History
Among its members were Sheriff Jack Helms of DeWitt County, Texas, who served as a captain. He was later killed by John Wesley Hardin during the Sutton-Taylor feud. Another notable member was Leander H. McNelly of the Texas Ranger Division. Outlaw William P. Longley claimed to have killed members of the Texas State Police in 1866–1869—even before it came into existence.
Despite the success of the State Police, the fact that the force employed African Americans and was controlled by Governor Davis made it unpopular. Some of the State Police members certainly deserved criticism. Captain Jack Helm, for instance, was accused of murdering prisoners; he was fired, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Others committed crimes for which the charges were dropped as soon as headquarters was advised. James Davidson, the Chief of the State Police, embezzled $37,000 and disappeared.
In September 1870 Hill County, Texas local citizens refused to cooperate with the TSP from moving against the Kinch West gang; in December 1870 Hill County citizens blocked the TSP from arresting the killers of an African-American couple.
Read more about this topic: Texas State Police
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“Gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”
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“To history therefore I must refer for answer, in which it would be an unhappy passage indeed, which should shew by what fatal indulgence of subordinate views and passions, a contest for an atom had defeated well founded prospects of giving liberty to half the globe.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)