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Vol 8, No 173

June 22, 1835

Monday Evening

Stephen Austin is freed from Mexican Jail

Born This Date
Singer Kris Kristofferson born in Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE   (1936)    On this date in 1936, Singer Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville. The son of an Air Force General, Kristofferson moved around a lot in his youth, finally graduating high school in San Mateo, California.
   Kristofferson attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship where he began writing and recording songs under the name Kris Carson. Kristofferson was a Captain in the army, and was assigned to teach literature at West Point when he resigned his commission to pursue his musical career.
   Following the army, Kristofferson worked as a helicopter pilot ferrying workers to gulf oil platforms while at the same time writing music. "Help Me Make it Through the Night" was written from an oil platform in the gulf. Kris' songs were hits for many artists including Janis Joplin and Ray Price. "Why Me Lord" "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make it Through the Night" were all hits for Kris. He also has enjoyed a long film career, starring or appearing in over 30 movies.   
Football legend Davey O'Brien born in Dallas
DALLAS   (1917)   On this date in 1917, Robert David O'Brien was born in Dallas.
   O'Brien graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1935, and then led TCU to an undefeated season and their second National Championship in 1938 (Thanks to a loss by #1 Notre Dame to USC. TCU received 55 of 70 first place votes). That year, Davey won the Heisman Trophy.
   O'Brien's high school is the only school in the nation to produce two Heisman winners (Tim Brown won in 1987).
   O'Brien went on to play two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, setting several passing records.   

Austin is Free
MEXICO CITY (1835)  Despite an amnesty law which was passed six weeks before, it is not until this date in 1835, that Stephen F Austin was finally released from Mexican jail. He was arrested in January 1834 and charged with instigating and insurrection in Texas. Austin died 18 months after his release.

Military Desk
Santa Anna dies in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY  (1876)   On this date in 1876, former General and President of Mexico, Santa Anna, dies of old age in Mexico City. It was Santa Anna who brought the Mexican Army into Texas to put down the Texas Revolution, defeating Wm Travis at the Alamo, Fannin at Goliad, and showed no mercy in his advance against the Texas. After his defeat at San Jacinto, Santa Anna was sent to Washington to assist Texas in petitioning for American Statehood for Texas. He was eventually given safe passage back to Mexico, where he died at the ripe old age of 80.

National Desk
Soviet Spy held at McAllen facility
MCALLEN   (1957)    On this date in 1957, Rudolf Ivanovich Abel was flown from New York to Brownsville, then driven to McAllen, TX. He was detained and questioned by the FBI as a soviet spy. In August, 1957, Abel is flown to New York to stand trial for espionage. Four years later in Berlin, he was part of a prisoner swap with the Soviet Union, for U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, whose plane was shot down over Soviet air space in May 1960.