Born in Mexico in 1875, Gregorio Lira Cortez moved with his family to Texas when he was 12. Working as a cowboy, he settled in Karnes county. In 1901, Cortez shot and killed sheriff W.T. Morris in self-defense when Morris wrongly accused him of stealing horses. After sending his family to safety, Cortez eluded a posse of 600men for two weeks in the most famous manhunt in history. Learning that his wife and four children had been jailed, he surrendered. Convicted on the charge of murder, he began to serve a life sentence before being pardoned in 1913. His remarkable flight and resistance made Cortez a border folk hero overnight. He came to symbolize the double standard of justice between the Hispanic and Anglo settlers.