Honey Stolen down by the Creek!
Mar 4, 2021 15:17:40 #
It was in the late afternoon, along Clear Creek, sometime in July or August. The year could have been 1890 or any time up until the early 1900’s. He had been working in the fields that ran along the creek that was part of the Alexander W. Samples farm. No one now living remembers the details of exactly what took place that fateful afternoon so long ago.
It was in the 1960’s, that a rumor was bandied about that an oil well was going to be drilled on the A. W. Samples’ farm. Quoting my mother, there were two old “nesters” who were worried as to whether the well would disturb the grave. Up until then no one living was sure of who, or where such a grave was located. It was rumored to have been in the wooded area that was a remote section of the Alexander W. Samples farm.
Since this was all news to me, it raised my curiosity, so I called Shirley Mann Price, who was both a high school classmate and an expert in the genealogy of the various families all around the area of Dye Mound, I called and asked her. According to Shirley at the time, there had been a man who had been condemned to be executed in Denton, Texas and after he had been hung there in Denton, there was no family member to claim his body. A Good Samaritan in the audience stepped forward and took the body, claiming that he thought he knew some relatives up further north, around Nocona or Bowie.
After travelling all day, late in the evening this Good Samaritan arrived at A.W. Samples’ farm. He was welcomed in and had supper and was given a place to sleep that night. The next morning, he confessed to Alexander that he did not know any of the deceased’s relatives after all. Alexander then is reported to have said, “Well, take it down there in a grove of trees on the back side of the farm and bury it, it will not be disturbed there.”
Sometime later, I am travelling on business in West Texas and go through Lubbock, so I take time to visit my cousin Roxie Belle Samples Reynolds. During our conversation, I ask Roxie about this story, and I repeated what Shirley had told me. Roxie said that is not correct. What really happened was this.
A young man and a woman got passionate in a corn field by the creek. Later, when she went home, she had to confess to her husband what had happened. The husband, rather than grabbing his shotgun to settle accounts, instead he cunningly went around to all the neighbors and said, “Do we want to have a rapist living among us?” This was clear evidence of some wisdom on his part. A shotgun solution could easily have set off a long lasting feud at the expense of many more lives.
So, a decision was made to hold a kangaroo court, which would meet at the picnic grounds down by the same creek to decide what should be done about this terrible crime. News was passed around and when the meeting was to occur, the children saw several ropes hanging from the trees on the creek bank and asked about them. They were told there would be some swings made later.
The court was held, the young man found guilty, and he was hung without any further delay. His body was then buried in the wooded section of the A.W. Samples farm. Well, several questions arose over this event. Who was this young man? Was he a relative of the Samples, or a hired hand? What was the relationship between the young man and the woman? Had they known each other prior to her marriage? If the young man and the woman had been lovers before her marriage, it would have shed a different light on the event.
No one now living knows any of the details of this incident. It is possible that because the woman was delayed long past when she should have arrived back home, and perhaps her hair and clothing were disarray, it was obvious something had happened, and she was forced to confess all her husband. If she had returned and had time to have gotten herself back together and fixed supper, she might not have confessed to the affair. No one knows.
What was the explanation of several ropes in the trees on the creek bank? Were they there to intimidate relatives or friends of the young man? No doubt there were some men there with shotguns to keep everything calm and orderly. I can only assume the extra ropes were there just in case more than one individual would be condemned as well because of their protesting the judgement of the rapist.
Roxie would not admit she had been an eye witness to this event, nor say she knew who the condemned man was, whether he was a relative, or just a hired hand.
The condemned man, if he had any inkling of the planned kangaroo court, could have easily escaped to Indian Territory and saved his life, since this community lay only about 30 miles from the state line.
In the past 5 or so years, I have driven out and visited the Alexander W. Samples farm, which is now owned by another high school classmate. There is nothing existing there to show evidence of a family homestead. It is grown up with tall weeds and stands on a ridge. There is an oil well and production equipment off in the distance on the right side but beyond any trees.
Looking East there is another ridge and that was the farm of an older brother, John Samples’ farm that is approximately ½ mile away. None of this land still is in the hands of any of my relatives. As far as I know all the rest of the players in this drama long ago are restring in the Dye Mound Cemetery. Just Sayin…RJS
It was in the 1960’s, that a rumor was bandied about that an oil well was going to be drilled on the A. W. Samples’ farm. Quoting my mother, there were two old “nesters” who were worried as to whether the well would disturb the grave. Up until then no one living was sure of who, or where such a grave was located. It was rumored to have been in the wooded area that was a remote section of the Alexander W. Samples farm.
Since this was all news to me, it raised my curiosity, so I called Shirley Mann Price, who was both a high school classmate and an expert in the genealogy of the various families all around the area of Dye Mound, I called and asked her. According to Shirley at the time, there had been a man who had been condemned to be executed in Denton, Texas and after he had been hung there in Denton, there was no family member to claim his body. A Good Samaritan in the audience stepped forward and took the body, claiming that he thought he knew some relatives up further north, around Nocona or Bowie.
After travelling all day, late in the evening this Good Samaritan arrived at A.W. Samples’ farm. He was welcomed in and had supper and was given a place to sleep that night. The next morning, he confessed to Alexander that he did not know any of the deceased’s relatives after all. Alexander then is reported to have said, “Well, take it down there in a grove of trees on the back side of the farm and bury it, it will not be disturbed there.”
Sometime later, I am travelling on business in West Texas and go through Lubbock, so I take time to visit my cousin Roxie Belle Samples Reynolds. During our conversation, I ask Roxie about this story, and I repeated what Shirley had told me. Roxie said that is not correct. What really happened was this.
A young man and a woman got passionate in a corn field by the creek. Later, when she went home, she had to confess to her husband what had happened. The husband, rather than grabbing his shotgun to settle accounts, instead he cunningly went around to all the neighbors and said, “Do we want to have a rapist living among us?” This was clear evidence of some wisdom on his part. A shotgun solution could easily have set off a long lasting feud at the expense of many more lives.
So, a decision was made to hold a kangaroo court, which would meet at the picnic grounds down by the same creek to decide what should be done about this terrible crime. News was passed around and when the meeting was to occur, the children saw several ropes hanging from the trees on the creek bank and asked about them. They were told there would be some swings made later.
The court was held, the young man found guilty, and he was hung without any further delay. His body was then buried in the wooded section of the A.W. Samples farm. Well, several questions arose over this event. Who was this young man? Was he a relative of the Samples, or a hired hand? What was the relationship between the young man and the woman? Had they known each other prior to her marriage? If the young man and the woman had been lovers before her marriage, it would have shed a different light on the event.
No one now living knows any of the details of this incident. It is possible that because the woman was delayed long past when she should have arrived back home, and perhaps her hair and clothing were disarray, it was obvious something had happened, and she was forced to confess all her husband. If she had returned and had time to have gotten herself back together and fixed supper, she might not have confessed to the affair. No one knows.
What was the explanation of several ropes in the trees on the creek bank? Were they there to intimidate relatives or friends of the young man? No doubt there were some men there with shotguns to keep everything calm and orderly. I can only assume the extra ropes were there just in case more than one individual would be condemned as well because of their protesting the judgement of the rapist.
Roxie would not admit she had been an eye witness to this event, nor say she knew who the condemned man was, whether he was a relative, or just a hired hand.
The condemned man, if he had any inkling of the planned kangaroo court, could have easily escaped to Indian Territory and saved his life, since this community lay only about 30 miles from the state line.
In the past 5 or so years, I have driven out and visited the Alexander W. Samples farm, which is now owned by another high school classmate. There is nothing existing there to show evidence of a family homestead. It is grown up with tall weeds and stands on a ridge. There is an oil well and production equipment off in the distance on the right side but beyond any trees.
Looking East there is another ridge and that was the farm of an older brother, John Samples’ farm that is approximately ½ mile away. None of this land still is in the hands of any of my relatives. As far as I know all the rest of the players in this drama long ago are restring in the Dye Mound Cemetery. Just Sayin…RJS
Mar 4, 2021 16:47:47 #
Mar 4, 2021 17:29:28 #
Mar 4, 2021 20:05:15 #
[quote=E.pa.al]read it the first time in ur book,just as interesting the 2nd time👍👍[/tquote]
thank you for buying my book. MY Stories is now available for $22.00 since the printer raised their prices. Just Sayin...RJS
thank you for buying my book. MY Stories is now available for $22.00 since the printer raised their prices. Just Sayin...RJS
Mar 4, 2021 20:10:09 #
Mar 4, 2021 20:14:18 #
E.pa.al wrote:
Then I must buy it!!
Let me know if u need my address again
Let me know if u need my address again
Yes, Please send it. I don't want to send it to the wrong individual. Just Sayin....RJS
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