Save Your Texas Dollars...
from Houston Chronicle



... Overton [in east Texas] has been home to the Republic of Texas, or "R.O.T." as its adherents sometimes call it. Formed in the mid-1990s by a coalition of tax-protesting separatists in Victoria and Bulverde, the group adopted the Republic of Texas Constitution of 1836 and declared its independence from the United States.

Tilting at oil derricks. These guys kick ass. One of them demanded 1,000 ounces of silver for each hour he spent in jail for driving without a licence. I forsee a great Montpelier to Austin axis of evil.

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Separatists bring antics to Overton

By EVAN MOORE
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

RESOURCES

BELIEF SYSTEM

What adherents of the Republic of Texas believe:

·Texas was never properly annexed into the United States. They want to declare it an independent nation.

·The new nation would include all of Texas, a good bit of New Mexico, parts of Colorado and Wyoming and a strip of northern Mexico.

·Because they don't recognize the U.S. government, R.O.T. "citizens" hold "passports" and refuse to carry driver's licenses or purchase vehicle license tags.

OVERTON -- It was thought to be gone, an eccentric group that appeared to end with a violent burst in the Davis Mountains, but the Republic of Texas has risen to claim Overton as its capital.

Overton might seem an odd choice. A sleepy, East Texas railroad town, the little community covers about 10 square miles along the Smith-Rusk county line between Tyler and Kilgore, a spot it has occupied quietly for the past 130 years.

There's an easy pace in Overton. Once home to more than 90 businesses and 2,500 residents, the town has lost several hundred residents, and the number of businesses has shrunk in the past decade. Few of its downtown doors open before 10 a.m. and even then, there's no rush hour.

Since August, however, Overton has been home to the Republic of Texas, or "R.O.T." as its adherents sometimes call it. Formed in the mid-1990s by a coalition of tax-protesting separatists in Victoria and Bulverde, the group adopted the Republic of Texas Constitution of 1836 and declared its independence from the United States.

The head count of the R.O.T. has never been exact. Adherents claim no "members," though they have tossed out figures as large as 250,000 for their "citizens."

Its intentions, however, are clear. While maintaining that Texas was never properly annexed into the United States, the group wants to claim the state at its size before the Compromise of 1850 and declare it an independent nation. That nation would include all of Texas, a good bit of New Mexico, parts of Colorado and Wyoming and a strip of northern Mexico.

R.O.T. sympathizers hold "passports" issued by the group. They are known for refusing to carry driver's licenses or purchase vehicle license tags and, in the past, they frequently filed bogus liens on the property of those who angered them.

They last made headlines in April 1997, when a renegade faction of the R.O.T. led by Richard McLaren took an elderly couple hostage near Fort Davis. A weeklong siege ensued, in which hundreds of police surrounded McLaren's remote compound in the Davis Mountains while McLaren and a half-dozen followers insisted on being recognized as an army at war, and made various demands.

The standoff ended with McLaren's surrender. One hostage was wounded, however, and a McLaren follower was killed before the 1836 Burnet Flag of Texas was lowered at McLaren's headquarters.

McLaren, currently serving a 12 1/2-year federal sentence for fraud, was tried for kidnapping, a charge that was eventually dismissed. Testimony in that trial revealed that he had attempted to stockpile high-powered weapons and explosives for what he envisioned would be an eventual battle with U.S. troops.

Now, the blue and gold of the Burnet Flag flies above an old hospital building at the southern end of Overton. On Aug. 8, Republic officers held a barbecue and groundbreaking, attended by about 100 people.

Since then, they have raised the flag, installed a lighted "Republic of Texas" sign and opened a gift shop.

"We didn't choose Overton as much as Overton chose us," said Daniel Miller, president of the R.O.T. "The availability of the building -- and the price -- are what brought us here.

"That, and the fact that a number of officers of the Republic live in the area."

Miller is one of those. The 30-year-old manager of a Longview computer service describes himself as a graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler, where he was on the debate team.

He's still debating. Glib and articulate, he describes a kinder, gentler R.O.T. than the militant group McLaren headed.

"Our goal is independence. Nothing more, nothing less," Miller said. "But we're not violent. We're not a militia, not militant, not wearing camouflage, although some of our individual citizens may be members of other groups.

"We're not going to hurt anybody.

"We don't agree with some of the things Rick McLaren did, though we agree with his goals. We don't believe in taking hostages.

"We're not about marching and playing army. I don't even like to hike."

Still, there are indications that some R.O.T. "citizens" are beginning their old practices. Since August, there have been two arrests of R.O.T. officers for driving without a license, one in Overton and another in nearby Bullard.

In the first, Don Bennett of Overton, "postmaster general" of the R.O.T., was stopped in Overton Oct. 15 and ticketed for having no license. Bennett paid his $130 fine, but later sent a rambling, four-page letter to the city, citing numerous city officials, threatening liens and demanding $2 million in reparation for violating his "imprescritable" rights.

"He may be the postmaster general, but the letter came by U.S. mail," said Overton City Manager Jeff Ellington.

"We haven't paid him."

The second arrest occurred Nov. 5, when Ed Brannum of Carthage, "secretary of the interior," was stopped in Bullard.

When asked for his driver's license, Brannum offered a Republic of Texas "passport," and when Bullard patrolman Carl Dinger was unable to find a valid Texas driver's license number for Brannum, he took him to the Smith County Jail.

"I was doing my best not to arrest him, but I couldn't come up with a good number," Dinger said. "I think he told me I was going to be fired when they take over."

Brannum spent three days in the Smith County Jail, during which he became a sort of cause célèbre for the R.O.T. Messages were posted on the Republic's Web site, describing Brannum's "kidnapping" and "torture." Finally, Miller and others paid his bail, which they described as "ransom," and he was freed.

Brannum fired off a letter -- similar to Bennett's, though more legible -- demanding 1,000 ounces of silver for each hour he was held.

There are also unanswered questions about the purchase of the hospital building. After an initial interview, Miller did not return calls.

The old building, a 13,000-square-foot, single-story brick structure on a 7.5-acre plot, had been vacant for decades when Tom Dodd, a New Age psychotherapist from Tyler, purchased it from the city in the mid-1990s.

Dodd renamed the structure "The Synergy Center," decorated interior walls with psychedelic murals and conducted "spiritual" sessions there for a brief period. Those sessions were short-lived, however, and Dodd put the building on the market about four years ago.

On the Republic's Web site, Miller describes the purchase of the building at " 1/2 market value" as "The Overton Project" and seeks $80,000 in investments of $1,000 increments from R.O.T. citizens to pay for it. In total, he asks for $320,000, with whatever money remains after the purchase of the building presumably to be used for unspecified, "long-term investments."

Dodd's building, however, is listed on the Rusk County Appraisal District rolls at $73,850. Area real estate agents say Overton property usually sells for 18 percent above tax roll value, making " 1/2 market value" of the property about $47,000.

Neither Dodd nor Miller would divulge the purchase price of the hospital, though Dodd confirmed that it has not been paid for and he is financing the sale.

"If they got that place for $47,000, it's a great deal," said Henderson real estate agent David Roberts.

"I think that place is a time bomb and, if anything, it's lowered the property values in Overton. Since they moved in, nothing is selling over there."

In Overton, the R.O.T is regarded with wary bemusement.

"We're sort of trying to live and let live," said Keith Parsons, owner of an Overton cafe and mayor of the town.

"We don't know what they're planning down there, but as long as they obey the law, we plan to treat them like anyone else."

Parsons added, however, that since Bennett's threats, he periodically checks his property records to make sure no liens have been filed.

"We plan to be a positive influence in Overton," Miller said. "We contribute to the economy and we get along with local officials very well."

However, added Miller, "While we don't condone the actions in Fort Davis, you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Rick McLaren's still a citizen."

And in the Republic's gift shop, The Brief by the Republic of Texas is prominently offered for sale. The 186-page book and accompanying CD lay out the R.O.T. case for separation from the United States and serve as a sort of bible for the group.

They're dedicated to Richard McLaren.

posted by prof_booty | 12:51 PM