Hillen Armour Munson

     Hillen Armour Munson was born on 31 July 1863 in Bailey's Prairie, Brazoria County, Texas.¹ He was the son of Mordello Stephen Munson and Sarah Kimbrough Armour. He married Lilla Mary Cox of Alvin, Brazoria County, Texas, on 22 October 1890.² He was shot and killed on 15 September 1909 between Sandy Point and Rosharon, Brazoria County, Texas, at age 46.³ He was buried in Munson Cemetery, Bailey's Prairie, Brazoria County, Texas.⁴
     
     Armour was raised at Ridgely Plantation and spent all of his adult life working there. His descendants inherited the site of the old home place and still own it and live there today. The following account of his death is quoted from the Williamson manuscript, Chapter 26:

He was shot and killed by a black man, Steve Hays, who he was trying to question about two escaped convicts, Otto Cooper and Charles Delaney. Following their escape, they killed a prominent area rancher and station master, J.T. Hardin. A number of citizens were spurred into action. A group of young white men, possibly under the influence of alcohol, learned that Hays was Delaney's cousin. They went to his house and questioned Hays who said he didn't know Delaney's whereabouts. The men threatened to return later and kill Hays if he didn't then tell them where Delaney was.

     Joe Jamison was a participant and eye witness to the events and left an account. [Williamson quotes from the Jamison manuscript]:

As the news spread...Mr. Armour Munson, a rancher and member of one of the oldest aristocratic families of the County...heard of Mr. Hardin's death and decided to ride up to Sandy Point, 20 mi. from Angleton, to help catch the fleeing Negroes. He learned at Sandy Point that Steve Hays lived near and was a cousin to Chas. Delaney. He said he knew Steve Hays, as Hays used to work for him, so he, in company with the young men who had been out to the Hays' shack and knew the way, set out to see Steve again. They didn't tell Mr. Munson that they had threatened Hays. When they rode up, Mr. Munson took the lead and called to Steve to come out, that he wanted to talk to him about Chas. Delaney. The young men drew their guns, Mr. Munson told them to put their guns down, that he knew Steve and he would come out and talk to them, and he called again, "Come out, Steve, you remember me, don't you? You used to work for me." About that time the door cracked open just a little and a gunbarrel stuck out and fired, a load of buckshot hit Mr. Munson in the face and chest, killing him instantly, and he fell from his horse on his face to the ground.⁵