Rex Cauble (August 15, 1913—June 23, 2003) was born in Vaughan, Texas, to cotton farmers, Lou Butts and Fred C. "Buddy" Cauble.[1] He was a millionaire businessman who became wealthy as a wildcatter.[2] In the 1970s, he founded two high-end retail, western-wear stores comprising Cutter Bill Western World named after Cauble's world-champion cutting horse, Cutter Bill; one store was located in Houston, the other in Dallas.[3]
At age 67, Cauble became infamous when he was indicted under suspicion that he was bankrolling what was "reportedly the largest marijuana-smuggling operation in Texas during the '70s."[3] A U.S. Attorney "labeled the dapper 67-year-old Denton, Texas, millionaire a 'general' in the 'Cowboy Mafia' of drug smugglers".[4] Members of the Cowboy Mafia were "caught in the seizure of a shrimp boat carrying 22 tons of high-grade Colombian marijuana to Port Arthur, Texas."[4] Many people who knew Cauble believed his ranch foreman Charles "Muscles" Foster had deceived Cauble and was the real leader of the smuggling operation.[3]
Cauble was indicted on a total of 10 counts, including three violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute (RICO), three violations of the Travel Act, and four counts of misapplication of bank funds.[2][5] In 1982, the jury convicted him on all counts. The trial judge sentenced Cauble to serve concurrent five-year sentences for each count and ordered forfeiture of his share in Cauble Enterprises.[5][6] After serving five years, Cauble was released from prison based on a combination of time served and good conduct.[7] Cauble pleaded innocent to the charges[4] and maintained his innocence until the day he died.[7][8]
Rex Cauble grew up on his parents' cotton farm in Vaughan, Texas. As a young boy, he had his own horse, but not one he bred and raised on his own, an aspiration that followed him into adulthood.[9] In the 1930s, Cauble worked as an oilfield roughneck and wildcatter, which developed into a lucrative business that eventually made him a multimillionaire.
Rex married Josephine Hughes Sterling in 1952, and adopted her young son Lewis Rex Cauble.[2]
By the 1960s, Cauble owned several ranches, where he stood the legendary Quarter Horse stallions Wimpy P-1, Silver King P-183, Hard Twist P-555[10] and Cutter Bill. During that time, Cauble first met Charles "Muscles" Foster, a professional rodeo cowboy, but a very troubled man whom Cauble took under his wing.
