The Texas Sheriff Who Never Wore a Gun

This article tells the story of James Spurgeon Scarborough, Jr., the second Sheriff of Kleberg County in South Texas, who followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim Senior, a well-known Texas lawman. Unlike his father, who had a reputation as a 'shootist,' Scarborough Jr. made a name for himself by never carrying a gun during his 37 years in office from 1935 to 1972. His philosophy of unarmed policing was based on his experiences as a US Army Rifleman during World War I, where he pledged to never raise a weapon against another man again if he survived the battlefield.