The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-25
GOV. HOGG IDOL or TEXANS.
POPULAR on THE FRONTIER AND
IN LONDON DRAWING ROOMS.
Made His Mark a. n Lad by Digging q Wen
and failing q Bad Man-Once Took n
Duchess to Ride on Top OF o London
Bus-Made n Million, Lost Most OF IL.

Mpne HIS marx a. o LNu Dy DiBBuib "Oh
and failing q BAD Man-Once Took n
Duchess to Ride on Top OF q London
Bus-Made n Million, Lost Most OF H.
QUrrMAN, Tex, March 24.-The older
residents Of Quitman and Of this county tell
many stories about the late Gov. j. s. Hogg.
Mr.. Hogg spent his boyhood in ouitmau
and worked upon farms hereabouts.
The town we'll in Quitman was dug by
him more than thirty years ago. A local
merchant wanted a we'll dug in front Of his
store, and one morning was looking Tor
some one to do the work. Hogg, who was
then q strapping boy Of 10 or IT, told the
merchant that he would dig the well.
He was hired and paid at the rate OF II
q day for tho work, He struck q fine vein
Of pure, freestone water at a depth OF about
thirty feet, and it Is to this day one OF the
best wells ~hereabouts. 1t Is known as the
jim Hogg well.
Quitf1an is still situated several miles from
a railroad, and in those days 1t was in what
were known as the back woods 81 east
Texas. There were many lawless charac-
tiers in the county, and the peace officers
were unable to keep them under control.
On one occasion Hogg, who was then
about 10, was called upon to aid in preserv-
ing the law in Quitman. A band Of desper-
ate outla We had come into town and held
the merchants and the people generally
in a state Of terror. The desperadoes
had closed the principal store and were
walking the streets with a boastful air OF
possession.
Hogg first opened the store which had
been closed by order Of the outlaws. He
then armed himself with a rifle end started
out to capture the leader Of the gang. He
ran into the man he was looking for just
as he turned a corner of the court house
square.
Before Hogg could place the man under
arrest the outlaw struck him on the head
with a pistol, knocking him down. Hogg
quickly got up with the rife in his hands
and, getting the drop on the desperate,
made him throw up his hands and marched
him in front Of him to the county Jail, where
he was locked up.
His act received high praise from the
law abiding element Of the community, but
it came near being the cause Of his losing
his life afterward. He was full of fun in
those days. He was a social favorite
throughout the county, and attended every
country dance for many miles around.
A few weeks after he had captured the
leader OF the gang Of outlaws he was in
vited to attend a country hoe-down in a
remote part OF the county. He went alone
from Quitman, but met q pretty country
lass Of the locality where the dance was
to be held and took her along for his
company. The dance was in progress when
young Hogg arrived.
His first glance around the room toldh him
that he was not in the company Of friends.
Almost every man present belonged to the
gang Of outlaws whose leader he had ar
rested only a short time before. He deter
mined to stick it out and no man present
was more jovial and full of fun.
The dance was given in q double log
cabin and toward the close Of the dance
Hoge had occasion to leave the DOM for a
moment. He had no sooner placed his foot
outside the doorway than some person
pressed the muzzle Of a pistol against his
back and fred a bullet into his body. He
fell to the ground unconscious and was
picked up by the girls present and carried
into the room and placed upon a bed.
He lay in that log cabin for several weeks
>hovering between life and death.
A few years later young Hogg was elected
District Attorney and had the satisfaction
of prosecuting several Of the outlaws.
One Of Hogg's boyhood companions in
Quitman was Bill Mcdonald, the Texas
Ranger commander, who has put more
notches on his gun while in the perform
ance OF his duty than any other man in the
Southwest. They grew up together and
were fast friends until a political campaign
brought about a separation.
Mcdonald was made deputy sheriff two
OF three years after this. Hogg had been
elected District Attorney and was living
at Tyler, Smith county. Mcdonald cleaned
up all the criminals In Wood county, and
looking for more worlds to conquer went
over into Smith county, where a band OF
outlaws were raiding farms, driving OF
cattle and horses and committing many
acts Of lawlessness. In a fight with them
Mcdonald shot down the leader of the out
laws. The other members Of the gang fed
and he recovered a bunch Of stolen horses
and cattle which they had in charge.
The Smith county authorities were angry
because he had entered their. territory.
Mcdonald, remembering his quarrel with
Hogg, supposed that Hogg would take adj
vantage Of his power as District Attorney
to make trouble for him for having killed
the outlaw. He did not know Hogg.
When Hogg learned that the case against
Mcdonald was to be taken up by the Grand
Jury he went before that body and de-
clared that IL an indictment was returned
against Mcdonald he would have the case
dismissed in court.
when I heard what jim Hogg had
done,' Capt. Mcdonald said the other day
in discussing the matter, Il went to him
and extended my hand saying; Jim,
there's no use In you and being enemies;
let's shake hands and make up
We'll, sir, Hogg grabbed my hand and
wrlng it with his usual hearty grasp, He
declared that he was mighty glad that we
were friends again. He said he never had
| felt hard toward me-
These two men remained warm friends
ever afterward. When Hogg was elected
Governor Capt. Mcdonald was a peace
officer In one OF the Panhandle counties.
He let II be known that he wanted to be
| appointed captain Of one OF the Ranger
! companies.
He had been making a fight against some
big cattle thieves in the Panhandle, and
these men got up q big protest against his
appointment. Mcdonald went to Austin
and old Hogg what he wanted.
Il haven't any recommendation Capt.
Mcdonald said, sbut IL YOU want them /