Freestone County, Texas History News of 1877 The Dallas Weekly Herald January 13, 1877 Page: 1 TEXAS has the railroad mania, the State is being grid-ironed with railroads. Luckily there is method in the mania and shrewd calculation, as iron and all railroad plant is cheaper than it has ever been. A first-class road is now about to be built from Palestineby-way of Fairfield to Waco, at the cost of only $10,000 a mile. Wish the fever would break out in Louisiana. [New Orleans Times] =========================================================== The Dallas Weekly Herald March 10, 1877 Wortham. ------------- A Prominent Citizen Aroused, Called to His Door and Shot down in Cold Blood - The Unknown Assasin Escapes, but is Being Pursued Special to The Herald WORTHAM, Texas, March 2. - Our neighborhood has been electrified and horrified by the brutual assassination of one of our most respected citizens, in the person of Dr. J. S. Webb, who lived five miles east of this place, at 8 o'clock last night. He was aroused by some unknown person, and upon appearing at his door was shot down in cold blood, falling without a word. Only a glimpse of the assassin was caught as he was making his escape, and the most vigorous search has, as yet, met with no success. The cause is supposed to be an old feud of long expanse in the neighborhood, and well known to all in this section.. =========================================================== The Dallas Weekly Herald March 17, 1877 Page: 4 The State Over The Waco, Palestine and Fairfield Railroad drags a little. No enthusiasm and less money. =========================================================== The Dallas Weekly Herald May 26, 1877 Page: 2 The people of Freestone county will soon decide the question of local option in that county. The question presents itself squarely before them, and it will elicit a vote of all parties at all interested on either side. =========================================================== The Dallas Weekly Herald July 28, 1877 Page: 4 The State Over Freestone County - On Wednesday of last week; at Davids' mills, a Mr. Bugg was killed by his brother-in-law, Adams, for abusive language in reference to Adam's mother. Adams made his escape -- On Saturday, the 14th, at Woodland, Mr. Haralson was killed by Mr. W. P. Johnson. The Freestone Herald did not learn the particulars. -- Plenty of rain has fallen just when most needed. -- The corn crop is secure and abundant, and cotton is growing finely -- The district conference of the Methodist Episcopal church met in Cotton Gin on Wednesday, the 25th. =========================================================== The Dallas Weekly Herald December 8, 1877 Page: 6 The State Over Freestone County - Fairfield Reporter: A serious difficulty occurred at Woodland last Sunday evening. A young man named Whittaker got intoxicated and boisterous and rode his horse twice into the grocery store kept by P. E. Waters. Mr. Whittaker was put out by parties both times, and the last time he drew his knife and tried to re-enetr, but was prevented from doing so. Being ordered away by Mr. Waters, Mr. Whittaker started off from the house, but when Mr. Waters came out afterward, Whittaker turned round and was walking up to Mr. Waters with a knife in his hand, when Mr. Waters struck him on the side of the head with a gun inflicting, it is feared, a mortal wound. Up to Wednesday noon Mr. Whittaker was still insensible from the blow, and had considerable fever. The wounded man is a stranger about Woodland, not even his first name being known. He is apparently not over twenty-five. The only paper found on his person was a bill of goods bought of Mr. J. J. Beckham, of Mexia. =========================================================== Galveston News (of Galveston, Texas) - December 10, 1877 A Murder at Wortham Wortham, Dec. 3, 1877 This community was terribly shocked this afternoon by the murder of the town marshal Jackson Barfield. In a difficulty with three desperate characters, Alf. Rushing, F. P. C???ter and Haror Scruggs. The shooting of Marshal Barfield was done by Alf. Rushing, who shot him while the Marshal’s back was turned towards him. There are now five indictments pending in Corsicana against him for cattle-stealing, and he is …. =========================================================== Galveston News (of Galveston, Texas) - Friday, December 14, 1877 Page: 4 HOTEL ARRIVALS TREMONT HOTEL F[rank] G. Gullette, Fairfield =========================================================== Galveston News (of Galveston, Texas) - December 17, 1877 The Late Murder of the Town Marshal at Wortham Wortham, Dec. 8, 1877 ...asked them, in a friendly manner, ... to raise a disturbance and to be ... quiet. The marshal was not ac-... to his face of having taken the ... .. murder perpetrated in our ... Monday, causing each citizen to ... with horror at its barbaric ... lack of provocation. . Rushing, Scruggs and C ... To town, armed with ...