Rewards—$1,000 for Tom Kinder!

White Lightning Feud Series: Part 8

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

 

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... Part 7 (printed 11/24/05) - Waggonner-Kinder grudge; Henry Tuggle makes dying statement that Tom Kinder shot him; Coroner's jury determines Tom Kinder shot and killed John Ferguson, a black man; Tom Kinder shoots at A. K. Clingman... Part 8 (printed 12/01/05) - Rewards totalling $1000 offered for Tom Kinder's capture and delivery to sheriff; Kinder surrenders...

 

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(continued from last week)

            Mr. Clingman walked out on his front gallery, took deliberate aim, and fired. Kinder either fell or jumped from his horse and those looking on thought he was killed, but such was not the fact for he was soon on his feet and using his Winchester. He fired several times but failed to hit Mr. Clingman. Mr. Clingman fired the second time but failed to hit Kinder. After Kinder had fired several times he retreated on foot, leaving his horse, and went off towards the woods north of the nursery.

            Kinder's horse was shot three times through the neck, and this is the only sign made by the two shots fired by Mr. Clingman.

            The people were indignant when the report of this murderous assault reached town. A number of armed men were soon on the spot. The sheriff and deputies were on hand as soon as they could ride there. The dogs were taken out but failed to run the track further than a half mile when it was lost. A number of armed men continued to search the woods all day Saturday and to guard roads, etc., Saturday night and Sunday. It is useless to detail the efforts made to capture Kinder. So far they have been fruitless but have by no means been abandoned.

            And this is the state of affairs we have come to in this parish. One of our first citizens, a man of enterprise and liberality, a law-abiding man, is attacked with murderous intent at his own home in the presence of his family by a man who is wanted to answer the charge of murder in an adjoining parish and has been dodging the authorities for months. [NOTE: This refers to Henry Tuggle's murder in Cotton Valley, allegedly by Tom Kinder.]  The rule of law and order has been supplanted by the rule of crime and anarchy. No man knows when he is safe. We are not living in a civilized community. How long do our people propose to tolerate such a state of affairs? If we propose to have a civilized country, the reign of law and order must be reestablished, and it is the duty of every citizen to do all in his power to that end. If it is not done, those who love law and order will seek a home elsewhere.

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            The citizen who is satisfied with the state of affairs which has prevailed in this parish for several years past is certainly not hard to please.

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            We want law and order in this parish worse than we want anything else. When enough of our people believe this, and believe it strong enough, we will have a better state of affairs.

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            The dogs which our police jury bought for the purpose of running down criminals have proved a failure. They don't run anybody any distance. They are a failure.

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            For his personal safety, Mr. Clingman has left his home for the time being and taken up abode in town. His home is within a mile and a half of our courthouse. Can we claim to have a civilized country?

— Guardian-Journal, page 3

October 25, 1893

            (NOTE: In the late 1870s Arthur K. Clingman and his brother Joe Clingman opened Louisiana Nurseries about a mile west of town. A. K. Clingman later became sole owner of the nursery, then called Clingman Nurseries. Stocking 250,000 trees and plants, it was by 1890 the largest nursery in North Louisiana. Following the July 27, 1889, fire that destroyed the south side of the square, A. K. Clingman built Hotel Claiborne, which now houses the H. S. Ford Museum.)

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            There is but a single recourse left for citizens of Claiborne Parish to regain their old-time record for all the higher and better characteristics for which they have been justly famed, of intelligence and refinement united with peace and order. Let them stamp out with unflinching determination and the stern, unyielding, and impartial hand of power the spirit of red-handed murder that now dominates that section. It can be done, and every man who takes part in the reign of lawlessness should be brought to the bar of justice and unflinchingly punished, no matter what his position in life. Law and order are the only safeguards of society in that land of intelligence and Christian refinement and are potential weapons for the peace and safety of society.

                        — originally printed in the Shreveport Times,

reprinted by the Guardian-Journal, page 2

November 1, 1893

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REWARD!

            At a meeting of the police jury Tuesday, October 24, 1893, the following was adopted: "Be it enacted by the police jury of Claiborne Parish in extra session convened that there be and is hereby offered a reward of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the arrest and delivery of the person of Thos. D. Kinder, to the legal authorities of Claiborne Parish charged with the crime of shooting at A. K. Clingman at his residence in said parish with intent to murder on the 21st day of October, 1893. Be it further enacted etc., that the Governor of the State of Louisiana be and is hereby requested to offer a similar reward for the arrest of said party."

Oct. 24, 1893.

Signed: W. L. Oakes, Pres. P.J.

Attest: J. R. Ramsey, Clk P.J.

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            At a meeting of the Mayor and Selectmen of Homer on Tuesday, October 24th, 1893, the following ordinance was adopted: "Be it enacted by the Mayor and Selectmen of Homer, La., that a reward of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars, the same to be paid out of the treasury of said town, is hereby offered for the arrest and delivery of Thomas D. Kinder to the Sheriff of Claiborne Parish."

(signed) J. E. Hulse, Mayor

Attest: R. Lee Richardson,

Clerk Corporation.

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            In addition to the above rewards, I will pay a reward of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars for the arrest and delivery of the person of Thos. D. Kinder to the Sheriff of Claiborne Parish on the charge stated above.

A. K. Clingman

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            There are no new developments in the Clingman-Kinder matter. Kinder has not yet been arrested. The general impression is that he is still in the country. We do not know what efforts are being made to capture him, and it would not be proper to detail them in our columns if we did. We hope our officers will do all in their power to arrest Kinder. The people expect them to do this.

— Guardian-Journal, page 3

November 1, 1893

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Kinder Surrenders

            Thomas D. Kinder surrendered Sunday morning and is now in jail. The surrender was effected in this way. Mr. J. H. Bridgeman, who is a relative of Kinder's, met Kinder by appointment in the woods back of the Payne place and advised him to surrender and assured him protection. Kinder consented to surrender and give up his arms to Bridgeman. Mr. Bridgeman then wrote the sheriff a note stating that he had Kinder and requested him to come out with a posse of men. The sheriff went out at once with five or six men and brought Kinder in. He went into the jail about twelve o'clock Sunday [November 5, 1893].

            For more than a week past it has been whispered about that Kinder would surrender. His friends claim that such has been his intention all the while and say that he would have done so on the day he had the difficulty with Clingman but for the fact that excitement was running so high that he did not think it was prudent to do so. His friends also say that he was on the eve of surrendering to the Webster authorities to meet the charges against him in that parish when the trouble came up between him and Clingman. Kinder is indicted in Webster Parish for the killing of Henry Tuggle and will have to meet this charge before he is released.

            Monday evening we went to the jail for the purpose of ascertaining what, if anything, Kinder desired to say in regard to the charges brought against him. He claims that the statements published about the Clingman affair are totally false. He denies that he went to Clingman's on the day of the shooting with any intention of harming or doing any violence of any kind. He denies that he told Clingman's agent that he had come there for the purpose of killing Clingman and says he would have been a fool_if he wanted to kill Clingman_to have been notifying his friends of the fact and to have rode up to [Clingman's] house in the way he did after he had given such notice to [Clingman's] friends. He says, in substance, that it was a mere accident that he concluded to see Clingman at all that day. He went to [Clingman's] for the purpose of seeing a negro [who was there. Kinder said the negro owed him money]. After he [got there], he concluded to see Mr. Clingman. He says he.......to be continued.

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Note: Bill Hightower and Jimmy Dean researched this series of articles.