Texas Ranger John B. Jones and the Frontier Battalion, 1874-1881 by Miller Rick;

Author:Miller, Rick;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Koppel’s Store as it appears today, Round Rock, Texas (Author’s Photo)

Dick Ware came out of the barber shop, firing and ducking as the outlaws responded in kind. Connor and Herold, not near the action, ducked back into Highsmith’s stable to retrieve their Winchesters. Jones was coming up from the telegraph office at the depot with station agent J. F. Tubbs, who was missing his left hand. The major drew his pistol and joined Ware in the fight. Tubbs retrieved Grimes’ holstered pistol and also fired at the retreating bandits. Jones, Ware, and Tubbs steadily advanced on the retreating outlaws as they backed down the alley toward their horses. Barnes reached his horse, and as he mounted Ware took aim and killed him with a shot to the head. Bass had emptied his pistol as George Herold, in the stable, called on him to surrender. Holding his pistol in his left hand, Bass pointed it at Herold, and as his horse likely turned him around in the confusion or Bass started to mount, Herold let loose with his Winchester, the bullet entering to the left of Bass’ spine and exiting to the left of his naval. Bass clung to the top of the stable fence for support, and Frank Jackson raced to his aid, fending off the approaching lawmen while helping Bass into the saddle. Jackson managed to climb on his horse and the two raced off, Jackson remarkably unscathed. Murphy later recalled seeing the two ride by him, Jackson holding a deathly pale Bass in the saddle.30

A feeble attempt was made by the Rangers to pursue, but only jaded horses were around to be commandeered, and the Rangers decided to wait and go after the pair the first thing in the morning, as a wounded man would not be hard to track. Reynolds and his men arrived about two hours later, too late to get in on the action. Early Saturday morning, July 20, a detachment led by Sergeant Charles Nevill came across a man sitting under a tree, and it was quickly established that it was the seriously wounded Bass. Frank Jackson was gone. A wagon was brought and Bass was returned to Round Rock where he was installed on a borrowed cot in a tin shop with a nurse, his wounds pronounced by doctors as fatal. Jones wired Steele that Bass had been captured, and Steele responded that members then attending the Democratic state convention in Austin thought it was an election trick. He advised him to bring Bass to Austin if possible, then countermanded his order.31

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