White Lightning Feud: W. W. Ramsey Killed

White Lightning Series: Part 2

NOTE: This is another in a series of articles reprinting prior published information on the White Lightning Feud.

 

Historical Series Chronology Resposes have been favorable to this historical series. Additional material continues to come to light. This means the series will be longer than originally expected; therefore, we are including a brief chronology of past articles: Part 1 (printed 10/13/05) - J. H. Tuggle's rabid dog bit several livestock and other animals; W. W. Maddox assassinated by unknown person and rewards totalling $500 offered for arrest and conviction of the killer; J. H. Ramsey wounds J. D. Tuggle near Denman and Co. Hardware in Homer... Part 2 (printed 10/20/05) - Near Denman and Co. Hardware in Homer, J. D. Tuggle shot at John H. Ramsey, missed, and killed Professor J. H. Williams; W. W. Ramsey died and Hamp and Henry Tuggle were wounded in a shootout between the jail and Knighten's saloon in Homer... Part 3 (printed 10/27/05) - J. D. Tuggle and I. N. Glover died when ambushed by unknown assailant about three and a half miles toward Summerfield... Part 4 (printed 11/10/05) - Murray Tuggle, Hamp's 15-year-old son is shot and wounded; continuation of Dosia Williams' account of Hamp Tuggle's stay at Loyd Hall... Part 5 (printed 11/10/05) - Murray Tuggle, Hamp's 15-year-old son is shot and wounded; continuation of Dosia Williams' account of Hamp Tuggle's stay at Loyd Hall Part 6 (printed 11/17/05) - Henry Tuggle killed in field in presence of his three children. Link Waggonner shoots a Mr. Holland, then flees to Texas...

 

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THE KILLING OF PROFESSOR J. H. WILLIAMS

....continued from last week

            It will be remembered that J. H. Ramsey shot and wounded J. D. Tuggle a few weeks [ago] in this place with a shotgun. Ramsey was almost on the identical spot Saturday when Tuggle fired upon him where he stood when he fired upon Tuggle. Ramsey  fired three shots at Tuggle at that time, and it is almost a miracle that he did not kill or wound other parties who happened to be on the streets at the time. After the shooting Saturday Tuggle passed between the stores of McCorkle & Bro. and made his escape, the sheriff, so far as we know, making no effort whatever to arrest him. A warrant was sworn out but [and as of October 29, 1890] no arrest has been made. We learn that Mr. Tuggle says he will come in and surrender.

            We know nothing of the deadly feud that seems to exist between these parties, but we have decided convictions that the public streets of Homer is not the proper place to settle it with shotguns. The lives of innocent parties should not be endangered as they have been by the use of shotguns on the streets of the town.

            [Mr. Tuggle came in...yesterday and surrendered to the sheriff.]

 — Guardian-Journal, page 5

 October 29, 1890

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            The non-jury term of the District Court met at this place last Monday morning with Judge Allen Barksdale presiding.

            The following pled guilty:

                        State vs. Tom Gaines, assault and battery. Fined $10 and costs.

                        State vs. J. T. Waller, selling liquor without license. Fined $130 and costs.

                        State vs. A. P. M. Wagner, disturbing the peace. Fined $5 and costs.

            The preliminary trials of J. D. Tuggle and Dr. J. F. Pace and J. C. Bennett were fixed for yesterday.

            All cases before this term were set for today.

 — Guardian-Journal, page 5

November 5, 1890

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            We learn that Mr. John H. Ramsey was shot at last Friday evening while working on a chimney at his father's residence about three miles from town. He was not hit. The party who did the shooting was concealed in a thicket some distance from the house. A Winchester rifle was used. We have not learned who did the shooting.

 — Guardian-Journal, page 3

 December 10, 1890

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W. W. RAMSEY KILLED

A fatal difficulty occurred in town Monday evening [February 23, 1891] between W. W. Ramsey and Hamp Tuggle in which the former gentleman was killed and Hamp Tuggle shot in the hand and his brother, Henry Tuggle, received a painful wound in the shoulder. The shooting occurred almost in front of the jail, and Ramsey fell a corpse on the sidewalk between the jail and Knighten's saloon. The shooting occurred so quick and unexpectedly that it is difficult to gather the particulars, and, of course, as is always the case, the reports are somewhat conflicting. It seems that Henry and Hamp Tuggle were together at the jail when they were approached by Ramsey, who commenced talking to them, and the shooting followed. It is said that Ramsey fired the first shot. Henry Tuggle, we learn, was unarmed. Hamp was at once arrested by Constable O. P. Bailey and Deputy Sheriff Brown and is now in jail awaiting the action of the Grand Jury, which is now in session.

 — Guardian-Journal, page 5

February 25, 1891

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            At Homer, La., on the afternoon of [October] 23rd, a desperate street duel took place between Hamp Tuggle and William Ramsey, the outgrowth of an old family feud. Ramsey was killed, Hamp Tuggle was shot in the hand, and his brother Henry was shot in the shoulder. Last summer John Ramsey emptied a load of buckshot into Joe Tuggle as he was getting on his horse to leave for home. The two families have constantly been under arms for each other ever since. William Ramsey was killed within twenty feet of where Joe Tuggle was shot. Both parties are prominent planters in that parish.

 — Lafayette (Louisiana) Advertiser

February 28, 1891

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RAMSEY-TUGGLE Feud Renewed

Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

            Homer, La., Feb. 26._Excite-ment here is intense over a renewal of the Ramsey-Tuggle feud. This afternoon William Ramsey, Jr., was instantly killed and Hamp and Henry Tuggle wounded.

 — Idaho Weekly Statesman

Boise, Ada County, Idaho

February 28, 1891

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            On Sunday morning last when the negro woman who cooks for the family of Mr. William Ramsey, the father of John H. Ramsey, got up and went into the yard, she discovered a man armed with a gun in a field some distance from the house. The woman gave the alarm, and John. H. Ramsey came out with his Winchester rifle and fired twice at the party who was making his way off. The party turned and fired once at Ramsey. Ramsey shot at the man at a distance of two hundred and fifty or three hundred yards, but notwithstanding the distance, he thinks he hit [with] the last shot. Sunday the sheriff was sent for and went out to the Ramsey place with his deputies, Brown and Bailey. We understand that these officers found the tracks of parties who were around the house the night previous. The tracks showed that two parties were about the place. The tracks of the man Ramsey shot at were plainly visible in the plowed ground and even showed where he turned and shot at Ramsey. The tracks could not be traced further than the woods where they disappeared, and no further trace could be found indicating the direction the party had gone. Ramsey says his would-be assassin wore an old black slouch hat and was a white man.

            We learn that John Ramsey has...........to be continued

            NOTE: Bill Hightower and Jimmy Dean researched this article.