Freestone County, Texas
News of 1922


Gainesville Daily Register and Messenger of Gainesville, Tex. - Friday, February 
3, 1922 Page: 1 


NEFF PROCLAIMS ALL OF FREESTONE COUNTY UNDER MARTIAL LAW

  Austin, Feb. 3 — (Associated Press) —
  Martial law is now in force in all of Freestone county. The order took effect
at 5 o'clock this morning.
  Governor Neff issued the proclamation yesterday afternoon, but did not make it 
public until 10:30 o’clock this morning because he wanted the order to take effect 
before it became generally known.
  The new proclamation does not effect the martial law now in force in parts of 
Freestone and Limestone counties being the oil field district of the Mexia field
placed under martial law by Governor Neff on January 11. The proclamation simply
takes in all of Freestone county.
  The governor gives as his reason that “it appears that many men in different
parts of Freestone county are engaged in the illicit manufacture of intoxicating
liquor and that the liquor so manufactured is being openly sold in both large
and small quantities; that this is a matter of common knowledge to the good
citizens of Freestone county and known to be true by the peace officers of that
county. But said peace officers have permitted and are now permitting such
conditions to exist."
  The governor charges directly that officers are allowing the manufacture of
liquor to exist.
  He said that Brigadier General Jacob Wolters will be in command and that no 
more troops of Rangers will be sent there,' the force at present being sufficient 
to enforce the law. Enforcement of martial law will be left entirely to General 
Wolters, the governor said.
  
         FORCE NOT INCREASED
  Austin, Feb. 3 — (United  Press.) —
  The force of National Guardsmen and State Rangers, which has been maintaining 
martial law in Precincts 5 and 6 Freestone county and the Mexia Justice Precinct 
of Limestone county since January 12, is not to be increased as a result of the 
governor's proclamation extending the martial law area to cover the whole of 
Freestone county which became effective at 6 o’clock this morning. Governor Neff
said in announcing the issuance of the proclamation. The present force is deemed 
adequate by the governor to handle the situation.
  The large towns of Freestone county affected by today’s proclamation are
Fairfield, the county seat, and Teague. The governor said he had not yet been
advised by Brigadier General J. F. Wolters, who is in command of the martial law 
territory, whether headquarters are to be changed from Mexia. That is a matter 
to be left entirely with General Wolters, the governor said.

  Teague, Feb. 3 — (by Associated Press) —
  State soldiers, Rangers and federal officers led by airplanes, today swooped 
down over the thickly wooded section of the Trinity river bottom of Freestone
county, 5 miles from Fairfield, shortly before noon today and captured seven
stills and made 50 arrests. Alleged boot1eggers fired on Lieutenant Taylor, pilot
of all airplane, but the bullet missed. The raided area was placed under martial 
law by the governor today.