Married Mary Elizabeth Berry Aug. 24, 1868, Williamson, Texas

San Antonio Daily Express, Thursday, July 3, 1873, p.2, TEXAS NEWS: "May 31st two men unknown to any of the citizens, made their appearance in the town of Gatesville, Coryelle county, between sundown and dark, and after making strict inquiry as to the residence and whereabouts of Brock Sadler, one of the citizens living in town, went to his house, called him out, and after passing a few words, one of them deliberately shot and severely wounded him. Some few days afterwards our Sheriff, J. R. Raby, in company with his Deputy and two or three [illegible] men, after making diligent inquiry as to the description of the men who did the shooting, started in pursuit of them, and on Saturday, the 7th of June, they succeed in arresting J. and Peter Mankins (brothers) in or near Georgetown, Williamson county, and on Monday, the 9th inst., delivered them to his Honor, S. B. Raby, J.P., for an examination, they being accused of shooting Brock Sadler as aforesaid.

"Said defendants, J. & Peter Mankins, requested and obtained a postponement of the trial until Saturday the 14th inst., to procure testimony, as they said, to prove that they were not in Coryelle county when B. Sadler was shot. Saturday morning the case was called for trial. Defendants did not introduce any evidence or give any excuse for their failure. The trial proceeded and the State introduced some ten or fifteen witnesses, who made a chain of testimony said to be satisfactory to all who heard it, positively identifying the defendants, J. and Peter Mankins, as being the men who were in Coryelle county and in Gatesville on the 30th day of May last, and the same that shot Brock Sadler.

"After a hearing of the testimony and pleadings, his Honor S. B. Raby, J.P., decided that the defendants be bound in a bond of $10,000 each for their appearance at the next term of our District Court, and on failure to execute the bond, to be delivered in the Waco jail, and on Tuesday morning last, at half-past 8 o'clock, they having failed to execute the bond Sheriff Raby, in company with his Deputy and two citizens as guards, started from Gatesville to Waco with the prisoners, and after traveling about one and a half miles, they were fired upon by some person unknown, when J. Mankins was instantly killed, and Peter severely, but it is supposed, not mortally wounded. No one knows the cause of Sadler's being shot, unless it was owing to the fact that he was a material witness against J. Mankins in Williamson county court for horse stealing. The Mankins' lived in Williamson county, six miles from Georgetown.—Belton Journal."

Samuel J's estate was probated in Williamson county on Feb. 24, 1874 (Case No. 104). He left a one-half interest in 180 acres about 5 miles east from Georgetown (originally part of the Woodruff Stubblefield League and conveyed by John Gillis to Evan Mankins and Samuel J.), valued at $750; one mare and colt, $15; and household and kitchen furniture, $50. The estate was administered by Mary Elizabeth, as surviving wife in community property.