05-14-01

I was a little busy a couple of Saturdays ago working on the computer while Jackie was helping a couple of customers in the plumbing department of the store. A customer and citizen of Aubrey came in and wanted to buy an assortment of bolts and screws. This citizen asked me if I knew anything about the Aubrey Municipal Court. I asked him why he wanted to know about it and he said that he had been selected to serve on the Municipal Court Jury, and was wondering if I knew anything about this new court.

I explained to this customer that this was not a new court. I explained that we had an officer named Tray Elrod, back in the early 1900's. He was a big man with one arm, and it required an even bigger man to talk his way around Mr. Elrod’s enforcement of law and order. Mr. Elrod’s efforts were responsible for the Justice of the Peace court at that time.

Back during the 1930's Earl Love was the local public law enforcement officer, and many times Aubrey’s needs for law enforcement were served by the County of Denton’s Sheriff Department. However, the county was spread pretty thin much of the time, but they were available if necessary, at the time when we were not organized to have our own courts.

I explained to this customer that when Jackie and I started out store, I was Mayor of this fair town, which had an annual budget of $24,000. Juanita Irick was the city’s bookkeeper and Will McNatt collected the water bills. Mr. Ernest Bishop was the water works manager and Roy Booe was the town’s night-watchman.

As Mayor I was interested in getting the municipal court organized, but the purchase of a fire truck and building of the city hall and post office were all we were able to accomplish on this small budget. Raising taxes was an absolute no no, as I had agreed with the citizens of the town, because they were mostly retired and living on limited incomes.

I went on to explain to this customer that our store was vandalized and burglarized almost every Friday night. We would work to replace the stolen items and repair the damages and the break-ins continued. Our store was not the only one being vandalized and burglarized. They were also breaking in John Taylor’s Grocery store, Bill Pettit’s Grocery store, and Buster Hunn’s Grocery store. By this time I was no longer Mayor, and I protested to the current city government. I met with the town council on numerous occasions.

Mayor Lewis George approached me and explained that the city was ready to organize a Police Department, but they were in need of a Municipal Judge, and asked if I would be willing to organize this position and the department. I was very reluctant to take on such a challenge, but I was at the point of installing barn tin on the front windows in order to continue in business.

Mayor George said that they were in the process of hot topping the city streets, which would make Aubrey an attractive place to invite others to live. So I decided in order to get the metal off the windows, to participate in this opportunity to better the town by organizing the police department and starting the municipal court by serving as judge.

As I continued the story with my customer, I explained that these were the efforts which began the municipal courts and the process of calling jurors to render decisions on the local crimes. I told him the following story: One night about 10:00 p.m., my phone was ringing. I answered and a slow talking many asked me if I was the Municipal Judge, I had to answer "yes," and as the conversation progressed the voice on the other end of the line said, "Bouncer, there are about 20 boys just simply tearing up the downtown and spreading oil all over the street." I thought to myself, "just what have I got myself into," I explained to the caller that I didn’t think I could help him. But as I quickly thought of a solution to this situation that I could do as the judge of the municipal court to stop these street vandals as they were creating a slick sport on the pavement causing cars to go into a spin as they hit the oil, I decided to tell the man that I was taking the liberty of deputizing him on the phone in an emergency situation. I explained to him that his duties were to go to the city hall and have all of the boys and young men causing the problems to come over and give him their names, because they were all being arrested for destruction of public property and creating a hazardous condition on the street.

Most all of the young men and boys came over and cooperated with the newly deputized man, since he was a good friend to everyone in the town. The list of individuals was put together and we opened the City Hall and held court. We took each person individually and swore them in and made the charges against them for destruction of public property. Each person was assessed a substantial fine. If they didn’t have the money, we required them to go home and get their parents to come forward and pay the fines (by this time it was very late at night), otherwise they were on their way to the County jail, until they obtained funds to pay for the destruction.

I believe this was the beginning of downtown becoming a civil place both day and night and the Municipal Court most certainly had its place in the society of citizens both locally and otherwise.

We received our first police officer immediately after this and they have effectively reduced the burglaries and vandals in the community.

I told my customer that our store has been burglarized one time and other instances were minimal since the organization of the municipal court and the police department.

I explained that his duty to serve as a juror in the Municipal Court was an important civic duty and he should serve this call in order to further the cause of justice in our community.

My customer was interested in the historical events leading up to the establishment of the courts in Aubrey and we all should have a desire to further the cause of enforcement in our community.

The photo this week is of Olen Jones, a County Sheriff’s Deputy, that was very cooperative with law enforcement in Aubrey. The man on his left is Loren Tisdell who was the County Commissioner at this time in 1967, when Aubrey was celebrating its 100 year birthday.

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