouldn't do much harm.