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Seth
Carey's Escape
from the Murderous Yocum Gang
Page 3By
W. T. Block |
Page
2
Carey
had met Irion the first time at Joel Lewis' ferry near Beaumont
during the Runaway
Scrape of 1836, and afterward had encountered Irion on two or three occasions
in Houston. Despite the latter's association
with Yocum, Irion was a respected Beaumonter in the early days. In 1838, Beaumont's
proprietors had contracted with him to build a steam sawmill, which never materialized,
on the townsite's "Steam Mill Square." When Irion died almost simultaneously with
Yocum in September 1841, the Houston "Telegraph and Texas Register" quickly heralded
both deaths as resulting from vigilante violence (which was a falsehood) directed
at the gang of murderers. But Rep. George A. Pattillo of Jefferson County, upon
arriving at Houston the following month, declared that Irion's death at Beaumont
had stemmed from natural causes, whereas Yocum had been lynched in another county.
Carey found old Yocum to be a genial host, somewhat talkative about the political
affairs of the day, and he soon paid the innkeeper for a month's lodging. He was
assigned to a bunk in the large , single-room attic of the log house. On several
occasions, he shared his quarters with the dusty cattle drovers who stopped by
for a place to sleep and a piping-hot meal, served by an elderly black woman.
Once a week, the mail rider passed through, traveling west, and Carey was pleased
that he could communicate with the Page family if the occasion to do so arose.
And perhaps with luck and the passage of time, the public indignation over Brittain's
killing might subside and he might even return to Cedar Bayou.
Carey told
Yocum the full extent of his troubles with the law and was assured of concealment
from it. But the old robber baron warned him to avoid any movements far from the
house or trips to Beaumont,
where he might be recognized. And especially, he was not to mail any communication
to Page which might fall into the hands of the Harris County sheriff. Yocum introduced
to Carey a young man. named Jeremiah "Bud" McClusky, whom, he said, was his most
trusted employee and who would gladly ride to Cedar Bayou for him if such a trip
were required.
During the next two months, McClusky made three trips to
the Page home, carrying letters from Carey, but on his return, he always reported
that Page was too sick to write, and had forwarded no message, and the clamor
for Carey's arrest and conviction had not subsided. Later, Carey learned that
the Pages had always sent him money, clothing, and letters, but none of the items
they sent were ever given to him by McClusky. next
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