Lucyle Richards Hall 0f Fame Contents  PDF  

The King of Cowgirls: Lucyle Richards She was a female air acrobat and war hero in WWII, a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, flying bombers over the Atlantic to England. She was a woman rodeo performer, competing in bronc riding, bull dogging, and trick riding. She was touted as “the prettiest and best dressed cowgirl in America” and performed in the 101 Wild West Show, hundreds of rodeos around the country.

The man who taught her to fly, T. J. Richards, her (first?) husband who was killed in a plane crash near Dallas while training an Army Air Corpsman, during WWII. A rodeo performer himself, Richards was a real deal cowboy, and succumbed to Lucyle’s pitch for a trade, where she would teach him to trick ride, if he would teach her to fly. Richards soon bailed out from the deal, when he saw how daring she was, saying she would never make a good pilot. She later proved otherwise, and showed him a thing or two, but he never became a trick rider because his life was cut short while serving our Country.

Tall and rawhide tough, T. J. Richards was probably a real keeper as well, and perhaps the only man that could have ever made Lucyle happy or domesticated her, but we will never know.

Lucyle Richards Roberts lived the life of a Western Star and eventually became an icon of the American West.

She was training riders and horses into her old age, claiming she would probably not quit until some horse killed her. When asked if she had the chance, would she do all over again, she replied, “I’d probably just do more of it!” She was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1987 and passed away, full of vinegar at a ripe old age of 86 in 1995. Even today, Lucyle Richards has few imitators or equals.

       

Inquest Proceedings for FRANK Y. DEW April 27. 1941 PDF

 

April  30, 1941  INDICTMENT  Lucyle Richards Indicted for the Murder of Frank Y. Dew by a grand jury.

          Witnesses:  Mrs. Grace Collins

                               Miss Grace South

                               Officers: Seber & Garrett HPD

                               Officer W.W. Davis River Oaks Police

 

April 30, 1941  CAPIAS issued for INSTANTER  of  Lucyle Richards

April 30, 1941  Precept to Serve Copy of Indictment – served by  hand 5PM

 May 2, 1941  APPLICATION WRIT OF HABEAS COPRUS – W. A. Scott Attorney to post bail.

May 3, 1941  APPEARANCE BOND  Lucyle Richards address 2316 Elm St. Dallas, Texas  - List of properties for bond

 May 5, 1941  Subpoena Court Date May 20, 1941

          Issued For:

                     Mrs. Mary Keene  Wilson

                     Jim Faris

                     C L Parks

                     Mrs. Grace Collins

                     Dr. J G Henderson

                     Dr. Chester Farqhharson

                     Mrs. Grace South

                     H J Krezdorn

                     B Porter

                     W W Davis

                     Geroge S

                     O T Garrett

                     Willis

                     Geo. Peyton

                     Dr. Herbert Page

                     Dick Taylor

                     W J Brown

                     Judge Maes

                     Joe D. Hughes

                     Mrs. A P Waller

 

May 6, 1941  Subpoena

          J J Mathews

          Miss Baker

          Dr. Kaye

 May 7, 1941  Notice to Jurors to Appear   - 300 names listed

 May 9, 1941  SUBPOENA  Brazoria County – Ed Aker  Alvin, Texas

May 9, 1941 SUBPOENA 

          Roxey Lewlyn Posey  - Fort Worth

          Mr. & Mrs. Roy T.  Rummer  - FW

          Johnny and Bebe Williams – FW

          Jack Mitchnor

May 17, 1941  SUBPOENA  Fred Schultz   Anahuac, Texas  By Troy T. Stokes Atty.

May 17, 1941  SUBPOENA 

          Mrs. Clyde Watlington  - Stafford, Texas

          M L Bright                       Thompson , Texas

          Mrs. Chaney                     Stafford, Texas

May 17 1941  SUBPOENA      

          Shirley Kovar   - Alvin, Texas

          Herny  Kovar  - Alvin , Texas

          Mrs. Daisy Gwyn  Alvin, Texas

          Mr. Dick Goyn   - Alvin, Texas

May 17, 1941 SUBPOENA

          Alice Sisty  - Beaumont, Texas

          Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Blauch  - China, Texas

May 17, 1941 SUBPOENA    J M Garner  (father) Dallas, Texas

May 17, 1941 SUBPOENA    Everett Calborne  Dunkin, Texas

May 17, 1941 SUBPEONA

          Ed. Isley

          Dr. H P Swisher

          Mrs. Rhoda McGinnis

          Henry Kriegel

          Earl McKaughan

          John Skaggs

          Shirley Bakerfield

          Fred Summers

          Mr. McGuire

          Mr. J. O. Womack

          Cliff Hyde

          Herb Whitney

          Capt. M. F. Clark

          Mr. Williams

May 18, 1941  LETTER  Dr. B E Hudgins – I M Garner in hospital – Dallas, TX.

May 19, 1941  LETTER  Dr. S. W. Thorn – Mrs.Rhoda McGinnes in hospital Houston, Tx.

May 20, 1941  LETTER  Dr. G.H. Bevil  Hotel Dieu Hospital Beaumont, Texas.  Mrs. Virgil Blanche in hospital.

May, 20, 1941 CONTINUANCE  - Statements of witnesses about Frank Dew threats

 

  
 

 September 25, 1941  SUMMONS FOR JURORS – Trial set for December 1, 1941

September 26, 1941 SUBPEONA FOR WITNESSES

November 4, 1941 SUBPEONA  Bob Bassett District Attorney Fort Bend County

November 4, 1941 SUBPEONA Mrs. Agnes Hajek – San Antonio, Texas

November 17, 1941 SUBPEONA  Percy Calloway – Houston, Texas

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA  Fred Sterrett  Anahuac, Tx.

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA  DR. J. Herbert Page – Fort Bliss El Paso, Tx.

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA  Don Teel -  Odessa, Tx. - Air Port

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA   Bethel Kell  - Beaumont, Texas

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA  Bryan McCulley  - Cowmboy Center, Tx.

November 25, 1941 SUBPOENA 

•                                   L. Charley Bright  Thompsons, Tx

                Burford Wade   Rosenberg, Texas

                A. Henningan  Richmond, Texas

                 John Kinnley   Rosenberg, Texas

                 Paul Zwahr      Richmond, Tx.

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA 

          Everett  Colborne  Dublin, Texas  Rodeo Producers

          Roy. T. Rimmer  Ft. Worth, Texas

          Mrs. Roy T. Rimmer Fort Worth, Texas

          Johnny Williams   Fort Worth, Tx.

          Bebe Williams       Fort Worth, TX.

          Mrs. W. J. Fitzgerald  Alvin, Tx.

November 25, 1941 SUBPEONA

          Ed Isley  State Hotel   Houston, Tx.

          Dr. H P Swisher

          John Skaggs  Palace Riding Stables  Houston, Tx.

          Shirley Brakefield

          Fred Summers  - Port City Stock Yards

          H A Buie  - Inspector – Cattlemans Assoc.

November 25, 1941  SUBPEONA  W. C. Munford  Angleton, Texas

November 28, 1941  SUBPEONA C. L. Armstrong  - Citizens State Bank

November 28, 1941  LETTER  Harold J. Shelley M.D. Lucyle air plane crash

December 1, 1941 DEFENDANTS SECOND MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE– States about plane crash

 

 

December 2, 1941  SUBPOENA   A. A. Borofsky  Galveston County, Tx.

December 3, 1941 SUBPEONA   Charles Smith  Richmond, Texas T. R. Roane Sheriff

December 3, 1941  Able and Stokes Attorneys Objections

 

 

December 3, 1941  Charge presented to Jury

 

December 4, 1941   Jury finds Lucyle Richards  - Not Guilty – R.S. Bayless foreman

 

 

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