Guard W. F. Carr

W. F. Carr

W. F. Carr was employed as a night convict guard for the Jefferson County convict camp where convicts worked on public roads as a part of their punishment. On Saturday, November 3, 1906, the guards and convicts left the camp to go to work on the roads. Harry Williams, a sailor, was a trusty and the camp cook. Night Guard Carr, who slept during the day, retired to his bed.

Williams slipped into the room and took Carr’s Winchester shotgun and fired a blast into his head. Williams stole Carr's revolver and fled. The guards discovered Carr dead in his bed when they returned that night and alerted area police. Williams was arrested later that night in Beaumont and confessed. On January 24, 1907, Williams was tried and convicted of the murder of W. F. Carr and sentenced to be hanged. He received several reprieves and shortly before his scheduled execution in August of 1907, Governor Campbell commuted his sentence to life in prison based on Williams’ mental incapacity. He was pardoned May 31, 1919.

Very little is known about W. F. Carr. He was between 23-25 years old and was reported to be both a widower with 2 children in Tyler County, and having a wife and 4 children he abandoned in Caldwell County to escape indebtedness. His father, R. M. Carr, took the body back to Lockhart for burial but no records could be located as to where he was buried. It is suspected that he is buried in Bunton Cemetery in Dale, Caldwell County, but no grave site has been located.