The Lackey Murders

New article on the "highway ghost"

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 04:25:00 +0000

I know I have not posted in a while. But I am always on the lookout for new information and stories. Today 101highlandlakes posted a new article on the murders. Mostly factual, with some information I had never heard. I will be looking into some of it, meanwhile, enjoy another highway ghost story.

I get a mention!

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:47:00 +0000

On October 28, the Hill Country Times-News ran an article on the Lackey Murders, and mentioned my little blog here. Thanks to them, and thanks to all of you for reading and providing info to this little known tragedy.

Always looking....

I know it has been a while...

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:11:00 +0000

But I am always searching.

In the meantime, I have added a page at Find a Grave for Albert:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSmid=46935019&GRid=36376860&

Also, I have had a chance to correspond with Ross McSwain a author from San Angelo who wrote a book on mob violence in post-Civil War central Texas. I have not had a chance to read it yet, but he included a chapter on the Lackey lynching.

Whatever happened to Tom Bundick?

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:43:00 +0000

After my last post, I did some digging into the life of Tom Bundick. Although he disappears from Census records, he appears to pass away peacefully in Kerr County Texas in 1935 of Old age. It appears that he is another that moved away from Blanco County in the aftermath of this tragedy, of course his is quite understandable.

All I can say is WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:01:00 +0000

I recently found this article in the May 8, 1892 Dallas Morning News. Needless to say, I was floored. It appears the bad blood that started the spree in the first place, lived on. Albert's son, Greenberry (1872-1901), apparently took it upon himself on April 26, 1892 to avenge the death of his father. It appears he went after one of the survivors Tom Bundick first. Here is the full article:

Mr. Bundick appears to have survived this second attempt on his life as well.

Another clipping...

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:13:00 +0000

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I recently turned up this article from the "Deseret News" in Utah:

Not really that much new information, but much better than many of the sensationalist articles written.

A ghost story...

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:01:00 +0000

Like every good murder mystery, there appears to be a ghost story that sprang from this event. The facts are way off, but it makes for an interesting story nonetheless:

A picture of Aley Jane Pruitt Lackey

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Thanks to Christie Ammirati for this, the only known picture of Aley Jane Pruitt Lackey(1844-1911), taken in about 1907 in Oklahoma or Kansas. Seated to her right is Annie Lackey Houser, the youngest daughter of her and Albert Lackey. Annie would only have been 8 years old at the time of the murders.
(BTW, if anyone knows the identities of the other children, Christie would greatly appreciate it.)

1880 Census of Blanco County

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:15:00 +0000

The 1880 census offers a good snapshot of Blanco County just prior to the murders. The proximity of all involved is illustrated in that (almost) every person involved can be found on pages 345 and 346 of the Blanco County Census from 1880. There is Al Lackey and his family, Greenberry and his, as well as John Nicholson and Charles Bundick. What is interesting, is that the Stokes' are not in this area, they were substantially further south on Sandy Creek. Which means Al must have had some particular complaint (in his mind) with the Stokes'.

Follow up on some of the children

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:40:00 +0000

As part of my research, I have been attempting to find out the whereabouts of the children of Albert and Aley in the wake of the tragedy.

Harriet married a James M. Franklin in 1892. The census shows her brothers Nathanial, Greenberry and Sampson (Samp) Living with her in Ellis County (SE of Dallas).

Info on Aley Jane Pruitt Lackey

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:43:00 +0000

This week I was finally able to track down information on the widow of Al Lackey. It appears that sometime in the mid to late 1890's she moved to Kansas with her daughter Annie and her husband James M. Houser.

What is interesting about this census is aparently she did not even acknowledge her other children. In the columns marked "Number of Children born to this woman" and "Number of Children still living", she answered "one" in both columns, only acknowledging her daughter Annie (1877-1910), this is interesting for a woman who gave birth to at least 12-15 children. She does give her marital status as widowed, however.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:15:00 +0000

I know I have not posted in a while, but I am waiting for some information from the Texas State Library that I am requesting in Inter-Library loan. I will post some more as I receive it.

Tidbits about the Murders

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:22:00 +0000

Various sources from Blanco County offer small glimpses into the events around the killings, here are some:

We know from the diaries of James Redford Sr. (1821-1908) that his son Alex (1864-1953) was one of the men who helped to dig the graves for the victims of Albert:

172

Aug 25 1885

Alex at digging graves for Six people shot by El Lackey
yesterday

Greenbury Lackey and wife; Mrs. C. C. Lackey (Fanny Stokes,
daughter of J. C. and Lucy) Mattie Lackey, J. C. and Lucy Stokes

Sandy Cemetery

from:http://www.rootsweb.com/~txblanco/recorded.html

Also, from the Blanco County Probate Records, we know what happened to some of the orphans.

Anna Mae Stokes (Daughter of Jim and Lucy Stokes) and Dora J. Lackey (Daughter of Charles Lackey and Fannie Stokes) were taken in by a C.M. Hornburg(Homburg?)

I am not sure why Fannie is listed as an heir of Jim and Lucy Stokes when her father was alive, perhaps someone could let me know?

Bennie and Jason Edward Stokes (Sons of J.C. and Lucy) went to live with the B.H. Watson family.

There is no record in the Probate Court that indicates what happened to Georgia, L.J., or Nettie Stokes.

Although the probate records only record Charles Edward Lackey (Son of Nathanial and Isabelle Lackey) being placed in the care of his older sister Minnie, we know from family history that all the children (Missouri, Nathanial, Joseph, Polly and Addie) were placed in her care and her Brothers (Sobe).

A young witness to the hanging

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:19:00 +0000

This photo is (reportedly) of Oscar Lackey (1878-1946) who as a young lad only a week from his 7th birthday was urging his uncle Al Lackey to jump as the wagon was moved from underneath him.

(photo courtesy of George Byars)

Sandy Cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:18:00 +0000

(Click on the photo for a larger image)

The victims of Al Lackey were laid to rest in Sandy Cemetery, Thanks to Gaye Fowler for this photo and labels.

AL LACKEY STILL RIDES THE NIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:06:00 +0000

AL LACKEY STILL RIDES THE NIGHT
Originally uploaded by mrbill78636

Bill Strain, a artist and former investigator in Kerrville did this great interpretation of the ghost of Al Lackey.

The Weapon used in the murders

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:49:00 +0000

Al most likely acquired a Winchester Model 1873 carbine, that was the most common Winchester of the era, chambered for the .44-40 round it had a capacity of 12, given that it is reported that he thought he had killed 6 and wanted to kill 6 more, this makes sense. Fortunately, Mr. Green did not have his carbine fully loaded.

New York Times follow up article on the Murders.

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:03:00 +0000

The day after their original article, the NYT published a follow up story that also ran in the Austin Statesman.

The old Blanco County Jail

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:49:00 +0000

One of the oldest buildings in Blanco, Al Lackey was held here for about 18 hours before being hung.

Survior and his family....

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 19:14:00 +0000

This photo is John W. Nicholson and his family (taken about 1896).

Article on the Murders

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:49:00 +0000

From the Saturday Herald in Decatur Illinois Aug 29, 1885

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:48:00 +0000

From the Atchison Kansas Daily Star

From the Newark Ohio Daily Advocate, Aug 31, 1885

Blanco county in 1885

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:13:00 +0000

Here is a US Army map showing Blanco County in 1885, it shows the towns, roads, landforms and creeks.

Another account of the lynching...

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:43:00 +0000

This is a story that came off of the telegraph wires from San Antonio (from the Humeston, Iowa New Era, Sep 3, 1885):

A MONSTER MOBBED

Al Lockie, the Slayer of Eight Persons in
Texas in One Day, Hanged by Vigilantes
-He Confesses His Crime, and He Says
There Were Six Others Whom He Want-
ed to Kill.

San Antonio, Tex., Aug. 29 - Information from San Marcos reports that a mob of seventy-five persons at Blanco on Wednesday night went to the jail and demanded of Sheriff Jackson the keys. Jackson said that he did not have them, and also declared that he could not procure them. After a severe struggle Jackson was overpowered. The keys were found on his person, and the mob then entered the Jail and took out Lockie, the man who committed wholesale murder in Johnson City a few days since.

When Lockie was asked if he had anything to say he replied: "I have." In reply to the question: "Why did you kill them?" he replied: "They were fixing to mob me." He was then asked if he did not remember that his brother had told him on the morning of the killing that he (Al Lockie) had better leave the country and go as far away from it as he could. Al replied yes. "Did you kill everyone whom you felt disposed to kill?" "No," replied Lockie, bitterly "I did not. Six are still living whom I intended to kill." "Do you wish to pray?" "I have been praying" said the wretched man: then turning to an old man in the crowd he said: "You pray for me." The old man declined, saying: "The Bible does not teach me to pray for those such as you."

This ended the preliminaries. While the conversation was in progress, Lockie was ordered to mount the chair and stand on it. The noose was then adjusted and attached to the bough of a tree. The driver, at the signal, moved forward and the murderer was left suspended. The drop was sufficient and death was instantaneous. He died without a struggle.

Lockies relatives and neighbors imputed to him crimes with his stepdaughter and his own daughter. On Monday last, Lockie went to the residence of his brother, Berry Lockie, and shot and killed Berry and his (Berry's) wife.

(This story then goes on starting with the second paragraph of the New York Times article).

A map I am working on:

noreply@blogger.com (kmerian) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:52:00 +0000

I am working on a map that shows the approximate location of the sites involved, these are only the marks of the center of their land, not necessarily structures.

View Larger Map

The Lackey Murders

New article on the "highway ghost"

I get a mention!

I know it has been a while...

Whatever happened to Tom Bundick?

All I can say is WOW!

Another clipping...

A ghost story...

A picture of Aley Jane Pruitt Lackey

1880 Census of Blanco County

Follow up on some of the children

Info on Aley Jane Pruitt Lackey

Update

Tidbits about the Murders

A young witness to the hanging

Sandy Cemetery

AL LACKEY STILL RIDES THE NIGHT

The Weapon used in the murders

New York Times follow up article on the Murders.

The old Blanco County Jail

Survior and his family....

Article on the Murders

More articles:

Blanco county in 1885

Another account of the lynching...

A map I am working on: