Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 8, Number 1, January 1998 Page: 20
48 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal
been tending cattle in a field near a Mrs. Miller's. Mrs. Miller heard noise from the
Thanheiser house and noticed that Thomas was missing. Thomas eventually was found
guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Stevenson employed counsel for Thomas and named wit-
nesses, but none were summoned. The agent described Thomas as a "man of very little in-
telligence, almost a fool, and is generally thought guilty, by both black and white, though
he strenuously denies the charge." Stevenson could see no cause for any interference. He
noted that a petition was being circulated to change the sentence to life imprisonment, a
move which he supported.41
In a case where the evidence and testimony was in conflict, William Lucius
Adkins, a white man, was charged with raping Eva Helling, who was also white. Helling
claimed once that Adkins had raped her, and at another point that he had not. The defense
proved that she was "a woman of bad repute," and Adkins was acquitted. In yet another
rape case, an Irishman, Patrick Gibbon, was accused of assault and attempted rape upon
a freedwoman, but the grand jury returned no indictment. Although Stevenson had a
warrant issued for Gibbon's rearrest, he had been released even before the adjournment of
the grand jury, and had not been heard from since.42
The most common form of violent crime was assault and battery. Normally,
such crimes were committed by one freedman against another, or by a white against a black;
rarely was a black accused of an assault against a white. As might be imagined, freedmen,
aware of how the judicial system would respond, responded to insults cautiously. Whites
had equal faith in the judicial system, though in the opposite direction. When a freedman
named Andrew Jackson protested about how a white man misused his mules, he was
attacked with a piece of iron. The white man was fined $10. Neither were freedwomen
immune to physical abuse. When Melia Anderson attempted to retrieve clothing and
household furniture from her previous dwelling, she was struck with a rocking chair and
forcibly removed.43
There were many threats, within and across racial lines, to kill people. In cases
involving two black men, convictions resulted in fines for the individuals. When H. Taylor
became drunk and threatened to cut S. Hunter's head off, besides being "abusive and
indecent, " the justice of the peace fined him $10 and court costs. In a strange complaint,
one black man ordered another black man out of his yard, but the individual refused to
leave. To induce him to vacate the premises, the owner attempted to throw a bucket of
41 Louis W. Stevenson to Charles A. Vernou, October 31, 1868, Assistant Commissioner, Operations
Reports, S-326, BRFAL, RG 105, National Archives.
42 Louis W. Stevenson to Charles A. Vernou, October 31, 1868, Assistant Commissioner, Operations
Reports, S-326, BRFAL, RG 105, National Archives.
43 Complaints, Field Records, vol. 75, pp. 1-2, 4, BRFAL, RG 105, National Archives; Statement
of Melia Anderson, January 24, 1866, before Byron Porter, Unlisted Letters, 1865-1866, M821, Reel 17.20
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View 25 pages within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 8, Number 1, January 1998, periodical, January 1998; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151402/m1/20/?q=nesbitt%20memorial%20library%20journal&rotate=90: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.