Born July 27, 1889, "Jim" was the first child of Aaron and Louise Crabtree.  He married Rosetta Sanders and they had two children, R. C. and C. R. Crabtree. Both boys were named after the sons of a local doctor, who had named his sons Carlos and Ruel.

Jim was shot in cold blood by a neighbor, Lee Miller, on July 9, 1919 near their farm in Willow Springs, Grayson County, Texas. Apparently they had had an argument about each using the other's land without remuneration; one version is that
Jim threatened Lee, another version is that Lee threatened Jim with death if he went to the local sheriff to resolve the matter.  Whatever the case, Lee Miller intercepted Jim and son R. C. in a buggy heading to town and shot Jim.  R. C. was sitting between his father's legs in the buggy and heard the thud of a bullet, a traumatic experience which is said to have haunted him thereafter.  He remained in the buggy with his dead father until someone came along and found them.  A trial was subsequently held in which Lee Miller brought his entire family into court, pleading hardship, and he was acquitted. 
The controversy apparently started a feud in that area of Grayson County, with people taking sides and not socializing or conducting business with each other for the next 50 years or so.

The foregoing are the details related to me by a cousin, C. R. Crabtree; following is the newspaper version. . .



The Denison Herald
Thursday July 10, 1919
pg 1

FATAL SHOOTING NEAR POTTSBORO WEDNESDAY EVE

BELL CRABTREE KILLED IN PUBLIC ROAD, LEE MILLER IS ARRESTED

While L. F. (Lee) Miller, 42, of near Pottsboro is confined in the county jail at Sherman facing a charge of murder, the last rites were read this afternoon over all that is mortal of Bell Crabtree, 36, a farmer whom Miller shot to death last evening in the public road west of Pottsboro following an argument over a difference that had arisen between the two. The victim was buried at Pottsboro near the place where he was killed.

Miller this morning retained Attorney J. D. Buster and LeGrand Woods, of the firm of Wolfe, Freeman, Woods & Buster of Sherman to defend him according to the attorneys. Miller's plea will be self-defense.

It seems that bad blood had existed between the two men, who live on adjoining farms for several years and the old dispute was renewed the first part of this week when several of Crabtree's mules broke into an oat field owned by Miller. Miller held the mules until Crabtree paid the damages they had done and an argument occurred at that time that culminated in the tragedy of last evening.

Miller late yesterday evening, in company of five children, was driving home after visiting with his brother, Robert, who lives north of Denison. Not far from the Miller home on the Denison and Gordonville road the party met Crabtree driving east in a buggy with his seven-year-old son. In the preliminary hearing before Judge E. A. Wright, shortly after the killing occurred, Miller testified that when he saw Crabtree stop his buggy and raise to his feet with his hand behind him he stopped his car, grabbed a .22 caliber Winchester rifle he had with him and jumped out of the car. The five children of Miller's left the car and started toward the Miller home just across a small field. Crabtree, so Miller stated, made a move as if to draw a revolver and he fired. The ball struck Crabtree just below the left eye, plowed into the brain, and the victim was dead almost instantly. He fell from the buggy and the little boy drove the vehicle home. Miller drove on to his home, later returning to Pottsboro where he gave himself up to Deputy Sheriff Lee French. Assistant Prosecutor Roy Finley and Sheriff Craig and Justice Wright were called to the scene. Miller's bond was placed at $5,000 and being unable to provide it he was taken to Sherman and lodged in jail.

A pistol which Dr. Bradford and Dr. Slaughter of Pottsboro state was picked up about twelve inches from the dead man's body, was turned over to Deputy Sheriff Harve Taylor and brought to Sherman. It is a .32 Colts and contained four cartridges unexploded.

Miller lives on the farm of Mrs. Jean Childs, and has lived in the Pottsboro community for seven or eight years. He has a wife and twelve children.

Crabtree was also married and had several children.


The Denison Herald
Saturday, August 9, 1919
pg 10

Miller Released on Bail

Sherman, Texas, Aug 9. - F. L. Miller was given a habeas corpus hearing before Judge Silas Hare of the Fifteenth district court Saturday morning. Miller is charged with the murder of Bell Crabtree, near Pottsboro. After hearing the testimony, Judge Hare set his bond at $5,000, which Miller made and was released from custody. W. B. Childs and H. C. Potts of Pottsboro signed the bond.