Posted on: San Saba Co., TX Queries<br> with Automated Mailing List Posting Reply Here: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/gc/USA/Tx/SanSaba/629 Surname: JAMES, BILBERRY ------------------------- The book "I'll Die Before I Run, The Story of the Great Fueds of Texas" by C.L. Sonnichsen has a chapter called the "Pious Assassins" which tells some of this. And the book "Pioneering in New Mexico" by Mary Stoneman, tells about it, too. There is other information, but I think there were some people back then who did not own up to that part of San Saba's history. Writing about it was not appreciated I read someplace that possibly 40 people were killed in that period of time. Will James was the last. His murder finally raised some outrage and the Texas Rangers were called in and the killing stopped. There are various stories about the reason for all the killing. My Grandma said he father was killed because he was a "squatter", but we know he owned 160 Acres. I don't think he was a squatter. Vigilante actions grow and this grew into land grabbing. Some people were chased away with threats on their life. Will James had been threatened. He never left the house unarmed for about 5 years. For some unaccountable reason he left his guns home that day as he went for water. They were ready for him. If he had been armed, they probably would not have come after him. He was 49 and left a pregnant wife, three older boys and 7 younger children.