DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says, standing right here in Karnes County. On June 12, 1901, Sheriff W.T. 'Brack' Morris and a deputy rode out to the Thulemeyer ranch. They were there to question a man named Gregorio Cortez about a reported horse theft over in Atascosa County.
Now, whatever words passed between those men that day, what followed was a shootout — and when the smoke cleared, Sheriff Morris was dead. Cortez fled the scene. And that is where the story shifts into something that would echo for generations.
A manhunt spread across the Texas brush country. During that manhunt, a Gonzales County Sheriff was shot and killed. Ten days after that June 12 shootout, on June 22, 1901, Gregorio Cortez was captured.
He was tried before an all-Anglo jury. On the death of Sheriff Morris, the jury found him not guilty — self-defense. But on the death of the Gonzales County Sheriff, he was convicted and sentenced to life.
Now, Cortez had supporters. People who believed in his cause, who worked on his behalf. And their efforts were not wasted.
In 1913, Governor O.B. Colquitt granted Cortez a conditional pardon. Gregorio Cortez lived until 1916.
In the years since, many have come to regard him as a folk hero — a reputation kept alive and breathin' in 'The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.' Some stories refuse to stay quiet. This one never did.
What the marker says
On June 12, 1901, Sheriff W.T. “Brack” Morris and Deputy arrived at the Thulemeyer ranch to question Gregorio Cortez (1875-1916) about a reported horse theft in Atascosa county. A shootout ensued, leaving Sheriff Morris dead. Cortez fled the scene. During the manhunt, a Gonzales County Sheriff was shot and killed. Cortez was captured June 22, 1901 and tried amongst an all-Anglo jury. He was found not guilty by reason of self-defense in the death of Sheriff Morris and convicted and sentenced to life for the murder of the Gonzales Co. Sheriff. Efforts by his supporters led to a conditional pardon by Gov. O.B. Colquitt in 1913. Many have since regarded Cortez as a folk hero, perpetuated in “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez.” (2015)