Barringers in the News

Extracted from the Jan. 1890 Hesperian published in Gainesville, Cooke Co., TX:

A number of deputy marshals arrested 7 men Saturday 12 miles west of Ardmroe, charged with lynching old man J. L. KEYES some 6 weeks earlier near Healdton, I. T. The parties arrested were neighbors of KEYS at the time the old man was lynched. The prisoners will have a preliminary hearing before Commissioner Low Ardmore Monday, and they will be prosecuted by U. S. district attorney Wilson of Paris, Texas. Ardmore, I. T. Jan. 29---

.... investigating the case of Bill ISBELL, Nick and Dick EVERHEART, Hes WARDEN, Tony WEBBER, John STEPHENS, Lum BARRINGER, and John BLACKBURN, charged with the hanging of J. H. KEYES on the 18th day of November last....the testimony for the government was very conflicting as to essential fact... testimony for the prosecution amounted to nothing as the main witnesses were successfully impeached... defense was conducted by Guthridge, Fleming & Campbell and Heard & Wasson.

Judge Wilson in a very forcible manner presented the case of the government and with the exception of John Stephens and Lum Barringer, the defendants were committed to the Paris jail without bail. The defendants are regarded as the best citizens of the Chickasaw nation and it was a great surprise to our people they were held to answer to the cause of murder as there was not a scintilla of evidence against them.