Tar Heel
By Billy Arthur
The Tar Heel Ranger
Fearless Lee I lull left North Carolina at age 19 to become
one of the most respected lawmen in Texas history:
H
ISTORY
When I re I lull, .1 modest and
fearless 1 .11 I Icrl native, died in
Texas in March 1911. the San
Antonio Kxpress '.ml in an editorial:
“He did moie to nd Texas of dev
perados and establish law and order. . . .
made mote men la\ down their ai ins and
cleliveietl inoie des|>ei.idos and outlaws
into the custodv ol the courts and used
his gun less than any other officer in
Texas."
In less than I
*»
seat ' as mat dial of Sher-
iti.ui. depots she n II at Denison and a cap*
tain ol the lexas Rangers, lee Hall was a
plague logunitien, rustlers and dissident
Indians Ironi the Red River to the Rio
Grande.
In his linie, he was the subject ol many
newspapet and magazine articles hecattse
o| his a hill-up, eonlident, authoritative
inannet in attesting scores of hadmen
without pulling a trigger.
But he could shoot — and shoot well.
He became the
тем
lei lor heroes in the
western shot t st« n ics written
1л
one of his
employees, a lellow Greensboro lowns-
man named William Sydney Porter, let¬
ter known as < )* Henry.
Hall was born in Iredell County Octo-
Ikt 9. IS 19, and at the age ol 9 moved to
Greensboro with Ins laiiiily. His early
teens were siient, however, with bis grand¬
father. the Rev, Jesse Rankin, in Lenoir.
During this lime, his lather. Dr. James K.
Hall, who in lalet years befriended
O’Henrv, was a Confederate army sur¬
geon during the ( ’.ivil War. It was in Cald¬
well Counts that young Hall developed a
love for the open ail and green earth,
phis skills in shooting and maneuvering
outdoors.
Back in Greens! toio. idler the war, the
adventure-minded youth heard of the
exploits of the Far West and determined
that his future was in lexas. So. in 1869
the tall, muscled, red-headed 19-vear-old
I'.Hn t.uiiat) ol N i
Шп.кп
ol All hoc.
■»!
Ilitliay
went into the northeastern part of
Grayson (anility, lexas. across the Red
River, where he taught school and was a
vohiniec!
(гелс е
officer. After two years he
was made mat shal at Shei man. the seal of
Grayson Counts and a tail for fugitives.
All the while he was growing more hand-
latlei had jut isdiction. < )n such occasions
his aim was prompt and true."
There were more than several “such
occasions,'' but eat It occupied only one
written line on his journal page.
It was also said that when he was in pub¬
lic “sunlMinnets tut tied, like sunflowers to
the sun. in Hall's direction," and “small
boys cocked their hats at a Lee Hall
angle."
In 1873. at age 21. 1 (all became deputy
sherill in the new town of Denison, which
turned out to Ik- even worse than Sher¬
man. Denison was a conglomerate of
escapees from < i ime and debts, with reck-
levs adventure! s, fortune hunters and cat¬
tle and horse thieves.
I he StatWIuly 1492
10
Anothei historian. Kdward King of
Scribner's inaga/iue. iccounts one of
Hall's effoi ts to curb livestock thieves
pulling jobs and
ем
aping across the Red
River into Indian territory. Hall stationed
himself at one of the river crossings.
"In due time." King writes, "the fugi¬
tive and two of his friends appeared at
the liver, all armed to the teeth, and
while waiting for the let ryboat. were vis¬
ited by Hall, who drew a head on them
and ordered them to throw down their
guns. They refused, and a deadly en¬
counter was imminent, but he finally
awed them into submission, threatening
to have the thief's comrades arrested for
community where there were doubtless
1(H) men who would have delighted to
shed his blood; was often called to inter¬
fere in broils at all hours of the night. . .
. I le had been ambushed and shot at and
threatened times innumerable, yet
always exhibited a scorn for his enemies,
which finally ended in forcing them to
admire him."
There were exceptions, lie did shoot
and kill King Fisher, who had boasted of
slav ing 26 men (one for each year of his
life), and a NVes I lardin. who was known
for “killing for pleasure." One time he
accepted a taunt to duel an outlaw with
pistols. Those attracted by the sound of
gunfire found Hall unconscious — and
some, strongei and more efficient.
I le changed Ins given name to ✓
1-ee from the baptized y
Ixrigh and acquired the
nickname "Red."
Historian Dora
Neill Raymond
writes: "The strap¬
ping newcomer,
unencumbered
with family, en¬
dowed with a i lear
head and steady
aim. was the tight
man in the right
place. From his tar
heels to the lop of his
stetson-covered head,
the North Carolinian
preferred John I aw to John
Bullet. He recognized,
nonetheless, that sometimes the
carrying com ealed weapons. They deliv-
fjj^ered up theit revolvers, and even
• their lilies, and fled, and the
: X ' hoi sc thief, rather than risk
a passage-at-arms with
the* redoubtable I.cc
Hall, returned with
him to Denison,
after giving the
valiant young con¬
stable some ugly
wounds on his
head with his fist.
The passage of the
l'vcr ,l,us baring
jrJ# been successfully
rfi disputed by the law.
*1 the rogues became
somewhat more wary."
King also wrote that
Hall “seemed to bear a
charmed life. He moved
about li.uic|uillv every clay in a
