The First Court
| The
First Court held in Parker County was the spring term of the district
court of 1856, with Judge Nathaniel M. Burford, now of the Dallas and
Ellis district, presiding. This was decidedly primitive and
exceedingly novel. It was held in a post oak grove, on the J. J.
Beaman place, on the Fort Worth and Belknap road, five miles due north
of the town, on a prong of Willow Creek. The first suit filed in
the
county was that of Joseph Evans, of Tarrant County, vs. J. B.
Pigg, (who resides three miles from Weatherford,) about some cattle.
The second was that of Dr. H. G. Cantrell vs. Wm.
Reynolds, for damages growing out of the killing of Mr. Reynold's son,
as it was alleged, by a man named Baggerly, who was arrested, taken
before Justice Wilson at Birdville, and discharged. Edward Hovenkamp,
(now of Tarrant,) and A. J. Ball, (then of the same county,) brought
the suit and at that session recovered a judgment for five hundred
dollars for their client. Subsequently an execution issued. Sheriff
Baker, among other property, seized a wagon load of flour belonging to
the defendant. The flour was placed in a log-house on Worth Street,
now the kitchen of the Alamo Hotel. At that particular time there was
a scarcity of flour in the county and absolute want for bread actually
stared many families full in the face. A few days afterwards, the fact
became established that there was no flour nor meal to be had nearer
than Witt's mill, 57 miles east from Weatherford. Several parties
started for the mill, but before they returned, the patience of the
people became exhausted through the stern necessity of bread for food
and the excitement occasioned threatened more serious consequences
than anything ever witnessed in this vicinity. The flour in charge of
Sheriff Baker, and its whereabouts having become known, that official
was appealed to for relief. The extraordinary cases of distress in all
parts of the county were stated and many persons came into town
seeking aid. The sheriff unable longer to withstand the pressure,
consulted counsel, and the result was that several of the most
respectable citizens of the town and county took the flour, divided it
among themselves and others, and thus appeased the clamoring demand
for the staff of life. In those days, as now, some people had plenty
of unproductive
property, but at times, no bread. Then the slaves consumed the
necessaries of life; now, high taxes and official corruptions paralyze
the land owner and keep him hard pressed in providing means for
subsistence. The flour was afterwards paid for.
The most memorable incident of that court was the examination of David Stimson, an applicant for license to practice as an attorney. The court appointed Col. John J. Goode, and Col. John C. McCoy, of Dallas, to conduct the examination. Mr. Stimson, it was generally understood at the time, had repeatedly appeared for parties before a justice's court, but had never prepared himself for the various duties of a lawyer. For two days these attorneys spent most of their leisure hours in the examination of the candidate, during which all sorts of irrelevant, and all manner of foolish questions were put, which he seemed to understand, take in good part, and really enjoy. Finally, the committee reported that Mr. Stimson was entitled to a license to practice in a justice's court until the next term of the district court, upon the payment of a fee of five gallons of whiskey. The fee was not paid; the candidate absented himself from the court, and the license was never issued.-- [Transcribed and Submitted by Veneta McKinney] |