While a young boy climbed the tree to assist in placing a rope over a stout limb, the men stood their noosed captive on a set of wooden steps. The mob was talked out of the notion, only to reassemble later when the sheriff left town with the keys to his jail, presumably to discourage further attempts to get the accused.ĭuring the sheriff's absence, the mob broke into the jail and dragged the prisoner to this big oak. Word of the incident spread rapidly, and a mob was soon demanding that the boy be hanged. When a local doctor arrived, he had the dying woman taken to the local hospital and delivered Daniels to the sheriff in Center. In April 1920, Lige Daniels, age about 18, reportedly beat a 42-year-old white widow about the head with a hoe for no apparent reason.

Both victims were teenage Negro youths who were accused of murder. The county's last two hangings of record occurred in the 1920s and both were accomplished from the same limb of a giant southern red oak tree on the courthouse square in Center. Cancel any time, no strings attached.Every Texas county has had its acts of violence, including the once popular “necktie parties,” and Shelby County is no exception. Start your free trial today to learn more about your ancestors using our powerful and intuitive search. Shelby County Birth & Death Records About Shelby County, Texas Shelby County Recorder Office - Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Records Certified copies of divorce decrees in Texas are available only from the district clerk in the district where it was obtained (see ). Fees for copies of records vary according to the documents required. Vital records are available to qualified applicants and with proper identification. The office serves the cities and towns of the county, including Antioch, Caledonia, Campti, Center, Choice, Dreka, Eulalie, Grigsby, Halbert, Hanso, Haslam, Huxley, Jackson, James, Jericho, Joaquin, Neuville, Patroon, Paxton, Ramah, Shelbyville, Short, Silas, Stockman, Tenaha, Tenoka, Timpson, Waterman, and Woods. The county clerk files and records birth and death certificates. Shelby County, TX Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce Records Shelby County vital records are available from the County Clerk's office ().

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