Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
Sheriffs of Milam County, TX
Researched and written by
Greg Kouba
John Edwin Holtzclaw
#28 - Sheriff John Edwin Holtzclaw was elected on November 6, 1906; re-elected on
November 3, 1908, serving until November 3, 1910.
During his administration as sheriff, there was a lynching in Cameron. A young Negro man
who was accused of raping a white girl, was placed in the county jail to await trial.
The people immediately took this man into their own hands and hung him from the oak tree
on the west side of the courthouse before he could have a trial. Holtzclaw tried to stop
the angry mob, but was unable to control the people.
During this period of time, the people were easily incited to action when it came to law
enforcement; however, this lynching was the only lynching ever held in Milam County’s
court history.
Sheriff Holtzclaw went to Brownwood, Texas in May of 1908 and took Yeabel Chrio into
custody for the stabbing death of Rockdale Constable Nathan Busby on April 26, 1894.
Sheriff John E. Holtzclaw on a horse in front of the Milam County Courthouse
John Edwin Holtzclaw
.