Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-20
An Outrage - Miami, Roberts
County, Invaded by Two
Armed MObs.
FOrcible Possession Taken of the County
and District Clerks Offce-State
Rangers Take a Hand
In. Civil Affairs, and Uphold the MOb-Serious
Charges Demandinga Prompt and Thorough
Investigation by the Governor.
MIAMI TFv- Aug. IL. 1S8a

The presence Of a posse of rangers in
Roberts county, and their recent inter-
vention in civil controversy between
citizens of this county, by virtue of some
star chamber mandate unknown to any
of our people, or their official representa-
tiyes, is deemed an occasion of sufficient
Importance to justify calling the atten-
ton Of your excelIency to this despotic
uSIEpatiou in a public manner. That
your eXCelieucy may understand why the
grievance complained Of is deemed an
Usurpation, brief statement of facts is
necessary.
As your exceIlency officially knows,
Roberts is an organized county It's
county seat Is Miami. The proceedings
by which these results were accomplished
are legally final and conclusive, and are
not subject to review in any tribunal, or
by any department Of government. 1t
has been the frequent experience of the
people of the Panhandle that attempts to
organize new counties have brought
on civil strife between settlers
and the dominant class, who
seem to consider their interests antagO-
nized by the increase of population, and
the development of the country. in this
respect the experience Of Roberts county
has not been exceptional. She has had
TO fight for her existence, and for the
advancement of her moral, material and
social interests, from the time the first
step toward organization was taken.
What wonder Is il, then, that the title of
every incumbent of Office in the county
is now the subject of contest in the dis
tTict court?
hn loo Of 20 = fCLr,T ot1
of Lipscomb county one of these election
cases was tried. The details of this trial
are not material to the purposes Of this
letter, OF subject TO review by your eX-
celency. All that is important to know
is that a judgment of custer was rem
deTed against the incumbent of the office.
From this Judgment the defendant APP
pealed. Appeal and supersedeas bonds
were rendered in apt time and
the appeal bond was verbally aC-
cepted and approved. After the
expiration of the time for appeal, to
the surprise of the defendant and his
counsel, the plaintiff and his counsel ap-
peaTed at Miami, with writ Of custer,
and demanded possession of the office.
The incumbent very naturally declined
to Weld. sent for his counsel, and after
consultation it was arranged by mutual
ment of the writ should be stayed until
It could be ascertaIned how it came to be
issued. Upon inquiry into the ciTcum-
stances. the defendant decided TO take
his case to the supreme court by writ of
error.
The writ, together with q supersedeas,
was obtained, the bonds usual and requi-
site in such eases were given and ap-
proved, all usual process was served on
all defendants, service was acknOwI-
edged, and return was made accord
ingIy. All this occurred prior TO
June 80, 1889. Pending the time which
interviewed between the demand for
the office under the writ of custer and
service of the writ of error and
sUpersedeas the contestant called up
on the county judge and demanded
ana insisted that the county commission
ers' court should DE convened in order to
administer the oath of Off ce TO him and
pass upon his bond. Being cognIzant Of
the fact that the appeal had been YER
bally accepted and approved, and having
reason to suspect chicanery N obtaining
the writ of custer, and having been
cTedibly informed that the contestant /
and his friends would remove the office |
and records Of the county from Miami if !
possession of them was obtained
County judge declined to comply with |
the request to convene the commission |
ers' court. The contestants demand /
was renewed and pressed after service /
and return of the writ of error and super /
and was refused as often as |
made for reasons already stated, and be- |
cause ne considered the effect of the steps .
taken to be to suspend the force Of the /
judgment and all process issued upon it .
until the case was decided in the supreme .
court. For the same reasons, backed by |
the advice of able council, the incumbent |
continued to hold and exercise the Of
flee.
such was the situation until August y,
1889. The day prior to the date last men
toned a captain and posse of rangers got
of the eastward bound train and pitched
camp III Miami. Early the next morning
a constable and more numerous posse,
Of the most frenZied, ludis-
Greet and irrational adherents of the fac
ton who are backing the contested cleo
ton cases, also turned Up in Miami, all
weapons upon their persons,
and backed by an arsenal of Winches-
tiers, shot-uns and pistols which they
had brought in their vehicles. On the
arrival of the clerk of the county court
in his office, and after he had opened
his safe, the constable and his posse |
stepped in. Their appearance excit-
ing the apprehension of the clerk, he
undertook TO close the safe, and was
held mp ut the point of a revolver with
a threat that if be did so he would be
shot down in his tracks. Possession of
the Office was then taken in the manner
Of robbers holding up travellers upon the
or on board a train Of cars, and
a reign Of terror was kept mp in the vicIn-
ity of the courthouse and throughout the
town al the rest of the day ana most of
the following night. A recital OF al the
incidents OF this affair would be tedious
and are unimportant, but it should be
stated that it was participated in, and in
IJs most outrageous features
was prompted and directed by
the attorney for the plain
tiT in the writ Of custer, who became
grossly inebriated, and surrounded by
his armed clients, and confronted only
by 4 deputy sheriff, who was present TO
protect the records. DISPLAYED the bravery
Of Falstan by directing the constable
TO ''clear the Office, II he had to kill and
drag ont. This occurred in the pres