The fearless sheriff of Sutton County

SONORA—In the rugged landscape of early 20th-century West Texas, Lige Bryant stood as a towering figure of law and order—a man whose courage helped tame a region once plagued by outlaws.

Bryant wore many hats in Sutton County, serving as postmaster, county treasurer, sheriff, and county judge. He also managed the Sonora Mercantile Company and partnered with D.B. Cusenberry in the local drug business. In 1918, Bryant moved to San Angelo, where he lived until his death on Dec. 22, 1932, at age 78. But it was his role as sheriff—and his part in the deadly confrontation with notorious outlaw Will Carver—that cemented his legacy in West Texas lore.

On April 2, 1901, Sonora became the stage for a dramatic showdown. Will Carver, a Bandera County native and member of Butch Cassidy’s infamous Hole in the Wall gang, was wanted for numerous crimes, including a recent killing in Concho County. Carver and fellow gang member George Kilpatrick had set up camp near Sonora, possibly plotting to rob a local bank.

That day, the two outlaws entered a local grain store to buy corn and supplies. Thanks to the relatively new invention of the telephone, word of the Concho County killing had already reached the Sutton County Sheriff’s Office from Paint Rock. Alerted to the gang’s presence, Bryant assembled a posse of former sheriff J.L. Davis, deputies Henry Sharp and W.D. Thomason, and Bill Holland.

According to the San Angelo Morning Times, Bryant and his men burst into the store with guns drawn. When Bryant ordered the men to raise their hands, George Kilpatrick complied, but Carver reached for his gun. Bryant fired, striking Carver fatally through the chest. A second shot hit Carver’s right arm as he fell, a pistol still clutched across his stomach.

Dragged to the courthouse, Carver reportedly uttered his final words—“Die Game”—a defiant promise to face death with pride. True to form, he refused to reveal the whereabouts of fellow outlaws Kid Curry and the Sundance Kid.

George Kilpatrick, despite being shot 14 times, survived and was jailed but later released for lack of evidence. The rest of the gang, including Ben Kilpatrick, escaped. Carver was buried in Sutton County Cemetery under a simple stone marked only with the date: April 2, 1901.

Carver’s death was a major blow to the Hole in the Wall gang, famous for robberies like the $32,000 gold coin heist at the First National Bank in Winnemucca, Nevada. After that robbery, the gang posed for their now-famous photograph in Fort Worth—a picture that sparked a multi-state manhunt leading them through San Antonio, Bandera, and Concho County. There, they killed ranch hand Oliver Thornton on the Ed Dozier ranch to protect their hideout. The gang then moved on to Eldorado, posing as polo pony buyers, before camping at the T Half Circle ranch near Sonora, where Carver met his end.

Bryant’s decisive action was supported by fellow lawman J.L. Davis, known for his relentless pursuit of outlaws. Local resident Bossie Sharp tipped Bryant off to Carver’s presence in town, enabling the ambush. Bryant ultimately collected a reward for his role, further solidifying his reputation as a fearless sheriff.

Though Carver was an outlaw, he was remembered locally as a skilled cowboy who once worked on Ed Jackson’s 0-9 ranch near Barnhart, riding alongside respected Sonora banker W.L. Aldwell. Known for his marksmanship, Carver could reportedly shoot a quail from horseback with a pistol.

The death of Will Carver scattered the gang, though Ben Kilpatrick continued his criminal career until 1912, when he was killed by Express Messenger David A. Truesdale during a train robbery near Sanderson, Texas.

Lige Bryant’s life embodied the frontier spirit: service, grit, and the resolve to stand firm against lawlessness. When he died in 1932, his name was forever etched into the history of a region shaped by men determined to bring order to the Wild West.