 Sherman Daily Democrat
August 26, 1886 ASSASSINATED The Cowardly Murder of Joe Akridge At His House Near the County Line Last Night News reached the city today of the cruel and cowardly assassination of Joe Akridge, at his home twenty-seven miles south of the city and just two miles east of the town Graybill, in Collin county, last night. The particulars of the bloody affair are, as well as can be gleaned from the area get information given the reporters, about as follows: Mr. Akridge, who is a farmer, went out to his stock quarters to attend to the night feeding, which is his customary duty. He had been gone but a short time when the loud report of a gun was heard, and members of the family, going down in a few minutes, found him lying dead in a pool of his own blood, while near by him lay a badly wounded horse, which was evidently shot at the same time his master was and with shot from the same gun. There are wild rumors as to who did the shooting and it is said that one of the suspected parties is suspiciously absent from the vicinity. It is also reported that he was fired at some time ago but ineffectually. The affair has created a great deal of excitement, as THE DECEASED is a man of high social standing in the community, where he was a substantial citizen at the time of the cruel murder. He was about forty-five years of age, and had a wife and family consisting of three or four children. He leaves them well provided for but no thing can replace the husband, father and citizen that has been forever laid low. Sheriff Bock of McKinney was on the scene early this morning with a force of efficient deputies and everyone is satisfied that if the murderer is any where in this section his apprehension and capture is but a matter of time.  Sherman Daily Democrat August 27, 1886 PARTICULARS In Regard to the Killing of Joe Akridge A New Light Put on the Sad Shooting Affair In yesterday's issue of the Register there appeared an account of a shooting near the town of Graybill in Collin county, thirty miles south of this city. At the time it was stated in the article that the information at hand being meager, fuller particulars would be given later. The Dallas News correspondent at the seat of government in Collin county sends the following correspondence to his paper last night and it is probably the most correct statement obtainable. Blue Ridge, a little village of Collin, twenty miles from here and thirty miles from Sherman, was fearfully excited over the killing of Joseph Akridge by his nephew, Ves Johnson, late Wednesday evening. Akridge, it is said, was riding unarmed along a little lane on his place when shot. At the first fire his horse was killed, the second taking effect in Akridge's neck and head. After Akridge had fallen, Johnson fired two more shots into his prostrate body. The parties had had trouble some weeks before; and Johnson is said to have shot at Akridge. Johnson was a tenant on Akridge's farm, and was seen to take his shotgun and go in the direction taken by Akridge. At the point where the killing took place, bushes lined both sides of the road. Johnson surrendered to officers, and claims that Akridge drew or attempted to draw a pistol on him, though when found the dead body still clasped the riding switch. He also claims that being informed that Akridge had threatened his life, and, seeing Akridge pass to the pasture, he armed himself and awaited the return of Akridge; that when Akridge came up, he asked Akridge if such threats had been made by him. Upon being answered that they had, he shot Akridge. Both were men of family. Johnson lately came from McLennan county. Akridge was a well known citizen of Collin county, and were well known both in Sherman and McKinney. The rumor that the killing took place at Akridge's stock pen arose from the fact that he was on his way to feed the stock when the murder was committed. “The
Johnson – Akridge Feud” in Chattooga County Historical Quarterly Vol.
28/Winter 2012/Spring/Summer 2013 acquits T. V. Johnson by vilifying
Joe Akridge with some misinformation that should at least be corrected.
Thomas Vestal Johnson killed Joseph Price Akridge who was the uncle of
Ves’ wife Harriett Clemmons Johnson. He admitted it immediately,
turned himself in the Collin County, Texas officials; stood trial twice
and was freed.
Page 13 Historical Quarterly Vol. 28, 2nd paragraph speaking to the way T. V. Johnson got a shotgun and pistol:
Testimony of Thomas Bratton, “…I saw no pistol defendant had my shot gun I suppose when he killed Akridge he got it along in the spring from me. It must have been the last of April when defendant got my gun it was a muzzle loading double barrel shot gun. Defendant never borrowed the gun from me; deceased borrowed the gun for the defendant from me. Defendant got the gun one day when I was not at house I have not got the gun at home yet. I do not know whose pistol defendant had that day…” Page 14, 2nd paragraph According to Harriett’s testimony these were two separate events. The first event happened when T. V. had been warned there might be trouble. He loaded his borrowed shot gun and sat on the porch with a young neighbor man Wash Reeves (also armed) waiting for what might be coming. Joe accompanied by his young son, Grace and two neighbors, Freeman Armstrong and Bill Maddux were walking (or stumbling since they had been drinking) down the road taking Armstrong home. Armstrong apparently much the worse for drink was belittling T. V. as a coward who didn’t fight in the war and a Georgian. Shots were fired, from which side first depends on the testimony – all the men and a 13 year old Grace Akridge testified to the disturbance as did Wash Reeves who was with T. V. T.V. Johnson filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office. A few days later by Harriett’s testimony she stated (though she had not seen him) her uncle Joe had ridden up to the house and using a false voice called for Ves to come out. She said she recognized the voice as her uncle’s and wouldn’t allow her husband to go out. Joe’s wife, Sallie testified her husband had been at home after dark. 3rd paragraph Harriett’s testimony, “…Akridge came to our house on 19th of June 1886 at night. Akridge fired one shot at our house that night and Mr. Johnson fired two shots and someone with Akridge one shot don’t know who it was. There were four shots fired in all…. Tuesday week before deceased was killed he came to our house while defendant was from home in the field and asked me for some books of memorandum to fix dates and when I went out to the fence he asked if I was going to swear against him and I told him I would if I had to and he said if I did he would kill Ves Johnson and if I was not blood kin to him he would cut my throat.” Page 14, Paragraph 3; last two sentences The horse reared. Ves’ first shot killed it. The second shot killed Joe Akridge. Testimony of Dr. W. C. Holmes describing the body “…There was a large wound on the left side of the neck. I counted 18 distinct holes at this place it was made with buck shot this wound was inside of two and one half inches square, this wound entered the left side of the neck, and ranged downwards it cut the jugular vein penetrated the spinal column the effect of this wound was instant death, there was a wound on each shoulder there was a wound through the right wrist or arm and the ball that made this wound entered and went through the body and into the ground. This wound was on his right side there was wound on the left side this last wound did not go through the body. The wound in the neck and in the shoulder seemed to have been made by ordinary buck shot the wounds in the sides seemed to have been made by a pistol shot… The shot penetrating the spinal column as it did would have produced instant paralysis. Akridge must have been lying on the ground on his back when the shot was fired that went through the wrist and body.” Page 14, paragraph 4 Testimony of Will Morgan, “I heard four shots fired, the first two shots in quick succession the next two were not so quick. In five or ten minutes after the shooting I heard defendant call ‘Oh Will’, he was then in his cotton patch south from us. I could see his head and shoulders at the time he called there was a little rise in the ground between us. My brother answered him and he said you and Will come here…” (As you can see T. V. Johnson called these men to the scene – he could have just walked away since there were no witnesses, but his conscious drove him to do the right and honorable thing which I believe speak volumes for his character.) “…and said me and Akridge had a racket out here and I killed him. My brother said that is not so is it Ves and he said yes I hated to do it, and we got over the fences he said I killed his horse too and we then walked up to where deceased was lying and defendant stated he said he was going to kill me before I left here and I heard it while ago just about a couple of hours ago and I came up here and stationed myself and as he came by I tackled him and asked him if he said it and he said yes by God and he would do it and started to run and I cut down on him then he said well the first thing he done was to make a motion to run his hand in his hip pocket but I don’t know whether he has got any pistol or not he then said I would not he then said I would not leave him until somebody got here he then walked off about 30 yards and repeated that he stated to run his hand in his hip pocket but I don’t know whether he has got any pistol or not, he then remarked that he was not going to run off… Akridge was lying on his back cross the road his head a little north of west and he feet south of east, his right arm was lying across his breast, a riding switch in his right hand and laying up across his face. His left arm was folded over his breast and the fingers of his left hand touching the ground on his right side…” (No testimony I have seen denoted whether Joe was right or left handed. It can be assumed he was right handed or it would have been entered in the court records he could have been drawing with his left hand. From other testimony Joe was in shirt sleeves, no vest, and striped pants. When the body was searched by the jury of inquest they found a pocket knife, a quarter of a dollar and a piece of tobacco – “We found no pistol or weapons about the deceased.”) Page 15, top paragraph No one in Collin County refused to testify at the first trial for fear of retribution –it appears everyone in a twenty mile area (none of whom had seen the killing) wanted to get their two cents in. In point of fact because of the intervening years between trials and the fact most of the neighbors were transit people always looking for better land and a better life many of them did not testify again or did so by deposition in the last trial. There was no fear factor, the “dangerous man’ was dead. Mrs. Sallie Reeves and another woman whose name I can’t make out testified and gave a deposition they heard one of the Morgan brothers have a whispered conversation with Sallie Akridge about taking a pistol off Joe (both ladies were renters on Joe’s property and had moved to Hopkins County by the last trial). Will Morgan testified, “I never saw Mrs. Akridge at her house after the shooting. The night of the killing I was in Van Alstyne… Mrs. Akridge came close to the body (outside on the road) but never went to it while I was there.” (I suppose he had been asked if Sallie could have taken the gun.) Dave Morgan testified, “…I saw no pistol on Mr. Akridge that day and there was none taken from the body that I know of… I saw his derringer lying on the mantle (fireboard Sallie called it) in front of the clock… Akridge’s revolver was hanging (by holster) in the closet of the bedroom.” Dr. W. C. Holmes, “…I remarked to my wife that it was just as I expected. I have often said that Joe would be killed. I have said this I expect 50 times. I do not know that deceased was in the habit of carrying a pistol. I saw deceased one time at his house pull a pistol out of his pocket and put it over the mantle. The reason I thought he would be killed is knowing that he was in the same business that I was renting land and having business with everybody and he was a strict business man and required every man to come up to the scratch. He was what I called a blustery kind of man even if he did you a favor; I did not consider him dangerous. I would not run the risk that deceased would with a great many men I am on the cautious side.” Thomas J. Bratton, “…I saw the deceased the day he was killed he came in the field where I was at work and was talking to defendant about his stock, deceased told defendant that he was trying to run over him and deceased told me he intended to kill him before he left there (some people testified Joe said T. V. would never work another foot of land, one man testified Joe said T.V. would never work another foot of MY land, interesting difference there), deceased wanted to fix a place in my lot for his stock he said that defendant was after him about his stock, he said Johnson had caused him trouble, I told defendant about the conversation with deceased….”(Now we know who set this in motion.) Dave Tate testimony – after testifying to what, in his own words was hearsay that Joe was a dangerous man. Cross examined he stated, “…deceased and I were not on friendly terms we had been at ‘outs’ since the fall of 1877.” Re-examined, “I can’t say I ever saw Akridge carry a pistol he never drew one on me, on one occasion or more than one he put his hand on his hip and I thought from this action he had one.” R. A. McLarry for defense, “…The general opinion of the neighborhood was that he was a dangerous man and that he would carry a threat into execution. Cross examined, “..I heard some speak of him that had not had difficulty with him – he hurt a brother of mine used no weapon except a black snake whip – gouged his eye – he and I had a fight – he and Major Steward of Pilot Grove had a fuss, no pistols or knives were used. I have heard of several other difficulties he was in but never culminated into a fight. I never heard of his using a knife or other weapon.” Dr. Webster for defense cross examined, “…I practiced some in Akridge family. He was a blustery man. A man told me at the time (he moved into the area) that deceased was a terrible man when mad but a good friend of anybody he liked.” Source: Cashon-Randall Family Tree  FELONY Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |