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- Reese. John Walter
Death of J. Walter Reese
Dies of Injuries Received in Auto Accident Five Weeks Ago at El Paso
News was received here early Friday morning that J. Walter Reese, son of late Sheriff S. H. Reese of this county and Mrs. Reese of Columbus, had died the previous evening at El Paso, as a result of injuries received five weeks previous in an automobile accident. The remains were brought here Saturday afternoon on the Sunset Limited and followed by a large concourse of sympathizing relatives and friends of the family, were laid to rest in the Odd Fellows' Cemetery west of town. Rev. Garrard, Baptist minister of Columbus, officiating. Due to the exceedingly disagreeble weather prevalent at the time, many friends of the family were prevented from attending the funeral.
Mr. Reese, if we mistake not, was born and reared in this county. He lived to young manhood in Colorado county, then moved to El Paso, where for a number of years he was captain of detectives and police inspector. He was about 40 years of age at the time of his death. He was well and favorably known to many Colorado county people, who deeply and sincerely regret his death. He leaves a mother and three sisters to mourn his death, to whom our heartfelt sympathy is extended.
Weimar Mercury, December 19, 1919 Submited by Deborah Smith
John wrote a book himself titled "Know or Listen to Those Who Know". Published in 1962 Probably summited by Lillian or her sister Nuddie since John would of been dead for some time.
Taken from the book Trails and Trials of a Texas Ranger. Written by: William Warren Sterling In September of 1899, Captain Brooks and several of his men attended court in Colorado Co., TX at Columbus. They were ordered there at the request of the district judge, who feared a new outbreak of the Reese-Townsend feud. Order was maintained and both parties were disarmed. Adjutant General Scurry reported, “ If it had not been for the continual searching for arms by the rangers, it is certain that trouble would have occurred.’’ General Scurry continues: Since the spring of 1899, detachments of Rangers have been frequently called for by the officials of Colorado and Bastrop Counties and once by the officials of Wharton County, for the purpose of preventing a fight between the Reese and Townsend factions, of Colorado and Lavaca Counties, respectively. Whenever one of the Reese party had trouble with one of the Townsend party, the former would make a call for their kinsmen to assemble at Columbus. Before they could gather as a rule, the Rangers by request of the civil authorities would reach there in time to prevent trouble between the two parties. In the latest fight between the clans, Jim Townsend killed Richard Burrell Rees. (Lillian Reese writes that Jim Townsend with as many as 20 others ambushed Richard Burrell Reese and his Negro driver as they approached the bridge coming into Columbus, killing both of them. Richard was from Orange County and had not been involved in the feud, he had come to Columbus to check on his widowed sister-in-law, wife of Samuel Houston Reese, whom had been murdered by the Townsends in the streets of Columbus). He was indicted for his murder, and on a change of venue, his case was sent to Bastrop County. When the principals, witnesses and kinsmen of the defendant and the deceased arrived there, another fatal clash occurred. Walter Reese and his party killed Arthur Burford and wounded Will Clements, both members of the Townsend faction. The Rangers present were not in sufficient numbers to keep the parties disarmed. However, within twenty minutes of the killing, Captain Brooks and his men arrested and put in jail seventeen of the Reese kinsmen. Lt. William Bates was stationed at the door of the courthouse to prevent the Townsend clan from entering. When they started up the steps the Ranger said, “ That’s far enough boys. This is the end of the line.’’ ( I would like to note that from the reading of the book 10 Texas Feuds by C. L. Sonnichens and Family Feuds of Colorado Co. by Lillian Estelle Reese, that there were three members of the Townsend party in the street that day Will Clements, Arthur Burford, Howard Townsend. Will Clements was Walter Reese’s target that day. When he approached them in the street in front of the Iron Front Saloon and told Will Clements to draw his gun, at this Howard Townsend ran off, when Walter Reese drew to fire on Will Clements whom had cursed his mother earlier that day on the train, Will grabbed Arthur and ducked behind him so the bullet meant for Will struck Arthur in the temple. At that moment Will ran but Walter was able to get two shots in him wounding him but he survived. Will Clements was one of those directly involved in the death of Walter’s father. Arthur Burford was the son of the Sheriff of Colorado County; there was no animosity between Arthur and Walter, though his father was a friend of the Townsends.) Attorneys of the Reese faction sued out a writ of habeas corpus for their four members who were charged with the killing of Burford, and wounding of Clement. The hearing was to be held in Bastrop, where local officials made an urgent appeal for Rangers. During this proceeding, Captain Brooks was reinforced until he had, including himself, sixteen men. Their entire time was occupied in keeping the feudist separated and disarmed. Both sides resorted to ruses in order to get weapons into their hands. One trunk of weapons was shipped to the Townsends, and several similar boxes were sent by express to the Reese’s. The Rangers were kept busy preventing shipments of arms by baggage, freight and or express. They inspected a number of suspicious incoming packages and intercepted a number of them containing weapons. As a consequence of the Reese-Townsend feud the Rangers were called maybe a dozen times by local authorities. Both parties had confidence in the Rangers and felt they had always been treated fairly.
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1879 - 1919 (40 years)
