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FADED MEMORIES
SHOOTOUT
AT SHAFTER
Texas Ranger Meets His End
on New Years Day 1940
Written
and Photos Contributed by William G. Howell |
| As
a child I always heard the story of my grandfather killing a Texas
Ranger in Shafter, Texas. Although
it was said to be in self defense, he was almost being lynched for
it. I always thought the stories were folklore and the wild imaginations
of my father to justify his drinking. As I got older and heard several
slight versions of the stories from different family members, I began
to notice that the stories were close in their versions and I began
to believe that they were true. I think much of this had to do with
my experiences as a cop interviewing witnesses. No one witness tells
the same story but they are always similar. Finally one day while
on the job, I met another cop that I had never worked with and throughout
the shift began to talk about our families. As it turned out his father
was from the same area of Texas and he recalled similar stories. A
few days later he returned and told me that the stories that I had
heard all these years were true according to his father. In the coming
years my continued research would bring me to a conclusion that was,
in part, based not only on stories told by my family and eye witnesses
that were still alive, but documented fact. |
 |
Shafter
Main St. in the early 1930's.
In the foreground is the "Howell Package Store." |
Shafter
Main Street in April 2006.
Again the "Howell Package Store" in the foreground. |
In
its day, Shafter was a booming mining
town with Silver ore as the primary product of the mines. Judging
from the newspaper accounts of the time, Shafter
had quite a social life. It was the typical boom town that you would
read about in old westerns. From my research it appears that the town
was basically run by the mining corporation. The law of the town was
a Presidio County
Deputy Sheriff by the name of Robert Eustis Speed, who was called
"Botas," because of the high riding boots that he always wore. Speed
also worked part time for the mining corporation in a variety of jobs
but mostly security. He was also said to have had the reputation of
beating people, especially the Mexican mine workers "just because."
It appears that his favorite thing was to walk into any of the several
bars in town, pick out an individual whose only crime was being drunk
and beat that individual within an inch of this life, and then drags
that person off to jail. This fact was documented in an article written
by a Sheldon Wimpfen, who worked part time as a deputy Sheriff during
the time. Robert E. Speed was 60 years old at the time of this death.
Enlistment records from the archives of the Texas Rangers showed that
in his younger years, he was a Ranger for about eight years.
My grandfather, William B. Howell, Sr., was for the most part the
owner of the only bar, "Howell Package Store," in Shafter that could
sell liquor in the town, seven days a week. This upset the mining
corporation because the miners would drink all day Sunday, which would
affect their work in the mines on Monday. This is probably the main
thing that started the trouble between my grandfather and Deputy Speed.
One other incident that escalated the problems between the two, started
one day when Speed walked into the "Howell Package Store," and beat
a G.I. that was in the bar drinking and hauled him off to jail. According
to the stories, my grandfather stood his ground and told Speed that
he would never do that again in his bar.
Additional troubles between my grandfather and Speed seemed to have
started coming to a head around September or October of 1939. This
incident was somewhat confirmed, although not in detail, in a newspaper
article in the Big Bend Sentinel. It appears that my father
(William B. Howell, Jr.), and uncle (James A. Howell), were somewhere
near the package store with a family dog, when a shot rang out from
the area of the local jail which was just up the hill from the package
store. The dog was hit and ultimately died of a gunshot wound. What
the newspaper never reported was that my father was holding the dog
at the time and my Uncle was standing next to them. The article only
reported the incident as an argument over the death of a family dog.
It was believed by my family that Speed was responsible for gun shot.
The second incident occurred in December 1939, shortly after nightfall.
My grandfather sent one of his employees to the gas pumps in front
of the package store to turn them off. He then went out himself and
at that time and saw a green 1936 Dodge Coupe, with three men in it.
Driving the vehicle was Pedro Bustillos, who was the godfather to
my father and uncle. In the front passenger seat was Mariano Fuentes,
a long time employee of the Brooks Family, a very prominent family
in Shafter at the time of which Robert Speed had married into. Fuentes
would in years marry the godmother to my father and uncle. In the
back seat was Speed.
It appears that my grandfather called out to Speed, acknowledging
his presence and then turned his back to them as he walked back into
the package store. Witness accounts state that at that time shots
from the vehicle then rang out striking my grandfather in the back.
My Grandmother, Father and Uncle, along with an employee of my grandfather
all stated that my grandfather was shot by Speed and the front passenger
of the vehicle. My grandfather suffered a through and through gunshot
wound to the lower right side of his back with a rifle and a shotgun
wound to his back. A photograph of my Uncle Jimmy, now 77, points
out some of the bullet holes from that ambush in front of the store.
The holes remain in the door to this date. |
 |
| Jimmy Howell
showing bullet holes |
Later that evening,
Presidio County
Deputy Sheriff's came to my grandparents home to claim the body of
my grandfather believing that he had been killed. To their surprise
they discovered that my grandfather was still alive. Unknown to them
he had been treated for his wounds by my great grandfather who although
thought to be a doctor was actually believed to be a "Healer."
What happened next surprised me as I have not been able to find anything
that supports the actions of the local district court. My grandfather
received a summons from the district court of Presidio
County. In this action, my grandfather had all his weapons confiscated
by the court. Why has never been revealed. There was nothing to indicate
any charges against my grandfather, Robert Speed or the others in
the vehicle.
Sometime after that, my grandparents traveled to El
Paso, where my grandfather purchased two handguns. I am assuming
for protection against Speed.
On
January 1, 1940, rumors had circulated throughout the town that Speed
had been drinking and touting that he was going to kill Bill Howell.
I know for sure that in the morning Speed had picked up Mariano Fuentes,
to show him some property that Speed had recently purchased. Fuentes
did not want to go with him because Speed had been drinking. It is
believed that Fuentes did not know that they would end up at the "Howell
Package Store," that afternoon.
There are two accounts of what happen next in the bar. The first is
that Speed walked in and stood at one end of the bar with my grandfather
at the other end. Speed was armed with a 45 cal. Pistol that was holstered.
Unknown to Speed, my grandfather had heard the rumors of Speed's drinking
and earlier statements that he would kill my grandfather. He placed
two 32 cal. revolvers underneath the counter of the bar near a back
door. My father, who was 12 years old at the time, was sitting on
several cases of beer at the end of the bar next to the back door.
My Uncle Jimmy had just walked into the bar from the back door at
exactly 5:00 PM, as he remembers the whistle from the mine going off.
He had just asked my grandfather if there was anything to eat, when
he was told to go outside by my grandfather. While Speed stood at
one end of the bar a conversation took place between the two. Speed
was said to be fingering the holstered 45 cal Pistol at the time.
My grandfather was heard yelling out "No Bob," at which time several
shots rang out. The second version of what happened was similar only
Speed was said to have drawn his pistol and fired at my grandfather
twice and missed.
In any case the end result was the same as Robert E. Speed lay dead
on the floor of the bar. Shot several times in the front and back
as I believe he spun around driven by the rounds hitting him. It was
said that one of the issues in the subsequent trial was the fact that
Speed's 45 cal. Pistol came to rest up right on the floor of the bar
as if intentionally placed there. Efforts by the court to duplicate
the positioning of the pistol failed. The other issue was that Speed
had received a gunshot wound to the back. It was alleged that my grandfather
shot Speed in the back however no mention of the other fatal wounds
are ever mentioned by those making this allegations. |
 |
After
the shooting, my grandfather was arrested and taken to the county
seat, Marfa, about
40 miles north of Shafter. While in
enroute, he and the deputies that were escorting him were stopped
at a place just outside of town called, "Elephant Rock," where the
intent of the mob was to lynch my grandfather. If it were not for
the efforts of my grandmother and an unknown local rancher they would
have completed the job.
My grandfather was indicted, tried and convicted of murdering Robert
E. Speed. But the strange thing is that he was sentenced to 5 years
in prison and at the recommendation of the jury, the sentence was
suspended. In short, other that the time he spent in jail before he
was bailed out, no jail time was imposed. |
| From left to
right, my great grandparents William S. Howell (Healer), Mattie A.
Howell, and grandfather (William B. Howell., Sr.) the one who killed
Deputy Speed. |
Almost
a year later, another uncle (Arthur O. Howell) who had been away from
Shafter all that time was approached
by an individual who claimed to have been on the jury panel. He was
told that the vote for the conviction of my grandfather was 10 to
2. But he was also told that because Speed was not well liked by both
the Sheriff and Presiding Judge of the time, that the sentence was
a compromise.
Having read the newspaper articles of the time and getting copies
of the names of both the Grand Jury and Trial Jury, I have many questions.
The one the jumps out at me the most is the fact that relations to
both the Sheriff, the Brooks Family of which Speed was a part of,
and the Presiding Judge, were on both panels. According to the witness
list not all witnesses present during the shooting were interviewed.
Attempts to obtain court transcripts or any reports of the incident
have proved to be in vain for a variety of reasons. This surprises
me that such records were not maintained. |
 |
| My father (William
B. Howell, Jr.) and my uncle (James A. Howell) Photo circa 1930-32 |
My biggest question
is this: having retired from law enforcement I am somewhat aware of
what happens after the death of an officer killed in the line of duty.
Why has there never been an attempt by the Presidio County Sheriff's
Department to include Deputy Speed's name into the National Law Enforcement
Memorial in Washington D.C.? If he was the hero that his family claims
and I have no doubt of that, why is he not honored as he should be
and in the manner that other law enforcement agencies honor those
that have paid the ultimate price?
These questions have been asked of those agencies involved and of
family members on both sides. All that prevails are unanswered questions
and "Faded Memories".
- William G. Howell, Estes Park, Colorado |
| Texas
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