Irate Ira Nails the McClellands!
Ira Aten vs. The McClelland Brothers
By: Bob Boze Bell 06/01/2009
Aftermath: Odds & Ends
Immediately after the smoke cleared, Ira Aten surrendered to authorities. He was tried on assault charges in Tulia, about 30 miles east of Dimmitt, and found not guilty in December 1892.
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Before his trial, Ira married Miss Imogen Boyce of Austin, Texas, on February 3, 1892. By the spring of 1893, he accepted the sheriff job in Castro County. Imogen helped out; she strapped on a gun and served as the county jailer for a time.
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The McClelland brothers both recovered from their wounds. They were charged as well. But before trial, they sold their holdings and went back to their home state of Tennessee.
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Aten served as sheriff for about two years. In 1895, he was hired to put together a private police force for the nearby XIT Ranch, which was managed by his cousin-in-law, Col. Albert G. Boyce.
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In 1904, at the age of 42, Aten moved his family to the Imperial Valley of California, near the Mexican border. He ran a small spread and rode with various sheriffs’ posses over the years.
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In 1923, Aten was elected to the Imperial Valley District board. During his service, that body authorized the Boulder Dam and the All-American Canal, two projects that brought water and power to the region.
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Aten died on August 5, 1953. He was one month short of his 91st birthday.
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Recommended: Six and One-Half Years in Ranger Service by Ira Aten, published in Frontier Times magazine, and Lone Star Man: The Life of Ira Aten by Harold Preece, published by Hastings House.
Comments (1)
Wow!!! Great stuff as always Mr. Bell!!!
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