The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-07-21

4
Rosa Archer, stephen Mclaughlin, E
| Swearingen, Mrs. Arthur +. Heard
| Dewitt c. Lyons. Pendleton Rector
John T.. Ferret, Joseph Lawrence, Archi
bald Gibson and G. w. Brooks.
The following were rejected for want
of sufficient proof: W. b. Hardin, Ma
thaniel Addison, j. II. MeGuffin, II. w
Mcneil, Mrs. Lydia AlbOon, Mrs. Lizzie
Forester, Mrs. Julia AllcOrn, Isaac r
Henry and Prospect Mccoy.
Through the MIsts
The first district court ever convened
In Travis county met on Monday, May A.
1910, Hon. j. ;. Mills, judge of the third
| judicial district, presiding, b. ID. Bas-
| ford, clerk, and Wayne Barton, sheriff.
The following grand jurors were
| drawn: Nathaniel Townsend, Francis
Mahin, A. Slavery, James Smith, l.. F.
| Margaret, Ii. +. johnson, n. 5. Byers
William b. Thorp, Alexander Russell, NJ
II. Nicholson, W. b.. Billingsley, Il. j.
Smith, b. S. GraysOn, Lewis Hancock,
Reuben Hornsby, j. p. Brown and W.
| ii. Johnston. Nathaniel Townsend was
selected as foreman.
The follOwingpersons were then sworn
in as petit jurors: II. Malhansen, David
Browning. w. Il. Swinney, George M.
Dolson, n. NJ. Luckett, IL p. Laviry, S.
| q. Bennett, Francis Dietrich, P.J. Hunton,
Richard Bullock, William Spencer, Noah
| Smithwick, Benjamin G. Robinson and
| Thomas PeytOn.
The first case called was that OF
| Norman Woods " Nicholas Macarthur
which was passed and the case of Il. V.
Cannon V. John JOrman tried. Judgment
for plaintiff for $500 with interest at SpeT
cent. from the LIST of January, 1887, and
cost of suits. Exception was filed by de-
tel fal,
shows they were up to the ways that now
prevail in the courts. The grand jury
on the 9th of May returned thirteen true
bills. Among them one against Robert
C. Todd for murder. On the It'll of May
Todd was arraigned for trial and change
of venue granted to Fayette county and
his bail fixed ut $4,000, his sureties joint
ly and severally to be worth the sum of
$4,000. Alfred W. Luckett. Rowland
NJ. Luckett and George W. Bonnell
went on the bond and Todd
was released from custody. Todd was
charged with the murder ofone j. A. Crea-
ry. The boys who gamble over the green
flourished in the good old times, and the
grand jury returned seventeen indict-
ments against as many different persons
for keeping faro bank and twelve for
gambling. Among thirty-three rules
adopted by the court is the following:
"Absence of counsel will not be con-
sidered cause for passing case, unless
such absence shall be unavoidable. At
tendance upon another court is not I'M
avoIdable absence"
The first indictment was found against
John Bratton, for theft of cattle from
Robert Mitchell. The jury returned a
verdict of guilty, and assessed the pun
ishment at a fine of so. In this case a
compromise of some kind about the fine
seems to have been made, and on May
9th the following sentence was passed
upon defendant 'That he be taken
by the sheriff of the county from
his place of confinement on We'd
nesday, the 18th instant, between the
houIs of II NJ. and 4P. NJ, to some public
place within the limits of the city of
Austin, and then and there receive at the
hands of the sheriff or some other indi-
vidual acting under his authority thirty
nine lashes on his bare back, after which
punishment, upon payment of the costs
of the prosecution, the prisoner may be
discharged" Thus it was in the early
days of the republic.
Several of the members composing the
first grand jury, were indicted by that
jury for gambling and keeping faro banks.
The first court held in the county after
the state was admitted into the Union,
convened at the capitol, on the 22d day of
August, 1916, Hon. VIM. E. Jones, judge,
presiding; B. ID. Baslord, clerk of dis
trict court, and A. b. McGill, clerk of
county court. The first grand jury was
composed of the following gentlemen {:
James Monroe, John q. Matthews, Geo.
j. Glasscock, Nicholas Macarthur, Abner
Matthews, Alfred Smith, Thomas Rowe,
+. j. Houston, b. II. Butts, NJ. Baker,
VIM. ID. Thomas, Thomas Freeman, Ed
ward Soldiers, Lewis Cosset, John Wah-
renberger, j. @. Tannahill and J. NJ.
Graham. The court appointed Abner
Matthews foreman of the jury, and ap-
pointed John G. Chambers dis
trict attorney pro. tenn. The
grand jury returned fourteen true
bills-seven for betting at faro, two for
keeping and exhibiting faro bank, one
for playing cards in 4 public place, two
for unlawful gambling, and two for as
sault and battery. Alexander Vance and
John II. Woodbridge were admitted to
the bar at this term of court. Several of
the gentlemen who figured as grand
jurors are still living In this county and
are well-known to our citizens. Mr.. K.
ID. Basford. clerk OF the district court
under the republic and state Immediately
after its admission to the Union, Is the
old gentleman you see so often unloading
charcoal on the streets of Austin. He
now lives in the mountains above town,
burning coal for living. Mr.. III. NJ.
Metz, father of Assessor Metz, served on
the first jury empannelled to try a crimi-
nal case under the laws of the state.
The Portuguese Mutual Benevolent AS
ISOLATION, of Galveston, filed charteroin
the office of the secretary of state yester-
day. The object of the association is to
accumulate a fund from which TO relieve
members that may become sick or disabled
and to defray the funeral expenses of such
rs may die. The following are the moor
porators: s.. j. Alphonso, NJ. j. Comes,
z. Traverse, A. Fideli, l.. Senne, G..
.Biagini and A. l.. Biconhi.
The Burton Grange cooperative asso-
citation, of Washington county, filed
charter. The object of the association is
the creating, owning and managing a
mercantile establishment upon a cooper
ate plan of buying and selling such real
estate and other property as may be nee
essary to promote the object of the asso.
citation. The following are the incorpor-
ators: John Carmoan. W. w. Hudley,
A. S. Whitener, j. NJ. Harris and j. c.
Morris. The capital stock is placed at
OF increasing to fifty thousand.
Charter of the Peoples Line city
street railroad company, of Houston,
Texas, was filed. The line of said rail-
way shall be built and extend in and
along such streets and bridges in the city
of Houston, as may be agreed on, by the
mayor and alderman of said city ofHous-
ton and the said company, and also from
the corporate limits of said city of Hous-
ton to the Emancipation Grounds near
the corporate line, not to exceed dis
lance of five miles. The capital stock is
placed at $25, 900. The persons forming
the association are as follows: A. Groes-
beck, Robert Cotton, A. A. Van Alstyne,
w. S. Foley, ID. f. Stuart, w. W. Man
gum, L. p. Turner, p. H. Gallagher, T.
F. Kerr and John G. Walsh. The follow
ing are the officers President, A. Groes-
beck; vice-president, A. A. Van Ais
tyne treasurer, w. s. Foley secretary,
w. w. Mangum.
The governor has appointed George Fl,
Abbot county judge of Preside county,
vice A. Tibbitts, resigned.
Tine board of veterans yesterday passed |
favorably upon the following claims III.
Q. Lyons, Elizabeth Henry, P. r. Pierce. |
Jane @. scarborough. Antonio RODRIGUEZ
Chacon. Francisco Valdez Jesusa De Ma |
varro, Jesus Gomez, Julian Cont, r. B. |
Brown.
The following were rejected: John Wal