DEATH OF CAPTAINS GODLEY AND HOUSE, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Susie McFarland Lemin - susl@ccms.net 19 May 2001 ***************************************************************** DEATH OF CAPTAINS GODLEY AND HOUSE "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter LXXVIII- Pages 318-322 The following is clipped from the Tyler Reporter, Dec. 9th, 1871, that contains an account of the death of these two gentlemen at the hands of brutal negroes who had been made policemen during the days of reconstruction under the admisistration of Edmond J. Davis, then Governor of Texas. It was one of the most shocking and brutal murders ever committed in Smith county, and I have copied the report as given by the Reporter in full as the best detailed account, as it was then fresh in the mind of the reporter of that paper: "On the public square of our city, last Wednesday, just at dark, Capt. F. A. Godley and Capt. R. E. House were attacked and killed by a crowd of policemen and other negroes. Our heart sickens and our pen falters at the recital. Details have been difficult to obtain, and we may err in attempting to report the affair, because rumors and statements are conflicting, and we can only give them as we hear them. On Wednesday morning there arrived here some sixteen gentlemen from Wood county, as prisoners arrested under the Ku Klux law, we believe. These arrests, we understand, are in connection with a difficulty which occurred some time ago at Quitman, in which one Brock was shot and wounded by the sheriff of that county and his posse while resisting arrest. The sheriff of Wood county and his deputies were among the prisoners brought here by the Deputy U. S. Marshal, and it is very generally believed that the plot, of which there is strong indication, was for the purpose of harm to those officers. About dark a negro policeman, Ran Johnson, met the Wood county sheriff, Mr. Williams, and demanded his pistol. The sheriff convinced him that, being an officer, he had a right to carry his pistol, though he had none at that time. We believe Capts. Godley and House were both with Sheriff Williams at that time, both being lawyers, and had been or were about being retained as counsel by the prisoners. The policeman then demanded a pistol from Capt. House, but he told them he had none. Shortly after this several of the Wood county gentlemen, accompanied by Capt. House, went from the City Hotel to Scott's saloon, where we understand, they found Capt. Godley still in conversation with the policeman, Johnson, and perhaps others. There was at this time a considerable crowd of negroes collected about the saloon and upon the street in front, apparently all much excited. Capts. Godley and House, with the Wood county gentlmen, left the saloon and started in the direction of the hotel. When they had got some seventy-five yards off, about the Southeast corner of the court yard, one of the party was missed, and was said to be back at the saloon. Several proposed to return for him, but Deputy U. S. Marshal Griffin told them to remain where they were and he would bring him. He went back, and as he came up to the crowd again with the missing man, a large crowd of negroes, policemen, etc., came up in his rear. Some one among the negroes spoke and said "There are more pistols in the crowd." Capt. House was called for by one or more of them. He answered and the negroes, one or more of them said "He's got a pistol--shoot him, damn him, shoot him!" Upon this Ran Johnson raised his gun to shoot House, when Capt. Godley caught hold of it and told him not to shoot--that there was no necessity for it. Thereupon Johnson jerked the gun from Godley and instantly shot him; and immediately turning, he shot and instantly killed Capt. House. Godley was shot in three different places, and died about 2 O'clock Thursday morning. Almost instantly after the first gun fired, there was a general and promiscuous firing by the negroes, and it is estimated that from twenty-five to fify shots were fired. If there was any firing by whites, the evidence has not revealed it, and it is said there were no arms amoung the whites. One white man got a shot in the thigh and another was shot in the foot. Two or three negroes were slightly wounded. "For several hours after the killing, excitement ran high, but there was no demonstrations of further trouble. As soon as the shooting ceased, the negroes fled in all directions, and notwithstanding the sheriff and a number of deputies were busy all night, but one arrest was made. "The next morning, as soon as Judge Norton came in, he was informed of the whole matter, and went to work in great earnestness to ferret out and have arrested the guilty parties. At the time we write, some twelve or fifteen negroes have been arrested, and an investigation was begun this morning. Many warrants have been issued, and the civil officers and citizens are working energetically and harmoniously together. "We have tried simply to tell the circumstances of this matter as we have been able to gather them, forbearing comment until a judicial investigation takes place. Much remains to be said. The lives of two valuable citizens have, as we believe, been causelessly sacrificed. What does all this mean? The answer to this question involves considerations of the gravest nature. For the present, however, we forbear." It is worthy of note here that not one of these brutal murderers were ever convicted; escaped from jail and have evaded arrest.