More Central Texas history

It has been a good week for articles in the Austin American-Statesman about local and regional history.  This story was dated February 23 from AP, but it appeared in today’s newspaper here: 

James Gang visited central Texas town

Of course, the James Gang visited a lot of places, but it’s interesting that they stopped in Rockdale, about an hour northeast of Austin, to see a former gang member.  It seems he had moved there and changed his name, trying to leave his outlaw past behind.  The news report doesn’t say whether the visit was welcomed, but he did apparently tell the owner of the local wagon yard that Frank and Jesse and their cohorts were friends of his.