Saturday, February 26, 2011

A Forgotten Brother

His father was Sam Houston's Lt. Governor. His uncle died at the Alamo. At 28, Brother Ahijah W. "A.W." Grimes (1850-1878) was a promising deputy sheriff when notorious outlaw Sam Bass murdered him in cold blood.  Bass cornered Grimes in a general store where he was investigating Bass' suspicious activity.  Another lawman fatally wounded Bass as he tried to escape.  Buried in the same cemetery, Bass' fame and legend grew after his death. Several yards away from Bass' grave, Brother Grimes' memorial reads, "Gone but not forgotten." Unfortunately the broken, weathered tombstone and history's fading memory of Brother Grimes' heroism tell a different story.

1 comment:

Steve Harrison, 33°, FMLR said...

Although a road and medical building have been named there for Grimes, the real town hero in Round Rock, TX remains Sam Bass. Each year the town stages a "Sam Bass Shootout." Sadly, the cemetery where both are buried is located on Sam Bass Road.