The Life and Death of Juan Coy
The Life and Death of Juan Coy
Outlaw and Lawman
By
Charles L. Olmsted
and Edward Coy Ybarra
| Copyright 2001 By Charles L. Olmsted and Edward Coy Ybarra Published By Eakin Press An Imprint of Wild Horse Media Group P.O. Box 331779 Fort Worth, Texas 76163 1-817-344-7036 www.EakinPress.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Paperback ISBN 978-1-15716-843-3 Hardback ISBN 978-1-68179-266-8 eBook ISBN 978-1-68179-229-3 |
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher, except for brief passages included in a review appearing in a newspaper or magazine.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Olmsted, Charles L.
The Life and Death of Juan Coy : Outlaw and Lawman / by Charles L. Olmsted and Edward Coy Ybarra.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 1-57168-324-0
1. Coy, Juan Jose, 18421892. 2. Outlaws--Texas, South Biography. 3. Peace officers--Texas, South Biography 4. Frontier and pioneer life--Texas, South. 5. Coy family. 6. Texas, South Biography. 7. San Antonio Region (Tex.)
Biography. 8. Nueces River Region (Tex.) Biography. I. Ybarra, Edward Coy.
II. Title.
F391.C785046 2000
976.4'35061'092--dc21
[B]
99-28428
CIP
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One/Early Days in South Texas
Chapter Two/War of the Rebellion and Reconstruction
Chapter Three/An Era of Dangerous Lawmen
Chapter Four/Five Years Without a Gun
Chapter Five/The Butlers and the Death of Helena
Chapter Six/A Little Less Work and a Lot More Trouble
Chapter Seven/Prejudice Amid Progress
Chapter Eight/Pursued by the Law
Chapter Nine/The Daileyville Riot
Chapter Ten/The Sensation of the Day
Chapter Eleven/Family Life
Chapter Twelve/A Tamer West
Chapter Thirteen/Visiting San Antonio
Chapter Fourteen/Shoot me if you can...
Chapter Fifteen/End of a Violent Era
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface
The research conducted in preparing this book has been not only informative and entertaining but also has precipitated several journeys. Traveling to some of the small towns south of San Antonio has given the authors greater appreciation of the area and of life in the cities and towns which are usually just names on signs along Interstate Highway 37.
Edward Coy Ybarras lifelong love of Texas history was sparked at the early age of ten while on a road trip with his family. A highway sign marking the exit to Coy City triggered him to ask his mother the connection of the small Texas town to his middle name. She knew a familial connection existed with Coy City, but she was unable to add more detail.
In 1989, Edward Coy Ybarra finally began his quest for that connection. He methodically researched his family roots, and eventually uncovered the story of his great-grandfather Juan Coy.
Some towns, such as Indianola, were wiped out because of storms. Others died away for other reasons mostly unknown to us. Daileyville, which is the center of probably the biggest story in this book, is dead. Gone also are some of its neighboring cities: Couch, a black community; Cadillac, a Scandinavian town; and Lodi. There may be a family or two and a church still present, but that is about all. The reasons for their demise vary from economic to political to geographical.
Some towns are near death because there are no longer any businesses present, and families soon leave in search of work. Other old towns are dying quiet deaths because young families move to bigger cities, not just in search of jobs but also to be closer to better schools and more community activities. Some towns, such as Helena, were near death but are slowly being revitalized.
One habit we hope you will pick up is to occasionally take the backroads in your travels and stop to read the information on historical markers along the way. That sleepy old town you are passing through may have been jumping with excitement 100 years ago.
Please note: The dialogue in this book is taken from newspaper articles, the diary of Jesse Perez, or other sources noted. Dialogue that is not footnoted in any way is conjecture on the authors part, based on the events or mood at the time.
Acknowledgments
Most of the research for this book was conducted in libraries and courthouses. We wish to thank the library staffs from the City of San Antonio (microfilm and records sections), The Center for American History on the University of Texas campus, the City of Kenedy, the City of Runge, and Trinity University for their help. The district clerks criminal divisions for Bexar County, Karnes County, and Wilson County were very helpful, not only in providing us information and helping decipher or translate 100-year-old documents but also in recalling stories which had been passed down. So, thank you very much, Rose Galvan of Bexar County and Patricia Brysch and Linda Kroll of Karnes County.
Brother Edward Loch, archivist for the San Antonio Catholic Archdiocese, and Chris Floerke of the Institute of Texan Cultures also provided much assistance.
Special thanks goes to Charlotte Nichols, who provided not only pictures, information and stories but did a lot of the early research on the subject. Appreciation also goes to Alex Coy, Arthur M. Coy, and Victoria Coy Ybarra for providing interesting historical notes. Much appreciation goes to Kelly Long for her editing expertise and valued support, as well as Dr. Laura Hendrickson, graduate adviser for communication arts at University of the Incarnate Word.
Deep appreciation goes to Col. E. A. Montemayor for his editing and insight into the culture of the period.
Thanks also to attorney Jay Brandon for his legal help and Dennis Moreno and Norbert Martinez of Los Bexarenos for their genealogical advice.
A big thanks also goes to Ed Eakin, publisher, who liked what he saw from these two novice authors. Much appreciation is also extended to Melissa Locke Roberts, the books editor.
Much of our thanks goes to our families, whose support and encouragement kept us going.
The credit for the books success is shared by all those mentioned. The mistakes, if any, are ours in the end.
We hope you enjoy the book and learn how this history was shaped. When youre reading this book, parts of it may remind you of the adage that The more things change, the more they stay the same. History cant be changed, and old habits are hard to change.
