Oscar Augustus Adams

Notes:

Lea County Pioneer, Oscar A. Adams
By David L. Minton
11/17/06

An early day stockman of northern Lea County was Oscar Augustus Adams. He and his parents homesteaded parts of five sections east of Tatum that grew into a pretty good size place over the years. Unfortunately that is where the trouble started a few years later.

Before I get into the trouble part, let me fill you in on Oscar a little. Oscar was born August 30, 1880 at Knox County, Texas to Willie A. and Mary Ellie Adams. He first tried his hand at copper mining over at Bisbee, Arizona around 1910, but I think he found that being a miner wasn't what he was cut out to be. He soon found himself homesteading east of Tatum near Scott and that is where he settled and made his home. He proved up on his two filings, one in November of 1915 and the other in December of 1916.

As like many folks in those days, he had an adobe home and he built his pens and erected his windmill west of the house. Oscar was a tall man of medium build with grey eyes and brown hair and seemed to be respected in the community.

As time passed and fences were built, a feud over fence lines and accusations of sheep rustling festered between Oscar and his neighbor James H. Simpson. This bad blood between the two men continued until one day in front of the Gentry Hotel on Broadway Street in Tatum, it boiled over, shots were fired and when the smoke cleared, Oscar Adams lay bleeding in the dirt. Oscar was carried into the lobby of the hotel where he died about twenty minutes later.

Here's how it played out on Monday morning, June 26, 1933 at about ten thirty o'clock. For an unknown reason, Oscar Adams and an employee of Simpson's by the name of Mr. Doris Hart, age 20, were engaged in a fist fight. Well, sort of a fist fight, Hart had punched Oscar a couple of times and in return Oscar kicked Hart a few times ( I would say the kicking was justified, Adams was almost 33 years Hart's senior). Simpson was about a hundred yards away in Ray Sawyer's store and when Simpson saw the fight he hurried in direction of the combatants and when about fifty feet from the fight, he yelled for Hart to whip Adams and was using some rather descriptive terms including casting a reflection upon Adam's ancestry. This got Adam's attention and he advanced on Simpson and when about thirty feet separated the two men, Simpson yelled, (with more expletives') "don't you come at me with a knife" and fired three shots at the advancing Adams, hitting him twice. One bullet found its way through the fleshy part of Adam's left arm, but the one that killed him entered his chest just below the right nipple and exited about the same position on the other side. The third shot missed completely. The only knife found on Adams was his folding pocket knife which was found in his pocket????..

Deputy Sheriff Tom Bingham was in town and helped carry Adams into the Gentry Hotel, and then he arrested both Simpson and Hart, then took them to Lovington and deposited them in the county jail.
Adam's body was taken to Lovington for autopsy and the next day was taken to Hobbs for an X-ray Examination.
An inquest was held over the body of Adams with Justice of the Peace Frank Wycoft presiding and hearing the statements of about 20 witnesses. None of the witnesses ever saw a knife and one witness stated that Adam's hands were open and raised. Almost all of the witnesses testified that Simpson was cussing Adams pretty good as he yelled for Hart to whip Adams. It was ruled that Oscar Adams came to his death at the hands of James H. Simpson.

The former Pastor of the Methodist church at Tatum, the Reverend Robert O. Tomlinson conducted the service for Oscar Adam's funeral at the reverend's old church. The large crowd made it very apparent that Oscar was a very popular man in the area. His widowed mother who Oscar had been living with and taking care of for many years was naturally heartbroken at the death of her son. Oscar is buried in the Tatum cemetery beside his Mother and Father; they all share one large white attractive stone.

Oh, did I mention that James H. Simpson was the chairman of the Lea County Commission at the time he killed Oscar Adams? Yes, that he was, and had been elected his second term in November of the previous year. He went to jail for the murder, and bond was denied. (It gets better) Now, since he could not bond out, it was decided that the county commission meeting of July 5, 1933 would be held in the jail so that Simpson could preside over the meeting, and that is was. Simpson sent a letter of resignation to the governor about October 28, 1933; it is said because he wanted to wait until Governor Seligman was out of office and couldn't appoint who he wanted to replace Simpson. At the commission meeting of November 21, 1933 the commission accepted Simpson's resignation and E.N. Evans was appointed to replace him and serve with Commissioners R.L. Robinson and W.M. Snyder.

James H. Simpson was convicted of manslaughter in an Eddy county court on October 12, 1933 and sentenced to six to ten years in the state penitentiary. He did appeal, but the state supreme court affirmed the conviction. However, he did manage to get released from prison about 4 years into his sentence and live out his days on his ranch at Santa Rosa, New Mexico until his death on October 9, 1955.

Notes:

The 1860 census lists him as William A., the 1870 census lists him as Willie.

Lots of land records in Knox Co. TX names W.A. and Oscar, Tom or J.T. and Perry Adams.

(Research):Census Listings:

1880 Census
Jack Co. TX ED 158
Adams, Willis, 24, MS MS AL
Adams, Ella, 17, TX OH IN

1900 census
Knox Co. TX ED 43 pg. 172A
53/53
Adams, Willis A., Jan 1856, 44, Married 21 yrs., MS TN TN
Adams, Ella M., wife, Feb. 1863, 37, 1/1 children, TX TX TX
Adams, Oscar A., son, Aug. 1880, 19, TX
Anderson, Carrie, adopted daughter, Nov. 1878, 21, TX TX TX

1910 Census
Knox Co. TX pg. 12B
180/184
Adams, Willis, 54, married 32 yrs, ? TN AL
Adams, M. E., 47, 1/1 children, TX TN AL
McDonald, Archibald, father-in-law, 83, Wd., TN - -

Willis married Mary Ellie McDonald. Mary was born on 15 Feb 1863 in Texas; died on 11 Oct 1958; was buried in Tatum Cemetery, Tatum, Lea County, New Mexico. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of Archibald McDonald.

Notes:

Land Record Certificate #17.928 E 269 To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Whereas, William Valentine Adams of Tishomingo County, Mississippi has deposited in the GENERAL LAND OFFICE of the United States, a certificate of the REGISTER OF THE LAND OFFICE, at Pontotoc whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said William Valentine Adams according to the provisions of........................etc. South West quarter of Section Seven in Township Six, of Range Ten, East, in the District of lands subject to sale at Pontotoc, Mississippi, containing one hundred and fifty nine acres and seventy eight hundredths of an acre.......... Dated 4 Jan. 1845 signed by President of the United States, John Tyler, by John Tyler, Jr. Sec'y.

Email from Lynell Cordell:

I've been working on the Adams family lately. Lizzie 'Adams' Trawick's family was in Van Buren Co. Ar in 1860 & 1870 and then disappeared. I found two marriages in Van Buren Co. that I thought could be their daughters, Mary Jane married Alfred Bost and Martha E. married George Parnell. So I traced both of them to Jack Co. Texas and today I came across the 1880 Jack Co. census online and couldn't believe it when I saw William V. and Nancy Adams there! How about that?

(Research):

Census Listings:


1850 Census
Mississippi, Tishomingo County, Southern Division
Enumerated 22 Oct 1850
469-469
Alfred M Carrol 49 M Farmer 200 NC
Elizabeth Carrol 43 F Ala
Catherine Carrol 19 F Tenn
Joseph D. Carrol 14 F Tenn
Lydia Carrol 7 F Mi
George W Carrol 1 M Miss
470-470
Wm V. Adams 27 M Farmer 150 Miss
Nancy Adams 23 F Miss
Mary J Adams 9 F Miss
David A Adams 6/12 M Miss

1880 Census
Texas, Jack County, Precinct 5
Enumerated 17 and 18 of June 1880
Page 24D, SD 3, ED 161
206-206
Bost, Alfred W M 32 Farmer NC NC NC
Bost, Mary J W F 32 Wf Keeping House Miss Miss Miss
Bost, Thomas W M 8 Son Ark NC Miss
Bost, Nancy A W F 6 Dtr Ark NC Miss
Bost, John D W M 4 Son Tx NC Miss
Bost, Jams L W M 2 Son Miss SC Tx
207-207
Adams, Wm V W N 58 Farmer Miss SC Tx
Adams, Nancy W F 53 Wife Keeping House Ala NC NC
Adams, Joseph T W M 21 S Farm Hand Ark Miss Ala
Adams, Sarah A W F 14 Dtr At Home Ark Miss Ala

William married Nancy Carroll on 6 Feb 1845 in Tishomingo County, Mississippi. Nancy (daughter of Alfred Marrien Carroll and Elizabeth Moore) was born on 20 Feb 1826 in Alabama; died on 10 May 1909; was buried in Benjamin Cemetery, Benjamin, Knox County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

After her husband died, Nancy apparently lived with her daughter Sarah, also widowed.

(Research):
Census Listings:

1900 Census
Knox Co. Texas ED 43 Pg. 171A
24/24
Martin, Sarah A., head, Oct. 1866, 33, Wd. Married 8 yrs. 4/4 children.
Martin, Glenn T., son, Oct. 1892, 7, TX TN AR
Martin, James C., son, March 1894, 6, TX TN AR
Martin, Willis A., son, Sept. 1895, 4, TX TN AR
Martin, Ruth E., daughter, Jan. 1897, 3, TX TN AR
Adams, Nancy, mother, Feb. 1827, 73, Wd., Married 40 yrs. 11/5 children, AL NC NC

Notes:

Married:
"Marriage Bonds, State of Mississippi" Tishomingo Co. 1842-1846 William V. Adams and Nancy Carroll, Feb 6, 1845 Sanders Mill, M.G. Surety: John Moore

David married Lucy Fisher. Lucy was born before 1804 in Tennessee; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

At the time of the 1860 census, he was living with what appears to be a second wife, as she is some 30 years younger than he. Her name is also Elizabeth, as was his first wives name. Monica Hightower, on the Genforum "Carroll" Message board stated that his second wife was Elizabeth BEARDING. It is assumed the youngest children in the household at 1860 were those of Elizabeth BEARDING, and presumably Alfred.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/carroll/messages/807.html



(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Mississippi, Tishomingo County, Southern Division
Enumerated 22 Oct 1850
469-469
Alfred M Carrol 49 M Farmer 200 NC
Elizabeth Carrol 43 F Ala
Catherine Carrol 19 F Tenn
Martha Carrol 14 F Tenn
Joseph D. Carrol 12 F Tenn
Lydia Carrol 7 F Miss
George W Carrol 1 M Miss
470-470
Wm V. Adams 27 M Farmer 150 Miss
Nancy Adams 23 F Miss
Mary J Adams 9 F Miss
David A Adams 6/12 M Miss

1860 Census
Mississippi, Tishomingo County, Southern Division, PO Bay Spring
Enumerated 4 Sept 1860
Page 324
1158-1158
Alfred M. Carrol 59 M Blacksmith $--- $80 NC
Elizabeth Carrol 30 F Ala (Is this Elizabeth Moore, with her age in error, or a second wife--perhaps mother to the youngest children in the household?)
Elizabeth Carrol 19 F Domestic Miss
Lydia Carrol 15 F Miss
George W Carrol 4 M Miss (Twins) (Child? Grandchild? Nephew? Whose)
James Carrol 4 M Miss (Twins) (Child? Grandchild? Nephew? Whose)
Sarah F Carrol 1 F Miss (Child? Granchild? Whose?)

1870
Not Located

Alfred married Elizabeth Moore. Elizabeth (daughter of John Moore and Mary Richardson) was born about 1807 in Alabama; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Monica Hightower shows they had twelve children in total,

Alfred Carroll & Elizabeth Moore's children:
Margaret Jane b.19May1823 m.Samuel Johnson
Mary m. William Johnson
Eliza m. Thomas Beck
Elizabeth b.abt. 1827
Catherine b. abt. 1831
Polly
Nancy m. William V. Adams
Annie
John Moore Carroll
Martha b.abt.1836 m. Marion Stacy
Joseph D. b.abt.1838
Lydia b.abt.1843

http://genforum.genealogy.com/carroll/messages/807.html