The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-04
SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR OIL
GIN AND THEIR COWARD
LY MURDERS.
IN Old CONFEDERATE DEF|ES THEM.
Governor Culberson Waited Upon by
Witnesses in the Ford Case and Re
quested to Keep Rangers in San
Saba-Interesting Interviews.

Judge John Seiders, county judge OF
San Saba county, a witness in the Ford
and Trowbridge cases, is in the city,
stopping with his mother at ZIG Spring
street. He is native of Austin, hav-
ing been born at Seders' Springs, in the
northern part of the city, but he took
Horace Greelys advice some eighteen
years ago and went west, and as he was
the foreman of the grand jury that in
dicted Ford and Trowbridge in 1895, he
in Thursday to testify as to the truth
and varacity of some of the material wit
nesses in these cases.
1t seems the grand jury reduced the
torney was thus enabled to keep up with
the witnesses, although a new man in the
case.
From Judge Soldiers the Statesman
country postoffce about eighteen miles
northwest of San Saba town, the county
seat of San Saba county, and near the
corners of McCulloch, Brown, Mills and
San Saba counties on the Colorado river,
had it's origin in 1SS3-S4, when cattle
were worth from S25 to $50 per head,
range delivery.
At that ume there was considerable
stealing of cattle and horses in those
counties, and the festive fence cutter
was also plying his nippers occasionally
when some man chose to enclose a large
pasture with barbed wire fence.
This lawless element in the west, many
of whom were transient renegades from
older counties and other states stole cat
tie and horses, burned out the owners
brands and placed new brands on them.
The stockmen and small farmers found
it necessary to pursue them and recover
their property. Knowing that they had
desperate men to contend with, the stock
men found it necessary to carry winches-
ters with them to protect their own lives.
The thieves or "rustlers" would be in
dicted by the grand juries for theft of
the stock. but there was always some
"Bil Smith" or Jack Jones" that gave
a bill of sale to the indicted rustler. and
he could without trouble prove by his
crowd that Bill Smith or Jack Jones gave
the bill of sale After repeated at
tempts to convict the thieves and the
consequent failure through testimony of
ready witnesses, the stOckmen appealed
to the commissioners court in 1886, ask
ing them to employ additional counsel
to assist the district attorney. The
Ward now of Austin, and w. NJ Ali
son, now judge of the Thirty-third (San
Saba district to assist in the prosecu-
ton. Some of the thieves were con-
victed, some fled the country and some
of them were killed by unknown persons,
and following this some of the stockmen
were shot from ambush The thieves
called the stockmen ''the mob and as
they frequently carried their winchesters
to protect their lives, it was soon taken
for granted that every man who carried
gun on his saddle was one of the mob.
After cattle burning ceased and the
most daring thieves had been sent to
the penitentiary, or run out of the coun-
try, designing persons with petty spite
at some man, would write him note or
get few friends to go with him to his
house and order him to leave the coun-
try on short notice. and then call them
selves "the mob" AS the first men who
were ordered out were shot at from am
bush if they failed to 90 as directed,
others receiving orders left, fearing as
sassnation. Several of the stockmen
who had taken an active part in prose-
cutting the thieves were ordered off, and
while some refused to go, others left,
thinking their lives in danger.
While there have been some fifteen
men killed during a period of ten years
in the counties of Brown, McCullOch.
Mills and San Saba in the neighborhood
and within ten miles of where Turner
was killed, it is well known fact that
the matter is greatly exaggerated and
that in many cases personal difficulties.
resulting in the death of one or more of
the participants, has been charged up
as the work of the mob. 1t developed
in the trial of Ford that one Davenport
had been killed, and from the testimony
heard one would suppose he was killed
in San Saba county, when in fact he was
killed in Mills county.
A detachment of rangers has been sta
toned in that section since last Septem-
Der, when one Henderson was shot from
ambush by two men. From the testimo-
ny brought out in Judge Morris court. it
is thought that the good citizens of San
Saba and adjoining counties. who seem
to be so overwhelmingly in the majority,
ii
enforce the laws and that the rangers
under Capt. Sullivan. who has done such
efficient service, will be sent to another
portion of the state. One noticeable
feature and one thing often heard spoken
of was the apparent friendlness of the
majority of the witnesses attending this
trial. About forty of them. some known
as mob" and some known as 'anti-
mob" headed by Judges Ray and Seiders.
called on Governor Culberson Friday
evening and requested him to retain the
rangers in San Saba county until after
the April term of court. when they hoped
the local officers would be able to keep
down further trouble.
A statesman reporter yesterday also
met Mr.. J. H. Dougherty, an old confed-
crate veteran. and a member of Pickett's
division. He was in the famous Gettys-
burg charge and during the war was
wounded six times. He is an educated
man and while recovering from wounds
in the hospital he was made dispensary
clerk because of his knowledge of Latin
Talking TO the reporter yesterday, he
said:
II moved to Texas in 1876 and re-
manned in Waco two months. and then
moved to San Saba county. where have
lived ever since 1t was fouad out some
how that knew the nature of drugs and
people began to call me doctor and to call
me in when sick, and | have done the
best | could for them in a country where
it has been impossible to get doctors
promptly"
DO you know anything of this mob
Sn offan Spokpn of durinp Enrd'S ,,;,I -"