The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-04-30
AFTER SIX YEARS.
WILLIAM SMITH BROUGHT BACK
TO ANSWER A CHARGE
OF MURDER,
Committed in this County i'll
1874 Fatal Feud in
q Field.

William Smith. \ young man OF
about twenty-.-I~o years, IS Low on
trial in the District Court. The case
was opened yesterday, aud from gen
tlen.an who is converSant with the
facts, a STATESMAN reporter got the
following account Of the tragedy, that
resulted in the killing OF one man and
the severe wounding of several others.
The trouble grew out of source that
has led to more bloody fights in this
country than perhaps any one cause,
A HORSE RACE.
In February, 1869, there lived as
renters, on the farm of Col. John L.
Haynes, on Gilleland Creek, some ten
miles east of Austin, a family named
Needham. There were old man j John
Needham, his sons, Bob and john, and
son-in-law named BirdWell, who al
so figured in the fray. On an adjoin-
ing farm lived old man Jasper smith
and his three sons--Allan, Jim and
William-the last named being then
only IL years old.
1t appears that Jim Smith and
Frank Birdwel1 had previously disa-
greed as to the result of
a pony race, and bad
DlOOu udu Uccu cuSeuu6TcO. Ouc VI
the Smith boys had also rented piece
of ground from Col. Haynes, which
was separated by only turn-ro W from
the section cultivated by the Need
hams. A day or so after the quarrel
over the race, Needham's son-in law,
Tom Birdwell, and Allen Smith were
ploughing almost alongside each other.
The controversy was renewed, and
according to the latter's story, Bird
well drove him from the field. Any
way he went home and related to his IA
ther what had occurred. The old man
ordered him to stay at home and pro-
ceeded to the field, as he stated, to set
tie the trouble peacefully. Need
ham and his sons came up about
the same time, and also two of
Smiths sons, Jim and William.
ALL WERE ARMED
with revolvers and shot guns, except
old man Smith, and pretty soon the
fatal ball opened, AS to which side
fired first, each faction gives differ
ent version. Tom Birdwell, who was
on the stand yesterday swore that the
shooting by both parties commenced
simultaD eously. The Smiths main
tanned that old man Needham threw
down his gun on them and fired the
first shot striking Jim Smith in the
face and causing him to drop to his
knees. In this position he brought
his gun to bear on his opponent, and
at the discharge old man Needham
dropped to the ground stone dead.
The shooting then became general,
and the air was vocal with the whis-
tie of bullets till every round had been
exhausted. Jim Smith had his face
full of buck shot, while his aged father
was lying on the ground bleeding pro-
fusely with serious wound in the
thigh.
LEAVING THE COUNTRY.
IT, Smiths did not tarry long after
the i. Igedy. Whether they were
afrai>i of the vengeance of the rela-
tives Of the slain Needham, or the
legal consequences, or simply wished
to leave place full of unpleasant
associations is not known. Anyway,
after settling their affairs, the
family moved to Bell County.
William, the youngest of the
sons subsequently located in Wise
County, where he was arrested last
October and brought back to Austin.
He gave bond but is now here to
stand his trial The whereabouts of
Jim, the one who is alleged to have
killed the older Needham, is still a
mystery. He may have emigrated to
Mexico or to Canada, no one knows.
AS for the defendant 1t is not gener-
ally believed that he fired the fatal
shot. He himself says that his gun
snapped when he pulled the trigger.
His vile, fine looking young
woman, is with him. and his sentence,
if he does not come clear altogether, is
very ant to be of q LIGHT character.