| Notes |
- Jesse A. CLARK This is Jesse Allen Clark who left Van Zandt Co. about 1853 and moved to the Williamson/Bell Co. area. He possibly could have moved to Bell Co. first and then to Williamson Co. When his estate was valued in Williamson Co. 1871, it included property in Bell Co. He was married in Williamson Co. to Nancy Bradberry on Sept. 20th, 1860. Jesse lived in Williamson Co. until Dec 30, 1870 when he was killed in an argument about a dog. The young man that killed him was a Judge's son. The following write-up concerning the death of Jesse Allen was copied from a book entitled "The Texas Heritage of the Fishers and the Clarks" by O. C. Fisher. That write-up is as follows:
"My mother, Rhoda Catherine (Clark) Fisher, was the only daughter of J. Allen Clark. Her mother was Nancy C. Bradberry Clark, and she was the oldest child of James Bradberry, Sr. and Elizabeth Berry Bradberry. Elizabeth was a daughter of John and Gracie Treet Berry. Nancy Bradberry Clark was born in 1842 and died about 1875. It is believed her middle name was Grace.
Jesse Allen Clark, my mother's father, was born in Missouri, according to the 1870 census reports of Williamson County. He had three brothers Hezzie, Ben and Joe. He there listed his business as a stonemason, although he is known to have engaged in livestock and butchering business. As of 1870 the children were listed by the Census as follows:
James, age eight; Rhoda, age five (born July 19, 1864); William, age four; Frank, age two. One other Greenleaf was born December 16, 1870. All are shown to have been native Texans.
Their home was in Georgetown. Clark was an enterprising citizen and was quite active in business affairs. He is shown to have purchased four different pieces of land in and around Georgetown in the Spring and Summer of 1870.
Clark was an active member of the Masonic Order, having received his third degree in that fraternity on January 16, 1869, according to Grand Lodge records. He was Junior Warden of San Gabriel Lodge No. 89 of Georgetown at the time of his death on December 30, 1871.
Tragedy struck on Wednesday, December 28, 1870 when 20-year old Eugene Houghton shot and killed Clark. On the preceding Friday a dog belonging to Judge J.A. Houghton, Eugene's father, had chased an ox belonging to Clark, a close neighbor, and Clark had fired two shots at the pup, at least one of the shots taking effect. The dog, which had bothered the cattle repeatedly, ran home, bleeding. The Judge was in San Saba attending court at the time, and his wife promptly went to Clark's home and vigorously protested. Eugene's father did not return to Georgetown until the day Clark was killed.
After Clark shot the dog, Eugene, who with his brother, Sebron, accosted Clark at Napier's Grocery store in Georgetown and they quarreled. Witnesses quoted Clark as urging Eugene not to bother him, that he did not want to hurt him. But apparently Houghton persisted. Finally Clark grabbed him by the neck and pushed him to the floor. Three men stepped in and separated them. Eugene was led to the back of the store. There he was quoted , according to Court records, as saying he had Clark where he wanted him. He exhibited a pistol but did not get a chance to use it. Clark was warned that Houghton had a gun, but Clark commented that he was not afraid of him. Outside the store a witness said Clark picked up two rocks saying that he could defend himself with these.
During the days that preceded the fatal shooting of Clark, witnesses reported that Houghton drank considerably and appeared to be agitated and very bitter toward Clark. Then, about sundown on December 28, Houghton was seen in Napier's store, sitting on a counter. He wore a heavy Civil War overcoat, and was observed to keep his hand under the coat. A few steps away Allen Clark was talking with a man named Wright about building him a frame smoke house. After some fifteens minutes of silence, Houghton began cursing Clark, and among other things said "You are a damned scoundrel." Some witnesses said he used even more violent language. Clark replied that he was not, and when Houghton repeated his charge, Clark replied that if he was one, then Houghton was also one.
The assailant asked a man who was between him and Clark to move back, and he then slid from the counter to the floor, with his hand still held under or inside the coat. As he advanced a step or two toward the victim, the latter attempted to avoid him, but to no avail. Houghton pulled the pistol and fired from close range, the bullet striking Clark in the left chest. J. B. Napier, the grocer and an eyewitness to the killing, testified: "….Eugene pulled a six shooter from under his coat and fired. Mr. Clark fell. He said , `Oh, he has killed me. Send for my wife and send for the Doctors." Elias Cox testified that he was an eyewitness; that Clark had on his work clothes at the time and was talking to another man about work when the shot was fired. He described Clark as being about six feet, five inches in height, and "stout built".
A Dr. Walker arrived on the scene within a few minutes. At a habeas corpus hearing he testified Clark, while still lying on the floor, called the Doctor's attention to a slight wound on the tip of one of his fingers, where the bullet had grazed it. The bullet was imbedded in the victim's spinal column. Death followed on December 30, according to the indictment that was later returned against Houghton. On the following November 21 the defendant was convicted. "We the jury find the defendant guilty of manslaughter and asses two years confinement in the penitentiary," the verdict read. He served the time. Incidentally, Williamson County records reveal that Houghton was indicted for gaming on November 8, 1873, and was fined $10 and costs.
Allen Clark was a Civil War veteran. He enlisted My 14, 1862, and was a private in Company D, 16th Texas Infantry.
The tragedy left the widow and five small children. The widow qualified as Administratrix of the small estate. Her $1,300 bond was signed by Andrew Jackson Berry and John C. Compton. Compton had married a half-sister of the widow Clark's mother. Property listed included about thirteen acres of land, the homestead, and a number of lots in the city of Georgetown. In fact, one piece of land had been purchased from Judge Houghton.
The inventory of personal property included two wagons, a buggy, a water cart, two mules, three work oxen, about 20 stock cattle, 24 hogs, household and kitchen furniture and more than 60 accounts receivable, evidently from the sale of meat. The latter included an open account due Clark by Judge A. J. Houghton in the sum of $15.04.
It is evident that Allen Clark was rather generous in the granting of credit in operating his business. While the outstanding debts totaled more than $1,000, the widow reported to the court, attested by the appraisers, that the amount collectible "will hardly equal the sum probable of $500." Court records also show that Clark owned a patent right to land in Milam County and also one in Williamson County, but apparently any rights accruing to the survivors by virtue of such rights were never exercised.
My mother, who was possessed of a remarkable memory, in her nostalgic moments often talked of the deep impressions which she associated with the untimely death of her father. "My father was a Mason," she recalled, "and the local Masonic Lodge kind of took us over right after the funeral, brought us food and comforted us in every way. Father's death was an awful blow to us and we hardly knew what to do."
After news of the death of the son-in-law reached the elder Bradberry at his home on the South Llano River, he dispatched two sons Theodore and Allen to Georgetown where they brought the widow and children by wagon back to the Kimble ranch to live."
(It is not known why it took almost a year for the trial of Eugene Houghton to take place. Additionally it is not known if Judge Houghton exerted any influence on the trial delay or the relatively light sentence of two years for this murder.)
As stated in the above write-up, Jesse Allen and Nancy had five children when he was killed. Their names were: James, Rhoda, Lewis Franklin, William Jasper and Allen Greenleaf. The children and their mother were taken to Kimble Co., Texas, by their grandfather Bradberry after Jesse Allen was killed. On the census of 1880, we find the above listed child Rhoda Clark living with James Beck and Rhoda Beck in Burnet Co. This Rhoda Beck is actually Rhoda (Crockett) Beck, the daughter of James Crockett and Zelphia (Clark) Crockett. Rhoda Clark was living with her cousins. Living next door was James Crockett and Zelpha (Clark) Crockett and then living next door to them was Hezekiah Texas Clark, widowed. This was Hezekiah Texas Clark, a brother of Zelpha.
Rhoda Clark was later married to Jobe B. Fisher in Llano Co., Texas on Feb. 5, 1881. This Fisher family had come to Texas in the early 1830's when Texas was still under the control of Mexico. One of the relatives of Jobe B. Fisher was a very colorful gunfighter in Texas named John King Fisher. The following is a brief write-up concerning this King Fisher and some of the incidents in his life.
John King Fisher
John King Fisher, more commonly known as King Fisher, was born in Collin County, Texas in 1854. He was the son of Jobe Fisher and Lucinda (Warren) Fisher. He was a very close cousin to the Jobe Bazille Fisher that married Rhoda Clark, the daughter of Jesse Allen Clark. There were very close family ties and relationships between the Clark, Crockett, Fisher and Long families in the Central Texas area of Burnet, Lampasas, Bell and Williamson Counties. King was a bronco-buster, cowboy, rancher, rustler, saloon owner, livery stable partner, law officer as well as a proficient gunman. King led a somewhat unsettled life during his younger years. His mother died when he was a young boy and his father established many ranches in various parts of Texas after serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. These ranches and property belonging to his father required King to live in many locations including Collin Co., Lampasas Co., Goliad Co., and in the small community of Florence in the northwestern portion of Williamson Co. Florence is very near the point where Bell, Williamson and Burnet Co's. meet. It is in this area that many of our ancestors lived in other small communities such as Briggs, Mahomet, Patton and Bertram.
When King was a youth of 15 years, he got into trouble in Florence over a stolen horse and was arrested, but he escaped from the sheriff. He was recaptured and ultimately sentenced to two years in the penitentiary for another charge of housebreaking at Goliad. King ultimately served a term of only four months and was released. After he was released, he was employed in the "Nueces Strip" country of South Texas where he broke horses, chased Mexican bandits and learned the fine art of marksmanship. (The "Nueces Strip" is all of that land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande River. A title dispute over the ownership of this land between the Republic of Texas and Mexico raged for many years after Texas gained independence from Mexico, and during those disputes this area was only called the "Nueces Strip".) After living in this area for quite a while, King started his own ranch, the Pendencia, and became a dominant and colorful figure in the nearby border town of Eagle Pass, Texas. This is where he nailed up the famous sign at a crossroad leading to his spread. The sign read "This is King Fisher's Road, you take the other one."
A gaudy dresser, sporting fringed shirts, crimson sashes, and bells on his spurs, King became widely feared as a rustler. (The bells on spurs were also called jinglebobs.) During the 1870'' he was arrested several times in San Antonio and Uvalde for gambling, and he reputedly killed several men in skirmishes with rivals. (When asked about these killings in 1878, he stated that he was responsible for seven deaths, "not counting Mexicans." The most persistent of these unauthenticated incidents concerned an argument which arose between King and four vaqueros at a cattle pen on the Pendencia. King and several of his cowboys surprised several Mexicans stealing a horse from the cattle pen. King whacked the nearest opponent over the head with a branding iron, shot and killed a second bandit who had drawn his gun, then whirled and shot the last two bandits who were still sitting on a fence. In May of 1877 King was arrested and charged with murder concerning this event, but was successfully defended by T. T. Teel and gained an acquittal. In 1874 King had been indicted for murder and warrants were also issued for his arrest on rustling charges in various Texas Counties.
About a year earlier in Uvalde Co., King got into a violent argument with a cowboy. King pulled his pistol and shot the cowboy three times in very quick succession, killing him on the spot. During these turbulent youthful years, King was married in 1876 when he was 22 years old and eventually had four daughters. King's following years, after this marriage, were marred by frequent arrests for murder and theft, even though he was usually found not guilty or was released after the charges were dismissed. By the late 1870's, however, he had begun to smooth over his troubled youth and expand his business interests, and by 1879 his biggest problem was accidentally shooting himself in the leg.
During the two following years he was cleared of his final murder charges and in 1881 he was sworn in as Deputy Sheriff of Uvalde, Co., Texas. After serving as acting sheriff for a time, King announced his candidacy for Uvalde County Sheriff in the election of 1884. Before this election was held, King was killed along with Ben Thompson in San Antonio, Tx. on March 11, 1884. By his own reputation and past deeds, Ben Thompson was equal to, if not more notorious than King as a gunfighter in Texas. That event was described as follows:
"March 11, 1884, San Antonio, Texas"
"While in Austin on official business, King Fisher encountered an old acquaintance, Ben Thompson, and afterward, the pair visited several bars together. Thompson gave King a personalized photograph and decided to accompany him as far as San Antonio on King's return to Uvalde. On the afternoon train, the two gunfighters continued to drink in the club car and act boisterously even though King once told Ben to stop abusing a colored porter.
After arriving in San Antonio, the inebriated pair visited a saloon, saw a play at the Turner Hall Opera House, and then at about 10:30 P.M. went to the Vaudeville Variety Theatre. This was an establishment where two years earlier Ben Thompson had gotten into an argument with the owner/manager named Jack Harris. This argument eventually resulted in Ben killing Jack Harris at the Theater. King and Ben had a few more drinks at the bar, then went upstairs to a box to watch the variety show where they were joined by the bouncer named Jacob Coy, and two other men named Billy Simms and Joe Foster. Simms and Foster had been business partners of Jack Harris that Ben had killed two years earlier. Shortly after their arrival in their box, Ben vindictively referred to Harris' death then playfully stuck his gun into Foster's face and cocked the hammer. Coy jumped at Thompson and grabbed the cylinder. King stood up and said something about leaving before real trouble erupted. It was at this moment that both Ben and King were killed in a burst of smoke, flames and gunfire.
It has been strongly suggested that Coy, Simms and Foster were aided by three other assassins: a gambler called Canada Bill, a performer named Harry Tremaine and a bartender known only as McGlochland. These three men presumably armed themselves rifles and shotguns and lurked in an adjacent box in case of trouble. Thompson was struck nine times. Coy suffered a flesh wound, and Foster was shot in the leg—probably when Coy grabbed Thompson's gun. Foster's leg was amputated and he eventually died from the amputation. King never even drew his pistol. It was still in his holster after the event, but he had been shot thirteen times in the head, chest, and leg. He died on the spot with his arm across his old friend, Ben Thompson. The majority of the wounds received by Ben and King were from rifles or shotguns. Jacob Coy, Billy Simms and Joe Foster were armed only with hand guns." Thus ended the very colorful, but tragic life of John King Fisher.
(Keith Reed writes, "I very well remember growing up in Bertram, Texas, about 12 miles from Florence, the early home of King Fisher, and hearing the stories of King being from Florence. Many of my ancestors were neighbors of King Fisher's parents and knew them well. I specifically remember my father talking about family histories and the the famous sign posted at the crossroad near Uvalde, Texas, and he also remember stories told by older generations concerning the "Jinglebobs" King wore on his spurs.
It is also interesting to note that in doing further research on the ancestors of Nancy Bradberry, her line of family members tie into the Murphy family line and there is a very close kinship with Audie L. Murphy, the most highly decorated soldier in WW II.
The following is a write-up about the exploits of Audie Murphy:
Audie L. Murphy
Audie Murphy, the seventh of twelve children born to Emmett Berry Murphy and Josie Bell (Killian) Murphy, was born June 20, 1924 in Hunt Co., Texas. This birth was certainly not one that helped the dirt-poor sharecropper family in this rural area of northeast Texas. Emmett was far from the description of a good provider for his wife and family. On many occasions he simply disappeared from sight and was gone from home for weeks at a time. The entire family lived in a clapboard house with paper-thin walls, and the family later even moved into a remodeled boxcar. During the Depression, the family lived on the charity of area churches and neighbors. Audie did not begin school until he was nine years old. After five years of school, he decided to quit school and get a job to help his mother and the other children. His father had left home for good at this time. In the spring of 1941, Audie's mother died and his younger brothers and sisters were sent to an orphanage. It was at this time that Audie decided to join the military. At the tender age of 17, he tried to join the Army but was refused because of his age. In June of 1942, after his eighteenth birthday, he was finally accepted into the U.S. Army after being refused by the Navy and the Marines for being too short, (5' 5"), and underweight, (110 lbs.).
After basic training at Camp Wolters, Texas, and advanced infantry training at Ft. Meade, Maryland, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division that first saw action in North Africa. Shortly thereafter the entire division took part in the invasion of Sicily, then invaded the Italian mainland where he served through mid 1943. During the next 1½ years he distinguished himself by writing new chapters in the annals of the American infantryman heroism. While the U. S. forces systematically purged the Italian mainland of Germans, Audie displayed extraordinary courage and daring. His single-handed destruction of an enemy tank in March, 1944, merited the Bronze Star, the first of a record collection of combat decorations.
Because of his rural upbringing and his family's dependence on him to provide wild game for food, Audie was a remarkable marksman. He won many sniper duels with enemy soldiers and on many occasions he would team up with a buddy who spoke fluent German to slip behind the lines to capture soldiers to be interrogated. Even with all of this, his destiny lay ahead in the blood-soaked soil of southern France where the 3rd Division was next assigned.
After five months of constant fighting on French soil, Audie had earned the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Star's and a hoard of lesser medals, as well as two Purple Heart's for two wounds he received. These events and medals were only a dress rehearsal for his most unforgettable solo performance on January 26, 1945. By that time Audie had risen to the rank of 1st Lt., and had assumed command of his original company. During the morning hours of that day, the company faced a very strong German counter-attack by tanks and infantry. Audie and his company were about to be over-run by the larger German forces. He ordered all of his men to a nearby forest and he remained in his position to direct artillery fire that he had called for as support. The German forces were so close that he literally called the artillery fire directly on top of his position while he mounted a burning tank destroyer to operate a 50 Cal. machine gun. During the fury of the battle, he stopped wave after wave of German infantry attackers. During this battle he sustained another wound to his hip, while he dispatched over 50 of the German troops. Shortly before his 21st birthday, he received the Congressional Medal Of Honor and the French Legion of Merit, the highest decorations of the two countries. At the close of WWII, Audie was greeted in San Antonio by 250,000 cheering Texans. The shy boy from Farmersville, Texas, with the boyish good-looks was suddenly a national hero, the most decorated soldier in American history. He had been awarded thirty-three military awards, citations and decorations, including every medal for valor that America gives as well as three French and one Belgian medal.
After his arrival back in the states, a surprise invitation from actor James Cagney offered a welcome break from the hectic schedules of parades and banquets. The stay at the actor's California estate concluded with Audie choosing Hollywood over a military career or veterinary studies after he was discharged on September 21, 1945.
Although the critics applauded Audie for impressive roles in The Red Badge of Courage and To Hell and Back, the film version of his best-selling autobiography, mediocre westerns became his bread and butter. Between 1949 and 1967, the hard-working actor appeared in 44 movies, all but a dozen were westerns. In 1961 he gave television a try, but his series Whispering Smith lasted only one season.
For Audie, the rosy life of a movie star concealed a bushel of thorns. Painful souvenirs of his European experience were insomnia and stomach problems. A fourth-grade education ill prepared him for business, and he declared bankruptcy in 1968.
On May 28, 1971, a twin-engine plane plowed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in Virginia killing the pilot and all five passengers. Audie was one of the passengers. Searchers finally located the wreckage of the plane and ironically the confirmation of the death of Audie L. Murphy, WWII hero, was announced on Memorial Day, 1971, the day set aside each year to honor our soldiers who gave their lives for America.
During his service in WWII, Audie received enough medals to completely fill his chest and be designated a the most highly decorated soldier in WWII. Those decorations were: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, and Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France), World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.
All this while being only 5' 5" tall and weighing only 110 lbs.
(I have a copy of the details concerning this killing). (I also have a copy of the marriage license of Jesse and Nancy.) Jesse and Nancy had five children when he was killed. Their names were: James, Rhoda, Lewis Franklin, William and Allen Grenleaf. The children and their mother were taken to Kimble Co. by their Grandfather/Father Bradberry after Jesse Allen was killed. On the census of 1880, we find Rhoda Clark living with James Beck and Rhoda Beck in Burnet Co. This Rhoda Beck is actually Rhoda (Crockett) Beck, the daughter of James Crockett and Zelphia Clark. Rhoda Clark was living with her cousins. Living next door was James Crockett and Zelpha (Clark) Crockett and then living next door to them was H.T. Clark, widowed. This was Hezekiah Texas Clark, a brother of Zelphea.
It is interesting to note that in doing further research on the ancestors of Nancy Bradberry, her line of family members tie into the Murphy family line and there is a close kinship with Audy Murphy, the most highly decorated soldier in WW II." (Written by Keith Reed)
"He was an active member of the Masonic Order. He was a Civil War Veteran-Private, Compnay D, 16th TX Infantry. On December 28, 1872, twenty year-old Eugene Houghton shot and killed Jesse Allan. The reason was over a dog, Jesse had shot for chasing his cattle. The dog belonged to the Houghton family. Nancy and the children went to live with the Bradberrys and other relatives. " (Written by David L. Clark)
The records indicate that Jesse Allen Clark and his brother-in-law, Lewis Riddle were in the same Confederate unit. Jesse Allen must have had a pretty hard time because he is listed as being in the Holpital at two separate times with sickness. One time he hadRubella. One of the times was at Houston and the other time was at Little Rock.
Through my contacts with the Masonic Lodge in Georgetown and another lady there, I have found the burial location of Jessee Allen Clark. He was buried in the "Old Georgetown Cemetery" there is Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas.
The inscription on the stone is:
In Memory
of
Jessee Allen Clark
Born
May 17, 1840
Died
January 1, 1871
30 yrs. 7 mo. 14 dy.
|
1840 - 1871 (30 years)
