Mason County War - Mason County Texas - 1st Husband "Tim" Williamson
On May 13, 1875 Sheriff Clark sent Wohrle out to Carl Lehmberg's ranch to speak with the foreman, Tim Williamson. The deputy asked the well-liked 33-year-old cowboy, who also owned his own small ranch, to accompany him to town. Months earlier Williamson had been arrested for possession of a stolen calf, and cattleman-brand inspector Daniel Hoerster had posted bond for him. It was the custom in rural Texas that a person accused of a minor crime, and who was not a flight risk, need not travel to town to post bond; that could be done by any reliable third party who agreed to put up the money within 24 hours. Apparently Hoerster, a supporter of Sheriff Clark, had recently withdrawn his bond. Lehmberg told Wohrle he would post bond for Williamson later that day, but the deputy insisted that the new bond be paid in Mason. Lehmberg and Williamson agreed to accompany the deputy. While Lehmberg was saddling his horse, the deputy disarmed Williamson and traded his older horse for the foreman's younger, faster mount. The three men then rode toward Mason.
After covering about 10 miles, the trio ran into a dozen masked men. Lehmberg, Wohrle and Williamson all supposedly tried to ride off, but Williamson had his horse shot out from under him (some accounts say by none other than Deputy Wohrle). On foot and disarmed, Williamson didn't have a chance. But apparently he tried to talk his way out of the tight spot after recognizing one of the masked men as Peter Bader, a German farmer he had known for several years. Bader showed no mercy, firing his gun at Williamson, as did others in the mob.
Williamson was the fifth man killed in Mason County by Clark's mob. It was a huge mistake, for Williamson's death changed the nature of the Mason County War. Instead of a range war against alleged cattle thieves, it became an even more violent ethnic conflict, driven by the hate that Anglo-American cattlemen from Mason and nearby counties had for the Dutch. Never mind all that beef and the quest for greater riches, the cattlemen were now out for vengeance. The first man to take direct and bloody revenge against Williamson's killers was a young former Texas Ranger named Scott Cooley, and he proved very good at such work.
On May 13, 1875 Sheriff Clark sent Wohrle out to Carl Lehmberg's ranch to speak with the foreman, Tim Williamson. The deputy asked the well-liked 33-year-old cowboy, who also owned his own small ranch, to accompany him to town. Months earlier Williamson had been arrested for possession of a stolen calf, and cattleman-brand inspector Daniel Hoerster had posted bond for him. It was the custom in rural Texas that a person accused of a minor crime, and who was not a flight risk, need not travel to town to post bond; that could be done by any reliable third party who agreed to put up the money within 24 hours. Apparently Hoerster, a supporter of Sheriff Clark, had recently withdrawn his bond. Lehmberg told Wohrle he would post bond for Williamson later that day, but the deputy insisted that the new bond be paid in Mason. Lehmberg and Williamson agreed to accompany the deputy. While Lehmberg was saddling his horse, the deputy disarmed Williamson and traded his older horse for the foreman's younger, faster mount. The three men then rode toward Mason.
After covering about 10 miles, the trio ran into a dozen masked men. Lehmberg, Wohrle and Williamson all supposedly tried to ride off, but Williamson had his horse shot out from under him (some accounts say by none other than Deputy Wohrle). On foot and disarmed, Williamson didn't have a chance. But apparently he tried to talk his way out of the tight spot after recognizing one of the masked men as Peter Bader, a German farmer he had known for several years. Bader showed no mercy, firing his gun at Williamson, as did others in the mob.
Williamson was the fifth man killed in Mason County by Clark's mob. It was a huge mistake, for Williamson's death changed the nature of the Mason County War. Instead of a range war against alleged cattle thieves, it became an even more violent ethnic conflict, driven by the hate that Anglo-American cattlemen from Mason and nearby counties had for the Dutch. Never mind all that beef and the quest for greater riches, the cattlemen were now out for vengeance. The first man to take direct and bloody revenge against Williamson's killers was a young former Texas Ranger named Scott Cooley, and he proved very good at such work.
Mason County War - Mason County Texas - 1st Husband "Tim" Williamson
On May 13, 1875 Sheriff Clark sent Wohrle out to Carl Lehmberg's ranch to speak with the foreman, Tim Williamson. The deputy asked the well-liked 33-year-old cowboy, who also owned his own small ranch, to accompany him to town. Months earlier Williamson had been arrested for possession of a stolen calf, and cattleman-brand inspector Daniel Hoerster had posted bond for him. It was the custom in rural Texas that a person accused of a minor crime, and who was not a flight risk, need not travel to town to post bond; that could be done by any reliable third party who agreed to put up the money within 24 hours. Apparently Hoerster, a supporter of Sheriff Clark, had recently withdrawn his bond. Lehmberg told Wohrle he would post bond for Williamson later that day, but the deputy insisted that the new bond be paid in Mason. Lehmberg and Williamson agreed to accompany the deputy. While Lehmberg was saddling his horse, the deputy disarmed Williamson and traded his older horse for the foreman's younger, faster mount. The three men then rode toward Mason.
After covering about 10 miles, the trio ran into a dozen masked men. Lehmberg, Wohrle and Williamson all supposedly tried to ride off, but Williamson had his horse shot out from under him (some accounts say by none other than Deputy Wohrle). On foot and disarmed, Williamson didn't have a chance. But apparently he tried to talk his way out of the tight spot after recognizing one of the masked men as Peter Bader, a German farmer he had known for several years. Bader showed no mercy, firing his gun at Williamson, as did others in the mob.
Williamson was the fifth man killed in Mason County by Clark's mob. It was a huge mistake, for Williamson's death changed the nature of the Mason County War. Instead of a range war against alleged cattle thieves, it became an even more violent ethnic conflict, driven by the hate that Anglo-American cattlemen from Mason and nearby counties had for the Dutch. Never mind all that beef and the quest for greater riches, the cattlemen were now out for vengeance. The first man to take direct and bloody revenge against Williamson's killers was a young former Texas Ranger named Scott Cooley, and he proved very good at such work.
On May 13, 1875 Sheriff Clark sent Wohrle out to Carl Lehmberg's ranch to speak with the foreman, Tim Williamson. The deputy asked the well-liked 33-year-old cowboy, who also owned his own small ranch, to accompany him to town. Months earlier Williamson had been arrested for possession of a stolen calf, and cattleman-brand inspector Daniel Hoerster had posted bond for him. It was the custom in rural Texas that a person accused of a minor crime, and who was not a flight risk, need not travel to town to post bond; that could be done by any reliable third party who agreed to put up the money within 24 hours. Apparently Hoerster, a supporter of Sheriff Clark, had recently withdrawn his bond. Lehmberg told Wohrle he would post bond for Williamson later that day, but the deputy insisted that the new bond be paid in Mason. Lehmberg and Williamson agreed to accompany the deputy. While Lehmberg was saddling his horse, the deputy disarmed Williamson and traded his older horse for the foreman's younger, faster mount. The three men then rode toward Mason.
After covering about 10 miles, the trio ran into a dozen masked men. Lehmberg, Wohrle and Williamson all supposedly tried to ride off, but Williamson had his horse shot out from under him (some accounts say by none other than Deputy Wohrle). On foot and disarmed, Williamson didn't have a chance. But apparently he tried to talk his way out of the tight spot after recognizing one of the masked men as Peter Bader, a German farmer he had known for several years. Bader showed no mercy, firing his gun at Williamson, as did others in the mob.
Williamson was the fifth man killed in Mason County by Clark's mob. It was a huge mistake, for Williamson's death changed the nature of the Mason County War. Instead of a range war against alleged cattle thieves, it became an even more violent ethnic conflict, driven by the hate that Anglo-American cattlemen from Mason and nearby counties had for the Dutch. Never mind all that beef and the quest for greater riches, the cattlemen were now out for vengeance. The first man to take direct and bloody revenge against Williamson's killers was a young former Texas Ranger named Scott Cooley, and he proved very good at such work.
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