Turn-of-the
Century Inquest Notations
Transcribed
by Marylee W. Knight
The following inquest
notations were recorded in an elegant suede bound ledger entitled “Bar Docket
A, District Court, Panola County.” Despite
the title of the ledger, it appears to have been used only by a Justice of the
Peace. The first nine pages of the ledger are filled with recorded proceedings
of misdemeanor criminal cases, pages 10 through 97 are blank pages, then the
inquest records are found on pages 98 – 111.
After a large number of blank pages there are a few pages in the back of
the ledger containing notes acknowledging the execution of various deeds.
This ledger was found
in the attic storage area of the Panola County Road and Bridge Department
Warehouse in May 1998. County Judge John Cordray graciously agreed for the
ledger to be taken to the Rural Addressing Office for secured storage and
to allow the information in the book to be accessible to historians.
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The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by T.L.
Anderson, J.P. on the body of Robert Brown, commencing 10th day of
February 1895 and ending Wednesday 13th of February 1895
1st on complaint
filed by A.C. Boynton
2nd held 10th
and 13th February 1895
3rd Near Franny
Black’s and body examined there and on 13th at the grave yard in
Carthage with C.C. Comer, M.D., expert
witness. Named Robert Brown, a boy
about 10 years old. Cause to his
death by cruel beating. The body
being badly bruised by some one not yet known.
4th Susy Black,
half sister of dec’d, was arrested charged by complaint with the Murder of
said boy on or about the 8th day of February 1895.
T.L. Anderson, Justice of
the Peace Precinct No 1, Panola County Texas and process for State’s
witnesses, C.C. Comer, M.D., Josh Roquemore, Elisha Fisher, Adaline Brown, Cash
Jernigan
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by T.L.
Anderson on the body of John Neal on the 24th day of February 1895
1st Received
notice on morning of Feb 24th, 1895 went direct to where the dead
body was, same being near the residence of Berry (Bury/Bucy ?) Wilkerson about
10 miles south east from Carthage. Found
that deceased was shot in the back with squirrel shot (supposed to be No 4
shot). Examined four or five witnesses all of whom stated that deceased said
before he died that Thomas Methsin (Methvin ?) had killed him .
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by R. Kirkley
on the body of Larson Smith on the 15th day of February 1898.
First received notice on the morning of Feb 15, 1898 went direct to where
the dead body was, same being at the grave yard at Walnut Grove Church about 5
miles north from Carthage. Carried
with me Dr. J.A. Daniels an expert witness who held a post mortem examination
and after thoughtful examination stated on oath the
deceased Larson Smith came to his death by a blow or blows on the head by
some one not yet known.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by T.L.
Anderson, Justice of the Peace in and for Precinct No One of Panola County,
Texas, on the body of W.T. Rhodes on the night of April 8th, 1895,
2nd Received
notice of the death of said W.T. Rhodes from Glen Boren about 9:30 o’clock
P.M. went at once to where deceased way lying
3rd
Found him in the plantation of J.F. Boren about five miles south from
Carthage
4th Examined four
or five witnesses, none of whom saw him at the time of his demise and the
Justice after making a full and thorough examination of the body of the
deceased, could not find any marks or other injuries upon the deceased, and from
the best information he could get, came to the conclusion that the said W.T.
Rhodes came to his death by reason of heart failure.
There was no evidence either direct or remote that did in the least tend
to cause any suspicion of foul treatment by any one.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by T.L.
Anderson, a Justice of the Peace in and for Precinct No One, Panola County,
Texas on the body of Joseph Mustlewhite on the 6th and 7th
days of January 1896
1st Received
notice of the death of the said Joseph Mustlewhite from Richard Kirkley about 2
o’clock P.M. of the 6th day of January 1896, went at once to the
residence of S.E. Tremain where the deceased was, Said S.E. Tremain then
residing in Carthage, Texas.
2nd Examined the
boyd of deceased and found three slight bruises on the face, one on either cheek
and one on the forehead above the right eye.
3rd Had S.E.
Tremain, Dr. C.C. Comer before me as witnesses. Examined S.E. Tremain as to age, health and habits of
deceased. Examined Dr. Comer who
saw and examined deceased a few minutes before he died and from the statements
of witnesses the Court is of the opinion that deceased came to his death from
natural causes, he being near 80 years old and rather feeble.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by T.L.
Anderson on the body of A.J. Morgan on the 23rd and 24th
days of March 1896
1st Information
of the filling of A.J. Morgan received through County Attorney Claude Pollard on
the morning of the 23 of March 1896
2nd went to the
residence of the deceased at Smith’s Mill where I found the deceased lying on
a bed
3rd Examined the
bldy with assistance of Dr. Woodward
4th Swore Mrs.
Morgan and on the 24th of March 1896 examined several other witnesses
after which the Court came to the conclusion that deceased A.J. Morgan came to
his death by reason of gun shot wounds, said gun being in the hands of Tom
Ansley
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by R. Kirkley,
J.P. on the body of Sol Everhart on the 22nd day of September 1898,
received information from Ben Williams of the death of deceased on the evening
of the 22nd of September 1898. Went
to the place where deceased was, found him lying on the ground near Jim
Reese’s, had deceased carried in the house, Examined the body of deceased
found no marks of violence. Examined 1st witness Mary James who was
with him, she testifying that he (the deceased) said his knees was weak and
started to fall, She tried to get him back to the house, he fell and she called
for help. Dr. Daniel was present
when I arrived. He stated as an
expert that deceased’s death was caused by heart failure.
The court is of the opinion that deceased Sol Everhart came to his death
by heart failure. R. Kirkley, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by R. Kirkley,
J.P. on the body of Larson Smith on the 15th day of February 1898.
Information of the finding of the body of Larson Smith received from a
Negro messenger sent by Charlie Mathis on the morning of the 15th day
of February 1898, Went to the place where deceased was, to-wit Walnut Grove
Church 6 miles north from Carthage, where I found deceased and a number of
people assembled to bury said Larson Smith.
(Said Larson Smith, it was said was drowned in the Sabine River about the
14th day of January 1898.) Examined
the body and with Dr. J.A. Daniels held a post mortem examination after which
the Court came to the conclusion that deceased Larson Smith came to his death by
a blow or blows on the head, said blows being inflicted by parties unknown.
R. Kirkley, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by R. Kirkley,
J.P. on the body of Dick Belk on the 19th day of May 1898.
Received notice on the evening of May 19, 1898 went to the place where
deceased was. Examined the body and
found his neck broken. Examined witnesses Dan Murshew who stated that deceased fell
head formost in a well, the cause of his falling was damp or gas.
The Court is of the opinion that deceased Dick Belk came to his death by
falling in a well and breaking his neck. R.
Kirkley, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held on the dead
body of Ike Bell by R.L. Anderson, J.P. for Panola Coounty Texas.
On the 6th day of June 1900.
Heard of the death of Ike
Bell on the streets of Carthage on the morning of the 6th day of June
1900, went to the house of (blank
space) where I found the deceased prepared for burial.
Made slight examination of deceased, Took testimony of (blank Space),
also that of Dr. Woodward who was called to see deceased .
After making a thorough investigation of the case, the conclusion of the
Court is that Ike Bell came to his death from a lick on the left side of the
forehead with a saw mill cant hook, said cant hook being in the hands of
Mitchell Cato. T.L. Anderson, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held on the dead
body of Lee Endsley on the 4th and 5th days of March 1901.
I heard of the death about 12 o’clock, went to the house of Alice Allen
where I found deceased prepared for burial.
Examined the body of deceased as far as practicable.
Saw no marks of violence other than some blisters and splotches on her
mouth or lips and chin and left wrist. Dr.
J.E. Wall, County Health Officer, who at my request accompanied me also examined
said woman, he said that the blisters or burns and splotches appeared to have
been caused by some cauterizing substance.
The opinion of the Court is that Lee Endsley came to her immediate death
from an overdose of Carbolic Acid self administered with a view of suicide.
T.L. Anderson, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held July 9th,
1909 on the body of Mrs. Beulah Howard deceased wife of J.S. Howard.
I heard of her death immediately after she died and proceeded to examine
her. There was no marks of violence
on or about her person and the judgement of the Court is that Mrs. Howard came
to her death by an over dose of Carbolic Acid administered by her self with the
intent to suicide. George Harkrider,
J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest by T.L. Anderson,
J.P. on the body of Hensley Johnson on the 26th day of May 1903.
The first information I received of said death was on the morning of said
day was a messsage from N.A. Forsyth, Deputy Sheriff of Panola County Texas that
there was a dead man in town and for me to come as soon as I could, which I did
and upon my arrival on the Court House Square I saw a Negro boy, I suppose to be
about 18 years old, who I recognized to be the body of Hensley Johnson hanging
by the neck to a limb of a post oak tree on the north east corner of the Public
Square. I had him let down and gave
said body a thorough examination and found no evidence of violence upon his body
except that he was dead by reason of strangulation, his neck not being broken
and after thorough inquiry in to the cause of said hanging could find no one
that seemed to know any thing as to who knew any thing about the death.
It is therefore the judgement of the Court Hensley Johnson came to his
death by being hung by his neck by some party unknown to the Court.
T.L. Anderson, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest held by t.L.
Anderson, J.P. Panola County Texas on the dead body of T.N. James on the 22nd
and 23rd days of July 1903. On
the evening of July 22, 1903, I was notified by J.P. Forsyth, Sheriff of Panola
County Texas that there had been a man killed at Murvaul Texas to which place I
went immediately in company with Constable Walter Anderson, Arriving at Murvaul,
I learned that the dead man was at J.K. Butler’s and upon arriving at the said
J.K Butler’s was conducted to a point on J.K. Butler’s farm about one
hundred yards from said Butler’s residence, where I found the dead body of T.N.
James and after examining the ground and other surroundings, the dead body was
carried to the house of J.K. Butler’s where a thorough examination of the body
was had. I found that there was a
wound on the upper lip of the said T.N. James, near the edge of same said wound
was round and had the appearance of a gun shot wound, said wound seemed to go
straight through the roof of the mouth of the deceased ranging a little up from
where it entered and from statements made by J.K. Butler and Buss Smith, the
Court is of the opinion that the deceased T.N. James came to his death from a
pistol or gun shot wound, said pistol or gun being in the hands of Henry Butler.
T.L. Anderson, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest on the dead body of
Reubin McClain by T.L. Anderson, J.P. on the 15th and 16th
days ofo May 1904. Received
information through (blank space) Ross on the morning of the 15th of
May about 1 o’clock A.M. that the said Reubin McClain was dead in the woods
near to and between his house and that of his sister, near
(blank space) Phillips. I
went to where he was lying about 7 o’clock of said 15th day of May
1904 and found him lying on his back dead.
I caused him to be stripped and gave the body a thorough examination
found no sign or other evidence of any injury on his person and after
investigating the manner of his death, the Court doth find that the deceased
Reubin McClain came to his death from natural causes, perhaps heart failure.
This the 18th day of May 1904. T.L. Anderson, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest on the burned house
of J.A. Ingerhaus by George Harkrider, J.P. on Aug 24, 1909.
A jury being duly summoned and oath administered according to law and
after the evidence of all the witnesses, the jury deliberated and returned a
verdict. “We the Jury find the
house to have been set on fire by unknown parties, this August 24, 1909
(Signed: A.J. Lance, Foreman). George
Harkrider, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest on the body of Bud
Sexton by George Harkrider, J.P. on
August 23rd, 1909. After
viewing the dead body of Sexton and hearing the evidence of the witnesses it is
the judgement of the Court that Bud Sexton met his death by the use of a shot
gun in the hands of Andy Roquemore, used as a club. George Harkrider, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
Inquest on the dead body of
Sallie McDaniel by George Harkrider on this November 15, 1909.
The Court was called to the scene near her house on Pulaski Road and an
examination of the body and the surroundings.
The judgement of the Court is that Sallie McDaniel met her death by
taking hold of a live electric wire which had been knocked ot the ground by a
falling limb from a dead tree. This
November 15, 1909 , George Harkrider, J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
On this the 8th
day of May 1911, the Court was called to the scene of the dead body of George
Deloney who after an examination of the dead body and questioning of the
witnesses it is the judgement of the Court that he came by his death from some
unknown cause. George Harkrider,
J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
On this the 1st
day of July 1911, the court was called to the scene of the dead body of Ann
Hudnell and carrying the Health Officer Dr. Ross with the Court and after a
close examination, seeing no marks of violence and questioning all the
witnesses, the judgement of the Court is Ann Hudnell came to her death by some
natural cause. George Harkrider,
J.P.
The State of Texas
County of Panola
On this the 8th
day of August 1911 the Court went to the scene of the dead body of Otto Parker
and after examining said body and hearing the evidence of the witnesses, it is
the judgement of the court that Otto Parker came to his death by carelessly
jumping into deep water in the Sabine River and he being unable to swim, drowned
himself. George Harkrider, J.P.
The State of Texas County of
Panola
County of Panola
On this the 5th
day of December, 1911, the Court was
called to the scene of the dead body of Julian Lomas, who, after examining the
dead body and hearing the evidence of the witnesses finds that
the person Julian Lomas came her death by some natural cause unknown to
the Court, something like heart failure. George
Harkrider, J.P.