Texas Rangers
TEXAS RANGERS AND THE CONNER FAMILY
THE GALVESTON NEWS
GALVESTON, TEXAS
A BLOODY FIGHT
Terrible Battle Between the Conner Family and Rangers in Eastern Texas - Several Persons Killed
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEX., March 31, via NACOGDOCHES, TEX., April 1 - A terrible and bloody fight occurred ten miles below Hemphill in Sabine county this morning about sunrise, between Captain Scott and his rangers on one side and old Willis Conner on the other, in which three of the Conners and one ranger named Rogers were immediately killed, Captain Scott and another of his men badly if not fatally wounded. The Conners escaped, but the rangers are in hot pursuit. The Conners brought on the fight, firing from ambush. News reached here by a ranger who came after Dr. F.H. Tucker to attend the wounded. [ 2 April 1887 | Page 1 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
THE EAST TEXAS WAR
Captain Scott, Although Wounded, Will Recover - One Ranger Dead - Bloodhounds on the Trail
NACOGDOCHES, TEX., April 2 - Allen Newton, a ranger in Captain Scott's Company arrived here early this morning and telegraphed for bloodhounds from Rusk, which arrived this evening, and he is again on his way back to to the scene of action in Sabine County. He states that Captain Scott, though seriously wounded, is doing well, and will probably recover. J.H. Moore, a ranger, and Will Conner were killed in the fight of the 31st ultimo and it is reliably reported that Fred Conner was badly wounded. Sabine County is thoroughly aroused, and there is no doubt but that all the Conners will be captured or killed in a few days.
additional details
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEX., April 2 - Dr Tucker returned yesterday evening from the scene of the bloody tragedy of the 31st ultimo in Sabine County between Willis Conner and three sons on one side, Captain William Scott and his five rangers on the other, and reports Bill Conner was killed instantly. Willis Conner and his two sons, Fred and Barber escaped, old Willis losing his horse, hat and spectacles. Captain Scott was shot through his left lung and the ball was cut out of his back. He is now doing better. Sergeant J.C. Brooks lost three fingers off the left hand and was shot through the right hand. J.H. Rogers received a flesh wound in his left arm, between the elbow and shoulder, and flesh wound in left side, not serious. J.H. Moore was shot through the heart. Great excitement prevails, and the whole county is up in arms. [ 3 April 1887 | Page 4 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
FROM THE SCENE OF BATTLE
During the afternoon County Judge E.G. Bower, of Dallas County, visited the branch office of The News. He had just returned from the scene of the battle between the State rangers and the outlaws Conner in Sabine County. The judge stated that all the wounded men were doing well and should recover should no unforeseen phase in their condition develop. The excitement in the neighborhood continues unabated and nearly all citizens are under arms and searching for the desperadoes. On Tuesday morning Sergeant McNelly arrived on the grounds and assumed command of the state force. At daylight he left with his command, accompanied by five bloodhounds from the Rusk penitentiary. The trail was taken by the dogs at the point where the terrible conflict ensured, and it is almost certain that fresh scents will be found as the progress through the county. The pursuers were stimulated by reliable report that one of the fugitives had been seen on Monday afternoon, at 2 o'clock; besides a light rain had fallen, which made the conditions for trailing with the hounds very favorable. During the conservation, Judge Bowers spoke in praise of the gallant rangers, saying that men with less nerves than that possessed by the six men who fought the Conner family would have been slaughtered, and that too much praise could not be given to Carmichael and Treadwell for their great courage with which they held their ground and finally advanced upon the outlaws while their comrades-in-arms were lying on the ground seriously wounded and helpless. Sergeant McNelly on his arrival was accompanied by Jack Scott, brother of Captain Scott, of the rangers. Mr Scott served with the rangers years ago. Judge Bowers is a brother-in-law to Captain Scott. He left Houston for Dallas tonight. [ 8 April 1887 | Page 5 -transcribed by Nancy Price ]
Citizens Still Vigorously Searching for the Conners - A Hot Trail
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEX., April 17 - Jack Scott and Miss Vernon Scott, his sister, passed through here en route from Hemphill, returning home yesterday. Mr Scott reports his brother Captain Scott, and Messrs Rogers and Brooks are convalescent, and doing as well as could be expected.
F.M. Moore, the sheriff of Kerr County, stopped here last night on his way to Hemphill, to see after making arrangements for suitable enclosing and marking the grave of his deceased nephew, J.H. Moore, the ranger killed by outlaws Conner on the 31st of last month, while so nobly and manfully fighting to maintain law and order.
Your correspondent has just had an interview with Mr William Johnson, a reliable gentleman who lives near the line of San Augustine and Sabine counties, who says that a large posse of citizens and rangers took dinner at his house yesterday, and that in the evening they discovered two fresh camp fires on the northeast side of a large hill, known here as Iron Mountain, in the eastern part of this county, about nine miles from here, and thought that they had satisfactory evidence that the Conners had been camped there, and had been notified by two men, one riding a mule and the other a horse, as they were, tracked to and from the camp fires.
A large posse was organized at Sexton to join in the search, Sabine County is in the worst state of excitement ever known there, and were if not for the sympathizers of these terrible outlaws they could be easily hunted down. Strange to say, among them are many men heretofore considered respectable. [ 18 April 1887 | Page 1 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
One of Concern Killed
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEX., November 7 - Reliable news has reached here that in a attempt of a posse of citizens to arrest the Conners south of Hemphill Friday night, Fred Conner was killed and old Willis Conner was wounded but escaped. One of the posse lost a finger. [ 8 November 1887 | Page 4 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
The Fight with the Conners - To The News
HEMPHILL, TEX., November 7 - The report of the Conner fight on the 4th instance was incorrect in that only one of the Conners was killed. For several months R.C. Turner of Hill County has been here hunting for Sabine's outlaws. Last Friday R.C. Turner, Dan McNaughter, Ike Low, Tom Anthony and Melton Anthony were concealed in a little log house, about eight miles south of Hemphill, waiting and watching for the Conners. The posse had just finished eating supper when they were startled by the two Conners appearing within twenty feet of the door, and as soon as they saw who was in the house opened fire with their Winchesters, and were ambushed by the posse in the house, who shot through the cracks between the logs. At the first fire Fred Conner fell, not being but ten feet from the door of the little house. Being only wounded, he drew his pistol - a colt's frontier - and continued to shoot until a bullet from a Winchester rifle ended his life. As soon as the fire opened, old man Willis Conner squatted behind a stump and opened fire on the house, and it is thought, emptied his Winchester. When the posse had emptied their guns he got up from behind the stump and jumped behind a tree, and one shot from a shotgun was fired at him there, and it is thought wounded him. He then ran to a wagon, about sixty yards from the house, stopped and commenced to load his gun, but the posse had reloaded by this time and, jumping out of he house, ran after the old man, who ran as soon as they got out of he house. Five shots were fired at him as soon as he ran off, and he fell when the last shot was fired, which was from a Winchester rifle. It was almost dark by that time and the posse had exhausted all their ammunition, and thinking he was dead or badly wounded, did not go after him for fear of being killed, which was doubtless had been the case had they gone. They withdrew and when they did go to where he fell he was not there. Those who were in the posse think he is badly wounded, and it is the impression among some that he killed himself, as he had been heard to say that he would do this if he ever was wounded. An extensive search will be made for him tomorrow. They fought with all the desperation of madmen, and had Fred not been shot down at the first fire, he would in all probability have reached the door just about the time the posse emptied their guns and would have killed some of them. The fight occurred just about sunset. It is thought that at least fifty shots were fired. No one in the posse was hurt, except Mr Tom Anthony, who was slightly wounded on one finger. Melton Anthony and Tom are brother-in-laws of Fred Conner, the man killed. [ 11 November 1887 | Page 4 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
Fought To The Death
Willis Conner and Grandson Killed by Turner Posse - The Old Man Would Not Surrender
SAN AUGUSTINE, TEX., November 13 - Reliable news has reached here that another fight occurred about ten miles south of Hemphill between old man Willis Conner and R.C. Turner and posse, resulting in the death of Willis Conner and a ten year old grandson who had gone to carry dinner to old Willis, who was followed by the Turner party. Conner was ordered to surrender and immediately began firing and fired three times before the fire was returned. The Turner party ordering the boy to run, and he refusing, a general fusillade followed, the boy being killed and old Willis shot down. The Turner party, advancing until within fifteen feet, ordered old Willis to surrender and he continued to try to shoot and was shot to death. This breaks up the desperate gang of outlaws except John Conner, who deserted them and fled the country last spring. [ 15 November 1887 | Page 1 - transcribed by Nancy Price ]
'And I Remember When - by Judge J.A. Brooks, Falfurrias, Texas
In 1887 while I was a Sergeant in the Texas Rangers company of which Capt Bill Scott was commander, I lost three fingers in a gun fight with outlaws on the bank of the Sabine. We were after the Conner gang, and had two posses, one composed of citizens and one of Rangers. The citizens' group was commanded by an old line army man who had gotten orders on how to proceed, and when he heard shooting, after we stumbled on the outlaws in the brush unexpectedly, the army's training for obedience held. The citizens stood by and listened while the fireworks went off. Jim Moore of our outfit was killed at the first volley. Capt J.H. Rogers and I were wounded. The gang was later either killed or captured entirety.
Untitled/Undated Newspaper
Family Clipping - transcribed as written by Nancy Price
