The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-07
a NOTED TEXAS FEUD.
The Jay Bird Woodpecker Con.
tests Recalled.
ALL THE PARTICIPANTS NOW DEAD

The Killing OF Deputy Marshal Smith
Removes the Last Of Those Who
Took Part in NumberIcss Fatal
Shooting ARRAYS.
RICHMOND, Tex, Nov. 7.-Insultet
because white men entered the car re
served for negroes near Gainesville. Tex.
one negro, who was afterwad killed
fatally shot United States Deputy Mar
shall Thomas c. Smith The latter dice
of his wounds last evening.
The killing of Deputy Marshal Smith
removes one of the last central figures OF
Ia Texas feud. Almost score of widows
and several score of fatherless children
owe their condition to Smith, for during
mis- lifetime he committed many muir
'ders-at least, he killed many men.
His death recalls the notorious Jaw
Bird and Wookpecker feud of this Fort
Bend county. The Jay Bird faction was
composed of the white Democracy of the
county, while the Woodpecker party
embraced white officeholders whb had
been elected with the aid of negro votes.
and who controlled the politics of the
county. 1t was the desire to wrest the
county from alleged misrule on the part
of some of the Woodpecker officers that
brought about the conflict.
Feeling grew so intense that personal
encounters were numerous, and every
body in Richmond went armed. While
going home one night Henry Frost, WHIT
was known as king of the jaw Birds, was
shot. This added fuel to the fire, and a
general fight seemed inevitable, but was
suppressed. Next came the killing
of Ed Gibson by Kyle Terry, nephew OF
Judge Terry. The whole of south Texas
denounced this murder. Finally, in the
of $780, the feud eliminated in
the battle on the streets of Richmond.
Several were wounded and the Wood.
pecters driven from the county. leav.
ing the Jay Birds in full possession.
The Final Fight.
James Carney was sheriff of South
Bend county and had killed man named
Sherrard. Under him was Tom Smith
and another deputy named Mason. On
the day of the final fight, as Garvey was
coming out of the court house the ball
opened by fusilade from the JAY Birds,
and Carney fell mortally wounded.
Smith, Mason, Wesley, Parker and
others of the Woodpecker faction al
once got into action. Smith grabbed
Garvey's carbine, after he had been shot
down, and went to work with telling
effect, killing Henry Frost, the Jay Bird
king, and wounding several others,
among them being Volney Gibson.
brother of the one assassinated by KYLE
Terry.
When the fight ended Garvey, Frost.
ex-Sheriff Blakeley and negro were
lead, and j. W. Parker, lawyer, who
the Jay Birds held responsible for all the
trouble, Deputy Sheriff Mason, Volnes
Gibson and Texas ranger was wounded
BY the Jay Birds, and the Woodpeckers
at once became exiles. Then followed
the wholesale arrest of the citizens OF
Richmond by the United States author
tiles. When the cases came up in Gal.
weston both sides were on hand, and as
Kyle Terry entered the court house at
he was shot to death by Vol
ley Gibson. Volney Gibson died of
and now Tom Smith is
lead, leaving virtually none of the
lctual participants in the feud. A
strange and sudden fatality has over
aiken them all.