Ninth Sheriff of Kendall County- January 1884 - June 1897
Many changes occurred in Kendall county during Bodemann's tenure as Sheriff and Tax Collector. A second story with a gallery was added to the courthouse. The population increased, and roads always needed improvement. A new jail was built. The most significant impact was the arrival of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway in 1887. Sheriff Bodemann was kept busy with horse theft, cattle rustling, disorderly disturbances, and robberies. In 1897 the county said Bodemann had not turned in all the monies collected for taxes. As a result, he resigned as Sheriff in June, and Commissioners' Court selected Deputy Sheriff George Zoeller to fill the vacant office. Bodemann moved to San Antonio and became a watchman for the San Antonio Brewing Association. In 1908 a San Antonio newspaper reported Bodemann was the second detective chosen to work on the new San Antonio Detective Force. Mayor Bryan Callahan appointed Bodemann and several detectives. When Mayor A. H. Jones was elected, he released Bodemann and other detectives from their positions. Bodemann sued the city of San Antonio for his wages. He claimed he was hired for a two-year term and his term was not up. The court ruled in his favor and ordered the city of San Antonio to pay him the remainder of his salary. The city appealed and lost. This case paved the way for other officers who were released from duty to petition for their contractual pay.
Source: Adam Hurst, Kathryn. "Albert Bodemann" Keys to the Past. Vol. XXXVIII No. 1,
Spring/Summer 2019.
