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Chapter 12. “brave and fearless”
- University of North Texas Press
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109 12 C H A P T E R “brave and fearless” “SO MUCH FOR HIS WORD being as good as his bond,” offers one writer concerning Ringo’s failure to appear for the disturbing the peace hearing in 1875.1 Perhaps. The reason Ringo missed the hearing on these minor charges is unknown. His actions following his release from jail on January 11, 1878, however, strongly support claims by his contemporaries that his word was good. He now faced murder charges, and Ringo had ample opportunity to flee Mason’s hostile environment before his next court date more than two weeks later. In late January George Gamel was arrested in connection with the Lampasas jail break.2 His father William could hardly be blamed had he surrendered Ringo’s bond. He did not. As noted previously, at least one author claims that Ringo may have killed John R. Clark in 1878. The writer believed that if John R. Clark was sheriff in Mason it was “very likely that John Ringo killed him in January of 1878, just after Ringo’s release from jail, prior to his indictment being quashed.”3 John R. Clark died of food poisoning on January 10, 1878, however, the day before Ringo was released from jail.4 110 JOHN RINGO, KING OF THE COWBOYS On January 19 a flood of subpoenas in Ringo’s case were issued.5 Soon after, Ringo was in trouble in neighboring Kimble County. On February 4 the Rangers arrested Ringo and Robert McIver for disturbing the peace.6 No further records relating to the case have been located. On March 10 Ringo’s murder trial was postponed.7 In Lampasas the prosecution requested “further time to substitute the papers” in the case.8 On April 18 additional subpoenas were issued in Mason.9 On the same day, Ringo appeared in court and filed an affidavit of attachment stating that he “can not safely go to trial without the testimony of Bud Farris, Andies Murchison, Wm. Olney who reside in the County of Llano State of Texas and Carl Akard who resides in Bandera Co., Mark Hopkins who resides in Gillespie Co., Westly Johnson, Sam Monroe who resides in Kimble County.”10 Little is known of Hopkins and Akard. Andes Henry Murchison was the son of Daniel Alexander Murchison and Wilhemina Holzgreve and was born March 9, 1855, at New Braunfels, Texas. Despite their German heritage, the Murchisons allied themselves with John Baird. A cattleman, in later years Andy Murchison ran a mercantile store in Menard. On December 1, 1889, he married Jacqueline Dupree. Murchison died in Menard on November 5, 1952. Samuel Evans Malone, born February 1, 1845, in Vermilion County, Indiana, married Laura Ann Faris January 1, 1877. He died at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on July 8, 1900. On May 13 a special venue for prospective jurors was issued. Fortune had turned in Ringo’s favor. On May 15, at the request of the district attorney, the final order was issued. “That testimony cannot now be procured to make out the case. Said case to be dismissed.”11 Ringo was free, and the news spread quickly.12 In Lampasas the charges against him were never seriously pursued. Court records note a loss of papers on September 12, 1877. Two further entries requested time to substitute them. On June 29 the case’s reversal was entered on the Lampasas docket where it languished for two years.13 The cases were dismissed on November 11, 1879.14 [18.118.95.171] Project MUSE (2024-04-17 19:42 GMT) “brave and fearless” 111 Ringo settled in Mason County where many of his enemies lived. With the charges behind him, he made a bid for a law enforcement position, running for constable of Precinct 4 in Mason. He was elected with roughly two thirds of the votes.15 It is unknown if community leader John Meusebach supported him.16 On November 22 Ringo registered his brand: a V on the left side.17 The late historian and rancher Janaloo Hill examined the brand and suggested that the owner was “either stupid, or a tenderfoot, or both. My second thought is that he might have been playing some sort of double game in which it profited him to look the injured party. A V presents no end of opportunities for brand running or altering.”18 Ringo was neither stupid nor naive, and the most likely reason for the brand’s simplicity...