A bound booklet of this web-site, down through and including James Monroe Choate, is available in hard-copy
in a plastic-jacket 138-page publication.
Throughout this writing, "WGB" means William Green Butler, Bill Butler.
Go directly to
New Towns
The Culture of the Time
The Indictments
The Epilogue
KENEDY was to be located in Grandma Ammons' cornfield.
As the railroad moved southward through Karnes County and reached the location of the 1975 Otto
Kaiser Hospital, four miles north of the present city of Kenedy, the railroad company determined to lay out a new townsite
at that place, to be called Kenedy in honor of Mifflin Kenedy, one of the promoters of the railroad.
Thus Kenedy Station was established early in 1886 about opposite the J. D. Ammons ranch, with the depot
on the east side of the railroad on the Bud Elder land.
By mid-summer, the SAAP had extended freight, passenger, and mail service as far south as Beeville.(11)
By June 1, 1886, railroad surveyors were running trial lines through Daileyville, with
the intention of having a tap railroad branch off from the main line at Kenedy Station,
to pass through Grandma Ammons' cornfield, continue by way of Daileyville, and thence east
to Yorktown, Hallettsville, Wallis and Houston.
But the railroad junction and the new town were not destined to be at this location, because
of the Fracas at Daileyville on September 6. (11)
On "Black Friday," August 20, 1886, a terrible hurricane wiped out the major port city of Indianola. The hurricane wrought havoc at Choate, hit Daileyville, and severely damaged the railroad. (15) T. A. LeBleu and associates were at that time grading the first mile east out of Kenedy. (11)
While the railroad officials were in the process of negotiating the land deal for a
railroad junction and a full townsite, the landowner, Sheriff Fate Elder, was killed in the
Fracas at Daileyville, leaving a widow and several minor children.(9) Fearing that they
could not obtain good title by reason of this unfortunate death, the railroad men began to
cast around for a new location for the townsite of Kenedy.(9)
Through the influence of W. G. Butler and J. M. Nichols, whose properties were located
farther south, Mifflin Kenedy acquired 667 acres of land from George W. Little.(9,11) This plot
was located at the confluence of Escondido Creek and Nichols Creek, four miles south of
Kenedy Station. On this tract the townsite of Kenedy was platted and established. It was
at first called "Kenedy Junction," because the railroad to Houston now joined the SAAP at this location.
The therapeutic hot mineral artesian well was discovered in 1915 at the 2900 foot level at this very
location, when the railroad company was drilling a water well to serve their locomotives. The well was located at
the junction of the SAAP line (San Antonio to Aransas Pass) with the spur line (Runge, Cuero, Yoakum,
Wallis and Houston). "The Kenedy Hot Wells Hotel" was 200 yards east of Front Street and 50 yards south of
the extension of Main Street. There was a large wooden hotel, six brick resort cottages, and public baths.
The therapy bathing facilities were inside the hotel. The business lasted only about 35 years.
The author does not know whether it was closed because the well ran out of pressure, or because people
began to take Advil for arthritis.
Due to the tragic deaths and the question about a clear title, Old Kenedy Station was used only
for freight, passengers, and mail. It had a depot, a few tents, and some construction buildings, but Old
Kenedy Station never became a post office or a town. Walter Lokey, a clerk in John Ruckman's store in Helena,
met the train there to pick up the Helena mail.(11)
Approval was granted for a new "Kenedy Junction" post office, and it began service March 12, 1887 in a
parked boxcar for temporary use. The old building at Daileyville, still with its bullet holes, was then
taken apart and transported to "Kenedy Junction," where it was rebuilt along the tracks at the new townsite.
Again, C. P. Dailey was the first postmaster.
The name of the town was soon shortened to one word, when the post office was established. For many years,
the Kenedy Station site four miles north was referred to as Old Kenedy.
"Mrs. Sarah Elder and her children have through their attorneys, Graves and Little, brought suit
against the S.A.& A.P. Railroad Co. for $56,000 damages for breach of contract by failing to keep and
maintain a depot at Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas." From The Karnes County News, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1887.
She was the mother of Fate and Bud Elder.
The early commercial development of "Kenedy Junction" was at a higher elevation and to the south, on "the hill," halfway between the water towers and the downtown bank corner. Later, business activity moved downhill and to the north, to the aforesaid downtown bank corner.
When it was decided to extend the railroad from "Kenedy Junction" eastward toward Houston,
a group of merchants from Cuero, who owned a large block of land east of the San Antonio River,
decided in 1887 to plat the townsite of Runge. The new town, near the river and on the
railroad to Houston, had a rapid growth, and soon developed into the largest town in the county. (9)
On December 12, 1890, another group of Cuero businessmen purchased 1000 acres of land from J. L. Calvert,
and in March 1891 platted the townsite for Karnes City.(9)
In the short space of three years, Karnes City demanded an election to choose a new County Seat location. (9)
It was a hotly contested election in 1893, and Karnes City won. (2)
The vote was very close, with Helena, Karnes City, Kenedy, and Runge in a tight race.
Helena was the older and historic place of government. Runge was the largest town.
Kenedy was small and not strong politically. Karnes City had been deliberately platted
to be a County Seat on the railroad.
Helena ignored the election.(1) But in 1894 the county records were moved late at
night from Helena to Karnes City in a wagon accompanied by armed men on horseback. The guard
hired by Helena to protect the county records rode on the wagon to Karnes City. He reported
that he was hired to protect the records, and that is just what he was doing.
Thus died the town of Helena.
HISTORY COULD HAVE PLAYED OUT A DIFFERENT STORY
HELENA would have remained County Seat and the
largest town in the county, if the railroad had come to that town. The over-confident
citizens of Helena thought that the railroad had to come through such an important town.(9,14)
After all, Helena was located at the intersection of two ox-cart roads.
KENEDY would have been located in Grandma Ammons'
cornfield about four miles north of the present location, and
Karnes City would never have been formed, had there been no gunplay at Daileyville.
There would have been no need for a Karnes City, since the
railroad could have concluded the negotiations that had already begun with Grandma Ammons,
Jeff Ammons, Fate Elder, and Bud Elder for a Kenedy townsite. (9,14) Two Elder widows filed suit
against the railroad for breach of contract, for failing to buy their property for the
location of the new town.
RUNGE came very close to being voted County Seat,
being just behind Karnes City and well ahead of Kenedy and Helena. Runge flourished in its
first years, but it lost its activity and its population in the next century.
Had there been no gunplay at Daileyville, Karnes County would have had only one large town, Kenedy,
in the center of the county, as is true for Beeville, Goliad, Victoria, Cuero, and Floresville
in their own respective counties.
In regard to Karnes County being known for gun-play and shoot-outs, and the opinion
of the railroad supervisor that it would be better for everybody if the new line could be
run around Karnes County : Mail addressed in the 1940's to "Six Shooter Junction, Texas"
was regularly delivered to Kenedy. This is personal experience, and it was before Zip Codes.
(Hempstead also enjoyed this unusual privilege.)
HOLLYWOOD
The Shoot-Out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in 1881 is a national legend told in story and song.
It is Hollywood. It is commercial tourism. Doc Holliday and the brothers Morgan, Virgil, and
Wyatt Earp marched shoulder-to-shoulder down Fremont Street to the O.K. Corral.
At Daileyville, there were more participants, more shots fired, and more killed. But the romance was not there,
the interest by Hollywood was not there, and the face-to-face Code of the West was not there.
THE CULTURE OF THE TIME
The pioneer families wrested a successful part of Texas from a wilderness. Some of
those family names were Choate, Borroum, Pullin, and Ammons, but Butler was pre-eminent.
These pioneers made Karnes County with blood, sweat, and tears. The ranchers protected, and had
to protect, their cattle and their rangeland. Rustlers, raiders, brigands, and coyotes were ever-present.
There was no law to which they could turn. You did what you had to do.
These men were fully independent in nature. They were fiercely proud, and depended on no one but
themselves. A man held to his reputation, his honesty, and his handshake.
Any perceived insult or criticism or harassment by the Elder boys
might result in a shooting.
There was a necessary way of life then, and it included a pistol in the holster and a Winchester in the scabbard.
Guns and shooting were a part of life in Karnes County.
We today should not judge ancestors through our modern eyes. Instead, we have to walk
in their Boots in that Place at that Time, and recognize how powerful was their pride.
The January 2002 issue of "The Kansas Cowboy" history newspaper carries a lengthy article "William Green Butler,
Traildriver and Friend." This is a biography on the life and times of the famed cattleman.
This write-up is authentic, well-researched, and is deservedly complimentary. The article can be found
on this Web site.
The Eakin Press of Austin, Texas has published a 173-page book, "The Life and Death of Juan Coy, Outlaw and
Lawman." The book is well-researched. William Green Butler is mentioned often, and
the Daileyville shooting is covered. But there are too many contrived scenes and made-up
conversations that are simply Hollywood movie dialog. These all-too-frequent occasions of
unnecessary fiction do a serious injustice to an otherwise good book.
INDICTMENTS (Source 17)
The verdict of the Jury of Inquest: "We the jury empanelled and sworn to inquire
into the manner of the death of I. L. Elder, Bud Elder and Henry Pullin, find that Henry
Pullin came to his death by a gunshot fired by someone, striking him accidentally; that I. L.
Elder came to his death by gun and pistol shot wounds, fired by Epitacio Garza and Juan Coy
and Sykes Butler; that Bud Elder came to his death by gun or pistol shot wounds inflicted by
a gun or pistol fired by William G. Butler." Signed: J. M. Choate, J. A. Martin,
John S. Wycar, J. H. Little, J. W. Rutledge, C. A. Conway. By D. B. Butler, J.P.,
Precinct No. 1, Karnes County. David Brown Butler was not related to the ranchers.
Six indictments for murder, one for aggravated assault, one for simple assault, and
six for "Unlawfully Carrying" were returned against the ranchers as a result of the shooting
at Daileyville. The legal description of Unlawfully Carrying is 'Not Being a Peace Officer
and Unlawfully Carrying a Pistol within One Half-Mile of a Voting Place while a Lawful
Election was being held during the hours that the Polls of said Election were open.'
Indictment 1141 Sykes Butler, Juan Coy, Eli Harrell was for the murder of
Sheriff Fate Elder.
Indictment 1142 W. G. Butler was for the murder of Deputy Bud Elder.
William Green Butler 1142 Murder in the First Degree.
He was arrested. A request
for Change of Venue to Wilson County was granted upon the grounds (using the common terminology
of the courts at that time) that 'so great a prejudice against him exists in the
County of Karnes that he cannot obtain a fair and impartial trial, and further that there
is in said County a dangerous combination against him instigated by influential persons
by reason of which he cannot expect a fair trial.' $10,000 bond was paid by his brother
P. B. Butler, John Rutledge, and J. D. Newberry. Material witnesses for the State of
Texas will be P. B. Butler, John L. Sullivan, Thomas Pullin, John Shuler, Moliar Mayfield,
Norris McClane, and J. D. Ammons.
William Green Butler 1137 Unlawfully Carrying. Guilty. $25 fine.
Sykes C. Butler 1131 Murder in the First Degree.
He was arrested.
A request for Change of Venue to Wilson County was granted upon the grounds (using the
common cookbook terminology of that time) that so great a prejudice against him exists.
$15,000 bond was paid by W. G. Butler, M. L. Butler, and P. B. Butler.
A trial date was set for June 1887. A. J. Jordan will be a witness for the defense.
Eighteen witnesses were served with subpoenas. M. L. Butler is Marquis Lafayette "Fate"
Butler, and P. B. Butler is Pleas Butler, both brothers of WGB.
Sykes C. Butler 1141 Murder in the First Degree.
He was arrested.
A request for Change of Venue to Wilson County is granted. $5000 bond by W. G. Butler,
M. L. Butler, and P. B. Butler. Sixteen witnesses were served with subpoenas.
Sykes C. Butler 1144 Unlawfully Carrying. Not Guilty.
Sykes C. Butler 1131 was later changed to Cuero, DeWitt County.
Newton G. Butler 1145 Aggravated Assault. Guilty. $25 fine.
Being found guilty does indicate that he fired some shots at Daileyville.
Fayette Butler 1147 Unlawfully Carrying.
Juan Coy 1130 Murder. Change of Venue to Wilson County. He was sent to
jail in Bexar County because the jails in Karnes and Wilson Counties were not strong enough.
Juan Coy was the meanest, toughest, blackest, ugliest Hispanic in all of South Texas. (15)
1141 Murder. Sykes Butler, Juan Coy, and Eli Harrell were all indicted for
the murder of Sheriff Fate Elder under 1141.
Charley Woodie 1136 Guilty of Aggravated Assault. $25 fine.
Charlie Woodard 1136 Assault with Intent to Murder
Eli Harrell 1128 Simple Assault. Guilty. $5 fine. Appealed. Denied.
1140 Unlawfully Carrying. $500 bond by P. B. Butler and John L. Rutledge. Hung jury.
1141 Murder in the First Degree. Changed to Wilson County. $2500 bond by W. G. Butler,
N. G. Reynolds, and A. J. Jordan.
William Harrell 1135 Unlawfully Carrying. $300 bond by W. G. Butler and
W. M. Choate. Guilty. $100 fine. He asked for a new trial. Request denied. He appealed.
Hugh Pace 1138 Unlawfully Carrying. Not Guilty.
Six murder indictments were issued against the ranchers.
Sykes Butler went into seclusion somewhere. An arrest warrant was issued for him October 21.
By an arrangement, he surrendered to the new sheriff, W. L. Rudd, on January 27, 1887. A Habeas Corpus bail bond hearing was held in Helena ("the H.C. trial of Sykes Butler"), yielding 78 pages of testimony. He was granted bail on February 3, 1887.
The murder trials of W. G. Butler and Sykes Butler were moved from Karnes County to Wilson County in October 1886, and then to DeWitt County in March 1887.
After several continuances, W. G. Butler was acquitted in his murder trial in January 1888. His attorneys may have put up a good case for Self-Defense; Bud Elder fired two shots at him before Butler pulled his pistol.
After several continuances, the murder trial of his son Sykes Butler was finally held in December 1888. After a 5-day trial ending on December 19, the jury found Sykes to be Not Guilty.
The 78 pages from the Habeas Corpus hearing were used in the murder trial.
EPILOGUE
Mrs. Elizabeth Jennie Robuck Elder and Mrs. Purdy D. Scoggins Elder filed a lawsuit
against the whole Butler clan and cowhands, but later dismissed Daniel Butler and
Epitacio Garza from responsibility.
Mrs. M. E. (Jack) Bailey et al filed a lawsuit against W. G. Butler et al.
Later she also dismissed the charges against Daniel Butler and Epitacio Garza.
Andrew M. Nichols became a prominent rancher. His older brother
James M. Jimmy Nichols founded the first bank in Kenedy. Sykes Butler became
president of the biggest bank in Karnes City.
Thomas Nolan Pullin, son of the ill-fated Hiram Pullin, was in Daileyville that day,
and is the great-grandfather of a certain baseball pitcher named Nolan Ryan. Tom's brother Jack
Pullin borrowed the hack to go get their mother, Candace Butler Pullin.
Brothers Daniel and William Pullin, also sons of Candace Ware Butler Pullin 1835-1916
and the deceased Hiram Rand Pullin 1828-1886, went away in search of their father's killers.
They must have been looking for Juan Coy and Epitacio Garza. Had they suspected that a Butler,
a ranch hand, or Bud Elder had shot their father, they would have remained in Karnes County.
The brothers never returned home.
A close study of the 17 pages of testimony given at the Justice of the Peace
inquest could lead one to a certain theory, which is only the speculation of the author
- - - Newton Butler and his eight ranch-hands rode to a motte of trees on the ranch, just as
they testified. They all put their pistols and guns on the ground there, just as they
testified. Seven of them rode off toward Daileyville, just as they testified. Newton Butler
and Eli Harrell stayed behind, just as Eli testified. Andy Nichols drove his hack to the
motte, which has never been said before. The three men loaded all the arms into the hack.
Newton and Eli took a swig of whiskey from a hidden bottle, just as Eli testified, then
galloped off to catch up with the others, just as Eli testified. Andy Nichols made his way
to Daileyville in his hack, with a full arsenal of weapons hidden under three meal sacks.
- - - End of paragraph of speculation.
Andy Nichols testified that he brought no arms in his hack.
It is curious that NEWTON BUTLER did not testify at the inquest. Newton was an
important person on the ranch; he supervised all the cowhands. He apparently
fired some shots at Daileyville, because he was found guilty of Aggravated Assault, for
which he was fined $25.
The $25 fine is significant; it says that he DID do something in Daileyville.
Newt had a medical condition or health problem in early 1895. Dr. Puckett
saw him at the ranch in February. Friends reported in a family letter that
Newt again saw a doctor March 2, but "it was too late to do him any more good."
Newt left for New Orleans on March 4, to seek further medical help. He died
in a New Orleans hospital on March 12, 1895.
This was a tragic end for a man who could have managed or inherited his father's huge holdings.
When Hamilton R. Ammons was sick and wrote his will in August 1885, he showed an
immense trust in his 37-year-old son-in-law Pleas B. Butler. "I hereby select, choose,
and appoint Pleasant B. Butler as my wife's advisor in all business of buying and selling
or disposing of property. My wife and William are to advise with Pleasant B. Butler in all
business matters of importance." "At the death of my wife, I make, choose, and request
Pleasant B. Butler and William H. Ammons Executors of the Will." Note that he is naming
his wife's Executors in his will. William H. Ammons was only 18 at the time.
SOURCES:
(1) San Antonio Express Magazine, March 15, 1953, "Vengeance Kills a Killer Town," John Ruckman.
(2) San Antonio Express-News Magazine, "Ghost Town," January 24, 1993.
(3) San Antonio Express-News Magazine, "Letter from Bereaved," March 28, 1993.
(4) Newspaper article by John Ruckman.
(5) 3-page typed report by Judge Ted Butler, 1960.
(6) The Kenedy Times, December 2, 1981, "Seems Just Like Yesterday," page 1.
(7) The Beeville Picayune, September 9, 1886.
(8) 17 pages, the transcript of the inquest into the shootings at Daileyville.
(9) Official Centennial Program, "Karnes County Centennial," May 5 - 9, 1954: The Karnes County Story by
Helmuth H. Schuenemann.
(10) The Karnes County Story, by Helmuth H. Schuenemann Sr., 1979.
(11) Two articles titled "Historical Review of Kenedy Post Office" by Henry W. Dailey, The Kenedy Advance,
two issues, April 15 and 22, 1937.
(12) "Some Interesting Historical Facts of Early Days in Karnes County," The Kenedy Advance of April 4, 1963,
page 1, an article originally prepared by Mrs. E. D. Holchak for the Twentieth Century Study Club November 9, 1927,
and printed in the Kenedy Advance November 17, 1927.
(13) "A History of Karnes County and Old Helena," by Hedwig Krell Didear, San Felipe Press, Austin, Texas, 1969,
Jenkins Publishing Company.
(14) The author's opinion.
(15) "Wofford Crossing Road," Maxine Yeater Linder, 1994, Kenedy City Library.
(16) San Antonio Daily Express, December 31, 1884, quoted in both (2) and (3).
(17) District Court Minutes,
Book D from the old Helena Courthouse, now in Karnes City, pages 194 - 287.
(18) San Antonio Daily Express, September 7 and September 16, 1886.
(19) San Antonio Light, September 7, 1886.
(20) "The Life and Death of Juan Coy," Eakin Press, page 54.
Archie B. Ammons 1995
5306 Darnell St.
Houston TX 77096
713-664-3918
LeeLives@Prodigy.net
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