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Vol 8, No 137

May 17, 1839

Friday Evening

Rangers End Mexican Plot to Overthrow Texas

Today in Sports
Spurs draft David Robinson
SAN ANTONIO  (1987)   On this date in 1987, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery, picking All-Star center David Robinson. Robinson would serve 18 months as a Navy ensign, before appearing in his first game, November 4, 1989. His teammates give him the nickname "The Admiral".   

Cherokee Involvement
GEORGETOWN  (1839)   On this date in 1939, Texas Rangers, led by Lt. James Ogden Rice caught up to a small Mexican Expositionary force (led by Manuel Flores) en route to create a military alliance with the Cherokee Indians in Northeast Texas. The Rangers met up with the expedition along the North San Gabriel river, following the murder of a group of surveyers by the Mexican Expositionary force, just east of San Antonio.
   Indian raids were common during the late 1830s in part due to Texas' failure to ratify a treaty, negotiated by Sam Houston in 1836, granting the Indians land in East Texas.
   In papers found on the scene of the battle, it was learned that the Mexican Government was planning to join forces with the Indians of Northeast Texas to drive the settlers from the region and recapture Texas for Mexico. Due to the discovery of these documents, President of the Republic, Mirabeau B. Lamar, ordered the Cherokee Indians out of Texas, which in turn led to the Cherokee War of 1839.

Weather Desk
Tornado slices through Austin
AUSTIN   (1965)    On this date in 1965, Austin is hit with the smallest tornado on record. Measuring the trail of debris, experts calculated the tornado to have been only 8 feet in diameter at the base.