Louisiana capitolian., 1879-12-20
Fatal Arkansas Feud !!
THE rx4rsn,sAr1os OF TWO FAMILIES

THE ExTERMlNAT1ON OF TWO FAMILIES
~ MELBOURNE, ,DecsS, 1879.
4 l Afamily fsad, equal 70 that sof The
Montagues and Capulets Of Shaksper-
can story, but much more fatal in its
effects, and which has been raging in
this and adjacent counties since 1865,
has just ended. The result 10 the extet-
mination Of all but a few Of the actors
in the bloody drama. The aid Of the
law had been invoked in vain, for the
bloody work progressed just the same,
despite arrests and trials, and the end
must be regarded with feeling Of pos
tive relief Whether it is "climatic
influences" which scientists prate go
much about, or from other underlined
and unexplained causes, we cannot I'M
dertake to say, but the fact remains
that quarrels of this character in the
far South exceed in savage ferocity those
of any other section of the country.
Petty disputes end in bloodshed. The
dirk and pistol arbitrate between man
and man, and the law is of course set at
defiance. 1Ft$ E!ffsss
THE POINsErr FAMILY, :"
when the war closed, were among the
largest land-holders in North Arkansas.
They had espoused the Southern cause
and had contributed six sons to the
Confederate army, four of whom came
out of the service alive, the other two
perishing in the dying struggles of Lees
army around Richmond. The surviving
members of the family returned home
and at once settled into peaceful agri-
cultural pursuits. Not more than a
mile from the Poinsett homestead was
the farm and dwelling Of Samuel Kisseo,
WEALTHY PLANTER,
between whom and the POinsetts exist
ed the most cordial relationship. The
Kissee family consisted of the father and
mother and fonr -children--three boys
and d girl, and notwithstanding all the
male members of the family had served
in the Union army, and were staunch
Republicans, the Poinsetts (though
boldly avowing themselves "unrecon-
structed rebels) were. the warmest
friends. This feeling seemed to grow
stronger and stronger between tho fam
lilies and was the talk of the whole coun-
try. A dispute, petty and foolish, broke
the friendship.
On Christmas day, 1865, Samuel Kis-
see traded for some sheep owned by the
elder Poin ,ett, and after driving them
home, found one or two missing. He
insisted that Ponsett make up the loss in
other sheep or in lot of sheep pelts,
which he had. Poinsett declined to do
either the one or the other. High words
followed, and the quarrel
SPREAD LIKE wILD-wIRE
through the families, the boys Of both
taking "a hand" James Kissee attack
cd Will Poinsett at a dance two or three
nights later, and cut him with knife
in Il shocking manner. This was con-
sidered an open declaration of war!
Both sides armed themselves and laid
for each other. Frank Poinsett was
paying his addresses to Miss Laury
Kissee when the unpleasantncss came
up, and was warned to discontinue his
visits, but paid no attention to the
warning. He went boldly to Kissecs
and took Laura to party, and upon his
return was met by James Kissee, who
leveled revolver at his head! :,
THE DEVOTED GIRL
struck the weapon down and told her
brother that she would die for Frank, and
by her firmness prevented fatal encoun-
ter between her kinsmen and love. One
week later John POinsett went out turkey
hunting and never returned. His dead
body was found with bullet in it. He
had evidently been foully assassinatcd.
Then James Kissee disappeared and his
body was found floating in the waters of
White river, where it apparently had
been flung after desperate hand-to-hand
conflict on the bank some distance up
the stream. e 4
THESE BLOOD-OTFERlNGs
seemed to satiate the vengeance Of the
two families, and for more than u year
nothing was heard Of the feud. In the