Texas Politics and Greed

About the Book

In late 1954 Texas was rocked by a scandal in its $100 million Veterans’ Land Program that included attempted murder, bribery, and political intrigue.  A West Texas attorney named Sam McCollum III was gravely injured when he turned the ignition key on his car and five sticks of dynamite planted under the hood exploded, rocking the town and leaving the attorney near death with maimed legs and unable to testify at the trials.  Another witness was threatened and his house was burned.  Texas Ranger and DPS investigations were derailed, and State Senators were involved in the bribery and fraud. 

The scandal occupied Texas and National news reports for more than three years. Two hundred and fifty indictments were returned against prominent land promoters and dealers in nine counties.Several high profile trials were conducted, resulting in prison sentences for the Texas Land Commissioner and two land promoters.The book includes trial transcripts and personal interviews with participants, including attorney Sam McCollum III. As a result of the scandal, Attorney General John Ben Sheppard and Governor Allan Shivers were forced to retire from politics. Ross McSwain, a retired journalist and investigative reporter, and Harold Byler, an experienced author, have collaborated on the research and writing of this book. Both grew up in Brady, Texas, a focal point of the scandal, and both knew many of the participants personally.

About the Author

Ross McSwain

Ross McSwain was raised in Brady, Texas, and knew many of the participants in the veterans’ land scandal.  He attended Tarleton State University where he majored in history and government.  He then spent more than 40 years as a journalist, freelance writer, and historian.  He became a reporter for the San Angelo Standard Times and served as a regional editor and senior staff writer until retiring from active reporting in 1991; however, he has continued to write the weekly column he first started in 1978. He is author of five non-fiction books on Texas history: Out Yonder Revisited, Another Look Out Yonder, Tales from Out Yonder, Texas Sheep and Goat Raiser’s Association 1915-1995, and Water In A Dry and Thirsty Land.   He and his wife of 42 years reside in San Angelo, Texas.

 

Harold Byler  

 

            H. C. Byler, Jr. was raised in Brady, Texas, and knew many of the participants involved in the veterans’ land scandal.  He obtained an engineering degree from Texas A. & M.  After serving as an intelligence officer in the Korean War, he was employed by the General Electric Co., first in engineering and then in management.  He retired from G.E. and has written several non-fiction books since that time.  After writing two books on family genealogy, he wrote Love Letters From the Depression, Memoirs of a Poker Player, Strokes and Strategies for Tennis, and a five-volume series of books titled Sailing around the World the Wrong Way.  He and his wife of 51 years presently reside in Brady, Texas.