You just know you're in a rough and tumble place when a Methodist
Preacher carries a sidearm. Such is the case with the Reverend Jesse Lee in 1903 Trinity County. You see, 28 year old Lee had been a preacher in Malakoff and Beaver Valley before being sent to Groveton. Malakoff and Beaver Valley were filled with fine, law-abiding citizens and congregation members. Groveton? Not so much. When Lee arrived in Groveton in 1903, he was, shall we say, appalled, at the lack of law enforcement and the open sale of the Demon Rum, which was supposedly illegal. The young Padre ( I know he wasn't Catholic, I just like to call preachers "padre") didn't exactly make a good first impression on some of the fine citizens of Groveton. From texasescapes.com : "
On his first morning in Groveton Lee presided at the funeral of a young church member who had been murdered. He soon named criminals from his pulpit and where they gathered." Not. A. Good. Move. Once when Jesse went to see the Head Methodist Guy in Crockett, some folks in Groveton
burned down his church! Not exactly what you'd call the "Christian attitude": read the
rest of the story here. It gets better and I won't spoil the ending. Armed with The Word is powerful enough. But, when a preacher is packin' heat, too, that
could be a sign. Just sayin'.
