USA > Texas > Johnson County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 32
USA > Texas > Hill County > A memorial and biographical history of Johnson and Hill counties, Texas : containing the early history of this important section of the great state of Texas together with glimpses of its future prospects; also biographical mention of many of the pioneers and prominent citizens of the present time, and full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of this section > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
flag that was used until the war was closed. The following is the letter:
BEAUVOIR, MISSISSIPPI, JULY 27, 1888. MRS. S. LEE KENNEDY,
Dear Madam :- The flag on the right was the first adopted by the Confederacy. It was subsequently changed, leaving out the bars, and the union became, as I remember it, like the battle-flag you find on the left.
Respectfully and truly yours,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
The above interesting autograph letter now hangs in Dr. Kennedy's office.
HILLSBORO GUARDS.
This body received their charter and the officers their commissions March 5, 1889. It was then named Company D, and assigned to the Second Regiment. Soon afterward they were uniformed.
January 9, 1890, a minber of the old members and others met in Bryant's Hall, and reorganized as Company E of the Second Regiment of Voluntary Guards, by electing A. E. Aaron Captain, S. Frank Sullenburger First Lieutenant, R. A. Phillips Second Lieutenant, M. D. Haley First Sergeant, Guy West Second Sergeant, Arthur Alexander Third Sergeant, Horace Spooner Fourth Ser- geant, Ed L. Orenbaun Fifth Sergeant, O. D. Cheatham Seeretary and Treasurer, Will S. Mason First Corporal, J. Albert Rogers Sec- ond Corporal, Louis West Third Corporal, Jolin L. Lovejoy Fourth Corporal, and J. R. Jacobs Chaplain.
The monthly dues were fixed at 25 cents, and a series of rules were adopted, one
20
AND HILL COUNTIES.
of which was that the company meet every Friday night.
Besides the above named officers, the fol- lowing also have their names on the muster roll: E. W. Bounds, HI. Briggs, Champ Carter, Sam Coldwater, John Caruthers, R. M. Inffhines, J. M. Lary, George L. Muse, E. Rosenbaum, W. M. Williams, Lee Warren, D. B. West, J. II. Waltasky, Harry Beck, Jack Carter, Gregg Cooper, G. W. Elitf, E. O. Hughes, Albert Keen, William Mary, W. Y. Murphy, James Ponder, Ed Reavis, Rushing Garland, J. L. White, P. Garrison and J. D. Thomas.
May 18, 1891, the guards elected S. F. Sullenberger Captain, O. D. Cheatham First Lieutenant, II. C. Reavis Second Lieutenant, M. D. Haley First Sergeant, Will Mason Second Sergeant, Secretary and Treasurer.
CRIMINAL.
The crimes which we notice as having oc- curred in llill county were not generally committed by those who could be strictly called Hill county citizens; nor has there in- deed been as much crime perpetrated within the limits of this county as in the average of communities. But it is true that the most peaceable, industrious, law-abiding eommuni- ty is just as liable to be raided by highwaymen and other classes of criminals as any com- munity of lower morals, even if not more so, as such people are apt to have more of this world's goods and be less suspicions of strangers.
There have been only two verdicts for the
death penalty in Hill county, but no man actually executed by law.
The first case was that of William Ferrell, who was indieted in 1874 for the murder of Miss Martha Gray on Cobb creek, this county. May 26, that year, he and one Henry Parton went to a grocery five miles distant from Mrs. Gray's, where Ferrell and wife lived, Mrs. Gray being his mother-in- law. They returned late, drinking on their way five or six times, Ferrell oneo losing his saddle-bags, which were pieked up by Parton. Ferrell was talking a great deal, and at one time said he would kill a man before the next day. Reaching Mrs. Gray's, Ferrell tried to ride into the house, but was prevented by his wife. Ile then ealled for the (aecursed) " old woman: " he intended to kill her. IIc dismounted, went into Mrs. Gray's room and employed himself some time in beating her bed. Coming out and going through a passage way, he found a hoe, broke the han- dle aeross a table, and, taking a piece of the handle, two and a half feet long, he went to the door of another room, where Isaac Gray and one Scroggins were sleeping, and ealled for " Ike." The latter pacified Ferrell, who then commenced calling for Scroggins. Seroggins by this time had put on his clothes, and Ferrell still calling for Scroggins, said, "Come out, G- d -- yon; I'm going to kill you before sun-up." Scroggins tried to pacify him but he still kept eursing and threatening. Scroggins attempted to go out by a low door, the only exit from the roont. Ferrell struck at him as he reached the door with a piece of the hoe-handle, and hit the
1
270
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
top of the door. Scroggins then sprang upon Ferrefl, pushing him with one hand and stabling with the other, using a - mali pocket knife. They both fell together. Seroggins dence of Mrs. Alice Sloan, in the southern kept stabbing him as fast as he could. Ferrell ; part of Hillsboro. On trial, in the following October, he was sentenced for ninety-nine terposed and tried to pull Seroggins off. The years in the penitentiary.
trying to catch his hands. Ferrell's wife in- latter, noticing her, sprang to his feet and ran as fast as he could. Ferrell received eleven stabs inflicted by Scroggins, but none of them dangerous. Aided by his wife, Fer- rell went to his room, but at onee got away again, returned to the door, and, seeing Miss Martha Gray, exclaimed " I will save one of you," and fired, the shot taking effect, from which she died two days afterward.
The mother of the deceased afterward tes- tified that her daughter, when conscious of the approach of death, said she knew Ferrell had shot her by mistake! At the following terin of court Ferrell was convicted and sen- teneed to be hung; but after an appeal a new trial was had, which resulted in a sentence of im prisomment for twenty five years.
J. M. Drake, for the killing of Guinn in 1890, was twice convicted of murder in the first degree and sentoneed to be hanged, but by appeal, etc., he was sentenced for lite, and now he is in the Waco jail awaiting the re- sult of another appeal.
March 9, 1883, Thomas P'. Varnell killed Jauns Land, four miles from Ihubbard City. For the trial he took a change of venne to Ellis county, where he was sentenced for twelve years, for murder in the second degree; but some point of his case is
now before the Supreme Court at Austin, August 14, 1886, Jasper MeMullen shot and killed Wash. White, a negro, at the real.
November 29, 1886, Nip Allen and Gran- ville Oliver came near escaping from jail. Ilaving concealed themselves beneath the benches by aid of blankets, they seized Deputy Clampitt as he entered the corridor, and began searching him for a pistol, with which, had they found it, they might have shed blood or taken life; but Mr. Clampitt cried ont and thus attracted the attention of Sheriff Cox, at the breakfast table below, who ran to the rescue, throwing the brakes npon the door and so securing the prisoners.
At noon, June 15, 1887, the prisoners of the Hill county jail, consisting of two white men and one negro, attempted to escape when the deputy was handing them their dinner, and the sheriff, Mr. Cox, was endeav- oring to put the brake on the door. In the seuflle Mr. Cox was seriously wounded, and it was immediately reported that he was killed. With the aid of his own family and some of the citizens he succeeded in getting the prisoners baek into prison.
William Roberts, a respected resident of the southwestern portion of the county, was murdered by highwaymen December 14, 1887, when about eight miles from Aquilla. Two other men were with him and had a narrow escape from death.
971
AND HILL COUNTIES.
March 13, 1888, John Pitts, a lawyer at Hubbard City, shot and killed David Stern, a leading merchant of that place. Stern had nsed unwarranted language reflecting upon the wife of Mr. Pitts.
Mart. Chassard was shot and killed by a boy named Penrod near Blum, May 12, 1888.
On Saturday, September 12, 1889, J. T. lInghes, living at Mertens, brought two bales of cotton to Hillsboro, which he sold for $90. The receipts in his pockets after- ward showed that he had paid out about $30, and that therefore he was probably robbed of about $60.
Before starting home he had tried to em- pley cotton-piekers, and succeeded in obtain- ing one, with whom he started from town in his wagon about three o'clock in the after- noon. Ilis dead body was found lying in a little gully in the public road about one and a half miles from Hillsboro, just beyond the corporate limits. Mrs. Keithly and her daughter, residents of Indian Territory, were in a wagon just ahead of the murdered man, who had tried to pass them, when Mrs. Keithly quickened the pace of her horses, and had not gone more than 200 yards when she heard a pistol shot, and on looking back saw a man falling over the side of the wagon, which so frightened her and her daughter that they drove on. The murderer has never been captured.
On the night of October 26, 1889, James MeCowen and Mr. Cobb, a book agent, were in Woodbury together and agreed to go to the Dallas fair. Leaving Woodbury in a
rude cart, to take the train at Itasca, they reached a point about five miles from the , latter place when two men suddenly appeared in the road in front of their horse, which caused him to shy, throwing out the occu- pants of the cart. The robbers, for sueli they proved to be, stepped aside and let the horse pass, when they immediately "covered" MeCowen and Cobb with pistols and orderod them not to move. While one of the robbers held them under cover the other robbed them of their valuables, obtaining $65 from Cobb and $35 from McCowen. While Cobb was being robbed his watch dropped out of his pocket and was picked up by one of the robbers. Cobb begged him not to take the watch, as it was a present from his mother. The robber cursed him and said, "We don't want your watch: it's money we're after."
It was very dark at the time, and the gentlemen could not distiguish the features of the robbers. After finishing, the highway- inen said a "polite" good-night to them, and. told them that their horse had gone east, and that they had better move along in that direction.
On the evening of November 22, 1889, at about half after seven o'clock, as Mr. George Counts, a very quiet, industrious and respect- able young man living with G. A. Richards near Fort Graham, was on his way home from Whitney, when, on reaching Cedar creek, he was suddenly ordered to halt by an individual standing by the roadside and hold- ing his horse by the reins. As young Counts turned his face toward this man he was suddenly strnek across both eyes by a
272
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
"quirt." At the same instant another man, who previous to this had not been seen, jumped from behind a tree, canght Counts' bridle in the left hand and with his right hand attempted to pull Counts from his hor-e. All this while Counts was spurring his animal with the hope of escaping.
At about this juncture the individual hold- ing the horse began cutting at Counts, the first pass cutting through the brim of his hat and into his coat and vest, and the second stroke sticking his left breast just below the heart. The blade being arrested by the sus- pender buckle, no marks were made by either stroke. At this moment Counts succeeded in getting out his kuife, n perfect sword in appearance, and leaning forward plunged it to the hilt in the left shoulder of his oppo- nent. The man then cried ont that he was badly ent. His arm, which was holding Counts' bridle, lost its hold, and Counts, seeing he was free, plunged the spurs into his horse and was soon homel
During the entire time but two words were spoken, -- " Halt" and " I am badly cut." No elne was afterward obtained to the identity of the villains.
In November, 188-, an intelligent, good- looking young man, representing his name as George Taylor, and his fraternal relation as an Odd Fellow, tried his hand at begging in Hillsboro, aiding himself by forging names to a subscription paper for his relief. By showing this paper to an Odd Fellow he hoped to obtain contributions and genuine signatures, for a dollar or so. After obtain- ing in this manner a dollar or two in Hills-
boro he went to Alvarado and swindled the brethren there out of 820, when he was caught at his tricks and was soon tried, con- victed and sentenced at Cleburne to five years in the penitentiary.
In the fall of 1887 R. C. Brown of Hills- boro was deputed by Sheriff Cox to arrest a man in Fort Worth. Upon discharging his duty there another man in that city, who knew Brown but not as a deputy, had him arrested for kidnaping, and Brown was lodged in jail over night, awaiting the session of court next morning. In court he produced his authority and was released. The haste and ignorance of the Fort Worth man were inexensable and he was therefore indictable for false im-' prisonment.
As to the character of the people generally in Hillsboro, we quote the following from the Reflector of July 29, 1886:
"Notwithstanding the tirade of abnse in- dulged in by the so called Rev. (?) Godby [a preacher of " sanctification " or sinless per- fection in this life, who had just been in Ilillsboro] against the good people of this city, we venture to say that there does not exist in Texas or elsewhere a city of its size which contains a more Christian, moral and upright people, who endeavor to live up to the Scriptural injunction to dove thy neigh- bor as thyself.' No murders have occurred here, no elopements, no burglaries, no social scandals, no heinous crimes, and there are but few citizens who are not attached to some church. Hence, what right has this fellow Godby to come into our midst and charge that .Hillsboro people are on the road to
273
AND HILL COUNTIES.
bell;' and ho .hoped before the elose of his
mareting to be able to redeem them.' *
"There are many good people who are eineere in their belief and religiously follow Mr. Godby; but there are also quite a number of our best citizens, members of the church, who positively decline to attend his meetings, notwithstanding the pastor, Rev. C. S. Fields, stated from the pulpit that he and the presiding elder, Rev. W. R. D. Stockton, had extended to him an invitation to occupy the Methodist church, and he hoped his congregation would attend and help."
Godby's language is common to those who are so wrapt up in some particular religions tenets that they are inclined to judge people us immoral, or at least stubborn enough against the " truth " as to warrant their pas- sage to hell. About the time of the above occurrence Rev. J. R. Jacobs, pastor of the Presbyterian church in Hillsboro, published in the Reflector an article containing ten arguments against the claims of the " saneti- ticationists."
Both as a sample of grand jury work and as an evidence of improvement in the morals of the county, we here give the report of the grand jury at the March (1891) term of the District Court:
" We, the grand jury, duly impaneled at this term of the District Court, having finished our labors, beg leave to report as follows: That we have been in session twenty- one days, and have presented eighteen indiet- ments for felonies and forty-nine indictments for misdemeanors, making sixty-seven in all,
We find high crimes in our county decreas- ing, most of our time being consmined in investigating misdemeanors.
" We have examined the books of our tax collector, tax assessor, treasurer, district clerk and county clerk, and find them neatly and properly kept.
"The jail we found well kept, and the prisoners kindly treated; but recommend to the commissioners' court that they have the lower part of the jail repainted and renovated.
"On examination we found the poor farm to be well managed, and commend the super- intendent for efficiency.
" The public roads in our county we find to be neglected too much and often obstructed, and recommend to the commissioners' court that they see that all road overseers forthwith open up and remove all obstructions from their roads, and that they take such steps as are necessary to protect said overseers, because we find that through fear and intimidation some overseers have failed to open up and remove fences and other obstructions from their publie roads.
" We further suggest that in swearing in bailiff's for the grand jury, the regular con- stables be given preference, and only those that are needed for actual service be sworn in and retained for grand-jury service.
" We return thanks to Special Judge A. P. Mckinnon for his able charge when he im- paneled us, and we also thank your honor [Hon. J. M. Hall, District Judge] and County Attorney Ivy for kindness and assistance shown us.
" Whereupon we respectfully ask to be dis- charged.
J. G. HAWKINS, Foreman."
Let's oftener talk of nobler deeds, And rarer of the bad ones,
And sing about our happy days, And not about the sad ones.
We were not made to fret and sigh, And when grief sleeps to wake it;
Bright happiness is standing by : This life is what we make it.
274
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
Let's find the sunny side of men, All we believers in it; A light there is in every soul That takes the paths lo win it. O, there is slumbering good in all, And we perchance may wake it; Our hands contain the magic wand; This life is what we make it.
MISCELLANEOUS. THE COUNTY POOL. FARM
and buildings are neatly and economically kept. There are two well-built houses on the farm for the accommodation of the paupers quartered there, of whom there are about a half dozen, and as many conviets for misde- meanors are also kept on the place. The latter need but very little close supervision. The calaboose in which they are housed over night is a complete little jail, in the upper story of which the guard sleeps.
For the last three years John C. Cook has been superintendent, preceded by John Evens and J. M. Colley.
HISTORY OF HILL COUNTY.
S. A. Reavis in 1883-'81, published a sinall manual of ninety-two pages entitled, " Ilill County, Topographical, Statistic, Re- sources and General Status;" but at least half of the work consists of formal advertisements, and more than half the remainder are sub- stantially advertisements. As an exception to the rule, Mr. Reavis made considerable money ont of his little enterprise. He was a brilliant man, well-read and of original ideas. Ile was for a time county judge, and built the last courthouse preceding the present one. Ile died November 24, 1887, in Ilills- boro. Ile was born in Lincoln county, Ten
nessee, February 28, 1836, and moved with his parents to Texas in December, 1850, settling at Navarro, in Leon county, in which place he was district elerk, and also had the same office afterward in MeLennan county. Ile was a resident of Hillsboro for twenty- two years, during a greater part of which time Le was connected with the real-estate and lan lageney business, and was without doubt the best posted man in the county on land titles and claims. For some years be- fore his death he had very feeble health.
A CASE OF REMARKABLE PREVISION.
The Reflector of November 10, 1887, re- lates this:
" Mr. A. O. Bibbee, a good citizen, died in this eity October 15, 1887. Mr. David Bibbee, his father, who resides a few miles north of Milford, related to us the following remark- able faets concerning the death of his son and others connected with the family.
". My son, during the first week of his ill- ness, remarked that he had the gift of Grand- father Bibbee. The night before he died he was at his bedside, and he put his hand up and drew him close, and said, . I am to die at ten o'clock to-night.' ' This,' he then said, ' is what I had reference to when I spoke to yon of having the gift of my grandfather;' and in accordance with the last statement he departed.
". The above appears remarkably strange from the fact that the grandfather alluded to had told his father, two years before his death, the time he would depart. lle tok his mother six months before she departed
275
AND HILL COUNTIES.
when she should die, and his wife that they would lose two of their children (my bro- thers) at a certain time, which came to pass; and then, since I can recolleet, he foretold my sister's death. Ilo also foretold their cousin's death, by saying, 'Children, you don't believe in forcordination, but your cousin is now sitting at the table at Ripley, eating with all the appearance of a hale and hearty man;' but, pointing to the sun, said, . Before it settles in the West he will be a corpse.' None of us knew where he then was. That same day my father received a message that the cousin alluded to above wanted him to come and see him, as he had the cholera. My father went, and my cousin died at five o'clock that evening.
". Another time my father made a similar remark, saying, . Your uncle Jo and his son Alfred are now quarreling, and before the dispute ends Alf will strike his uncle with a stick, which will cause his death. Alf is not to blame, but will have to suffer the penalty of the law.'
". A few years afterward word was brought to the effect that such an occurrence had Inken place, and he died from the effects of a broken skull, caused by being struck with a handspike. Ile also told of my mother's death, which came to pass at the time inen- tioned. I could enumerate to a dozen simi- lar instances, but deem the above sullicient to show what a remarkable gift of fore- telling the coming of death the Bibbee family were possessed of.'"
Such instances as the above are compara- tively rare in the Southern States of America,
but common among foreigners, who are far more numerous in the Northern States than in the Southern. In Europe and in Asia, whence come the foreigners in the Northern States, those things are very common, mixed up with gypsyism, Spiritualism, fortune- telling, "clairvoyance," ete., etc., and are all charged to art and coincidence in medical and other scientific works, as no scientific man can believe that any one ean truly prophesy further than as inferrible from present and past facts.
PATERNAL JOY.
Dr. Cason, of the " XIX Medicine Com- pany," one day in the spring of 1890, went galloping into Peoria on a pony dressed in ribbons, crying out in an excited manner, " I am going to tell it; I am going to tell it." The people thought he was going to collect a crowd and tell them of some new medicine or discovery he had made. Stopping, he alighted and began piling goods boxes upon one another to a great height, all the while say- ing, " I am going to tell it."
At length, as he mounted his stand of boxes, a waggish by-stander awakened out of his reverie enough to ask him what he was " going to tell." At first he seemed a little dazed, considering his dangerous height; but in a moment he recovered himself sufficiently to deliver his little speech, which was this: " Well, gentlemen, it's a boy, a ten-pounder, somewhat like his daddy in that particular!"
Dismounting, he jumped upon his pony and away he went, while his many friends and all the boys besides indulged in boister- ous langhter.
276
HISTORY OF JOHNSON
SINGULARLY UNFORTUNATE.
According to the Hubbard City News, Colonel J. II. Onstott was the unluckiest man on Christmas day of 1885 that the editor had ever heard of. He received a $15 shav- ing.case and outfit, and, though fifty years old, he had never shaved himself in his life and had no use for his tools. Next he re- ceived a $25 meerschaum pipe from Fort Worth friends, and was about to laugh over that, but reflected that he never in his life smoked a pipe. Ile also roceived a pair of excellent suspenders on the Christmas tree; but suspenders were things that never erossed his shoulders. A $15 set of shirt buttons was presented him, but his friends all knew that he seldom buttoned his shirt!
William D. Cleveland, of Austin, however, struek him right by sending 100 fresh oys- ters; but he lost them, and still could not laugh. Ile said he was not born Incky, but lived in hopes that next Christmas he would get things more to his taste,-a cigar-ease, for instance, and a loaded quirt and a demi- john, and the latter should be well filled: so the Colonel said!
A HERO.
Billy Long, son of Dr. W. L. Long, of Peoria, deceased, is the hero of an interesting story in the New York World, in the summer of 1888. Ile went to Sonthern Arizona, where he became one of the best known ehar- acters as a plucky scout among the blood- thirsty Indians. The story, three columns in length, is reproduced in the Ilillboro Reflector of July 12, 1888. The " Little
Seout," as he is sometimes called, was brought up on the frontier as a cattle-driver, and even from his youth was used to fighting the In- dians, being a good marksman. He also spent some of his leisure time in search of precious metals.
Eugene Caruthers is another ITill county boy who went west to Arizona and distin- guished himself in dispatching a desperado there, a Papago Indian named Manuel. He is a nephew of Captain Jack Caruthers, a lawyer of Waco.
"THE LOYAL SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE SOUTH," is the name of a sceret order founded by J. S. Moore, who instituted the first lodge at Peoria, this county, in April, 1890. At the ex-Confederate meeting held in Hillsboro a few weeks previously, one of the speakers elianeed to say that the old worn-out ex- Confederate soldier had no one to look after him in his old age, as did those who wore the blue. This remark gave Mr. Moore, who was present, an idea that it would be a good thing to organize a seeret order to look after such worthy heroes. Thinking over the matter he finally developed the idea and got everything arranged in a most satisfactory manner and began organizing lodges. The following is from the constitution of the order:
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.