The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1904-07-08
DEATH OF u. w. DAVIS.
Tetanus Results from Accidental
Shooting in Foot. and Victim
Passes Away Under Great
Suffering.

n3m utlleso ehpt5ob' the ShkiTt
load OF squirrel shot with which ii
was loaded passing into his foot
The wound was dressed by To-
cal physician, and later DR.. John
IaurY, of Memphis, was called 10
aud be also dressed II, and it was
supposed by his family aud friends
that Mr.. Davis was getting along
as we'll a. could be expected and
that he would recover and not 50
much as lose his foot.
The ways of Providence, how
ever, are inserutabIe. Ten days
after the accident tetanus set in and
in 4 few hours our friend and iel-
low eiLizeD was a corpse.
The life Of D. w. Davis has been
an eyentfuI one. He has been
prominent in the history Of this
county, and many most interesting
"reminiscences arc told OF him IN
connection with the public affairs
of this county.
d. w. Davis was born in St.
Francis county, Arkansas, Deem
Der 8, 1888. He was son OF Cor.
neIius, a brother Of John NJ. aud
Il. J. Davis, Mrs. John c. Lynch
aud Mrs. + D. Hayden, OF Arizona,
and q halt brother of James NJ. Da-
Wis, formerly of this county. He
was related TO tho Hon Jefferson
Davis, President Of the Confedera.
cy, and was an exemplary citizen,
who took Z lively interest in all
affairs which effected the people.
His father came to this county
from Kentucky in 1928, and our
subject was reared in the wilds OF
tn Is territory at that time. He
sp. mt great doal OF his life in the
hunt and chase, and it Is remarka.
bic that he was always so careful
with his guns and that At last he
should lose his life accidentally by
his own hand.
Mr.. Davis had meagre school ad
vantages in his younger days, but
as he grew older, and greater OPP
portunities presented themselves,
he took advantage Of them, and al
his death there was perhaps not 8
better posted man in this county
He taught school and earned the
means TO take him through college
and finally took course in civil
engineering in Mckendrie college
From Biographical and Histori
cal Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas
we learn that subsequently be went
to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and
took part in the border warfare il
Missouri and Kansas. He ther
followed surveying in Nebras K,
for short time, when he returned
10 this county and held several pc
liGoal positions.
When his country called to armi
he enlisted IN the Crittenden Ran
gers, the first company raised il
Arkansas. A few months later h,
aided Marsh Walker in raising hi
regiment, of which be was mad,
captain and commissary.
After the war Mr. Davis cam
home, took up the practice of law
but soon resumed farming, and wa
later engaged TO some extent il
politics.
In 1873 he was president of tn
Board of Supervisors of this coun
", position which at that tim,
was about the same as that Of coun
ty Judge. The county seat was a
Madison at that time, and Their
was an unsuccessful effort 10 re
move the courthouse to this town
1t had repeatedly failed. Unde
the law 1t could not be moved, anC
Mr.. Davis and Capt. John Parham
now deceased, invented q schem,
by which it could be lawful,
done, and did II one night Will
the inhabitants were asleep ant
without their consent. The thin:
was done by an order of Presiden
d. Davis, that the corporate limit