The following is a partial account of the life and times of Edgar T. Neal. This story will be the final chapter or Part III of the book, The Texas Rangers & the San Saba Mob. This series is the narrative for the application of a new Texas Historical Subject Marker for San Saba County. Endnotes are available upon request. Ross J. Cox, Sr. Part 5.
The couple bought a home near the school and seemed to be inseparable. His wife called him “the Old Scout.” They were involved with the local fair and the Confederate Veterans reunions, the Texas Pecan Growers Association, West Texas Sheriff’s Association, the local poultry association and of course, the Democratic Party with which Neal was associated. Their influence, especially his wife’s, would eventually extend from the local courthouse to the governors’ mansion. 22
Neal was easily re-elected in 1918, 1920, and in 1922. However, during his last term things began to change. First there was Prohibition (1919 - 1933), which was the law of the land. The Volstead Act (18th Amendment) was seldom enforced by local lawmen as it was extremely unpopular. Nevertheless, Sheriff Neal enforced the law.23
Second, there was the reorganization of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). This second era Klan was inspired in 1915 by the silent film “Birth of a Nation.” By 1925, Texas membership exceeded 450,000 and established a strong foothold in the Democratic party. The KKK promoted itself as being a wholesome American and Christian organization, operating behind the flag and the cross. It appealed to the element of law-abiding men (and women) offering them an opportunity to take direct action to preserve their way of life. The Klan also took a strong stand against bootlegging, the use of alcohol, and upheld the prohibition amendment. Although Neal personally had a lot in common with the ideas of the Klan, it reminded him of the bloody San Saba Mob with their robes, hoods, and extralegal justice. 24
The Klan loved torch light parades and large assemblies for recruiting and fellowship. They donated to the needy and often visited local churches in full regalia, making impressive cash donations. Mask wearing and unauthorized assembly being illegal, Neal refused to allow the Klan to hold any of their cherished parades, broke up their “Konclaves,” and even ran a Klansman evangelist out of the county. 25
Despite his best efforts to keep the KKK out of the county, there were Klan chapters and rallies in the surrounding area located in Brady, Brownwood, Lometa, and Burnet. Their influence was so great that in April 1924, the Klan candidate for the governorship of Texas, Felix D. Robertson, a district judge from Dallas, was invited to make a personal appearance at the courthouse and was given a generous applause. With large numbers of prominent citizens belonging to the Klan, the Old Scout found himself confronted with numerous personal enemies.26
His loss of influence in the county began with a minor incident. Neal had a bench warrant for three cattle thieves operating in the Cherokee area. He received a telephone call which advised they were driving a stripped-down Ford, all wearing white shirts. Neal hid out on the highway to intercept the rustlers and spotted a vehicle fitting the description. Neal stepped from the darkness and ordered a halt. The vehicle increased speed as he fired at the tires, but the driver whipped onto a side road and escaped. Unknown to Neal, the automobile was occupied by a local jeweler named Stillwell, his wife and son. Neal’s bullet had ricocheted and inflicted a minor calf wound on Stillwell. The jeweler drove into San Saba and informed the sheriff’s wife what had happened. Sensing trouble, Mrs. Neal sent him to the local doctor at the Sheriff’s expense. 27
Neal later captured the thieves, each receiving lengthy prison sentences, but the damage was done. Stillwell at first was not a bit vengeful. However, the KKK convinced him to exaggerate the event. Eventually, Neal paid an out of court settlement for the damages. His enemies used the incident to portray him as a careless gunslinger. However, there is no adequate defense for character assassination. On November 4, 1924, the Old Scout lost to a Klan backed opponent by twenty-nine votes. His supporters demanded that he contest the results as there were charges of widespread irregularities, but he refused. He stated, “I have given the best years of my life to cleaning up this county, but people here seem to prefer it messed up. I’m stepping out.” It was only when he was safely out of office in January 1925 that a Klan chapter was organized in the county (Richland Springs Klan No. 335). He was the right man at the wrong time.28