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When this article is published in a couple of days it will be April 27, 2001, the fourth anniversary of an event forgotten by most people, even Texans: the "Republic of Texas" standoff, which took place about a mile from my house out here in the Davis Mountains, twelve miles from Fort Davis, Texas. In this scenario, one "Republic of Texas Ambassador" Rick McLaren and seven others led or sanctioned the hostage taking of a couple (who, they admitted, were spying on the ROT folks) which led to a seven day seige ending when McLaren and four others surrendered to Texas Rangers/FBI/Texas DPS folks. Another, Michael Matson, was shot and killed in the rugged mountain/desert wilderness nearby and the final member, Richard Keyes, fled but was eventually captured near Houston some months later. Since I had been friends with McLaren but eventually learned he was running an illegal "patriot" scam and laundering money (as well as committing mail fraud and trying to buy some heavy-duty weapons), I had to cut loose from any association with him. I was deposed by the Texas Attorney General's office, and therein received death threats from McLaren's followers (most of whom are now in jail).
And, given this is the fourth anniversary of the ROT standoff and the three ROT factions are busy trying to rebuild their respective factions, I have been contacted by a reporter wanting info on some central characters in this continuing drama. As it turns out, I felt like the TV show "Hogans Heroes" stooge, Sergeant Schultz-- "I know nothing. Nothing!" That's because the folks he was asking me about I hardly knew (as I had left my association with McLaren go many months before the standoff) and knew nothing for sure about five of the eight involved in the standoff (McLaren, his "wife" Evelyn, and "White Eagle" Otto, a phony Metis Indian, I knew). Thus I really couldn't tell the guy much except that they had threatened my life. Yet it isn't so comforting to know that the movement they started is being revived. Further, given the threats on my life, the reporter insists my name won't be used.
So much for a fifteen minutes of fame...
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