Isaac N.Baughman
1869 - 1873
Wharton County Sheriff
Go to F.Gray Franks (also a sheriff in Wharton County) and there are some court documents with him and Baughman. Gray Franks shot Baughman while the trial was going on.
No. 350 in the Criminal courts of Wharton County shows I.N. Baughman cited for neglect of his official duties as sheriff on December 1, 1869.
No. 626 in the Criminal courts of Wharton County shows I.N. Baughman being arrested for receiving stolen goods on April 4, 1874. With A.B. Nelson, Henry Compton, John Thornton and Al L. Klein as witnesses at the trial. on 12/09/1874 the state witnesses were supeoned.
From The Colorado Citizen March 11, 1875
Wharton County Outrage
The Other Side of the Story
Wharton, Texas Feb 16, 1875
To the Editor of the Telegraph
Our attention having been called to two communications, copied in the TELEGRAPH of the 2d inst, from the Chicago Inter-Ocean one signed J.N. Baughman, and addressed to Attorney General Williams, and the other by E. J. Davis, ex-governor of the State of Texas; and knowing as we do that these communications, were written and published for the sole purpose of making political capital, and knowing, also them to be an unimitated slander upon the citizens of Wharton County, we deem it due to ourselves and the community not to permit them to pass unnoticed, Yet, if the outside world knew the man as we know him, his communications would be treated with the same contempt that we feel for him. After giving first a brief history of the man while here, we will answer the communication:
J.N. Baughman first made his appearance in Wharton in 1868, with a sheriff's commission in his pocket, signed by E. J. Davis, (his present endorser), Governor of the State, the duties of which office he immediately, without "lot or hinderance", he assumed. His next step was to become an active member of that worthy order, the "Loyal League." and chose for his associates only negroes and white men of lower degree. He soon afterward, in connection with a few others who "felt as he felt"," began here a mercantile business on a small scale, and general dealers in country produce, hides etc. Then began a general system of cattle-stealing, killing and skinning. Hides were bought by thousands and the town of Wharton principally, when "Nature and Nature works lay hid in night", and sold to that firm often at the price of a bottle of R.G. Whiskey; work oxen, milch cows and stock cattle generally were thus killed and skinned solely for their hides. He even furnished wagon s to negroes here to haul him in hides which he must have known were stolen, as the negroes owned no cattle, and this wholesale slaughter was the universal complaint of the county. That business kept up for years, and the people perfectly [?i emediless?]. He selecting both grand and petite jurors which were invariably of his own faith and order. During his reign here some of the most horrible and brutal murders that ever shocked heaven or stained earth was committed upon some of our white citizens; even in one instance, for the purposes of concealment, the body of the murdered was burned to ashes, and it is generally believed here that he was particeps criminis, but he stood ready with his picked jury. Trials came, evidence of guilt clear, not an extenuating circumstance, a fifteen minute retirement, and a verdict of "not guilty". Thus he carried things on his own way, swaying the negroes with mean whiskey; promises of forty acres and a mule, threats that if Democrats obtained power they would be put back into slavery, until in the fall of 1873, when he basely insulted the wife of his partner and most intimate friend. This being promptly told the husband, the result was that Baughman received the contents of a double-barrel gun in his shoulder, and while suffering from his wound he stated to some gentleman here, that in 1869, while he was Sheriff, he heard this same partner, in their store, talk to a negro for several hours at night; trying to hire him to burn down the gin house houses of George Quinan and C.F. Lee, of this county, and this be kept to himself until the difficulty mentioned. During all this while he was the most loving and "gayest of the gay" with the sable daughters of the land, as several little half white Baughman's here will verify; as soon as his wounds would permit, he realy "left under cover of the darkness" and did not return until his partner, the injured man was killed in June, 1874, by his (Baughman's former clerk and deputy). Again A.D. McLain, another partner of his in the mercantile business, stated to his physician in November 1873 during his last sickness, and but a short time before his death, that Baughman proposed to him that if he would join him that he would raise a company of negroes, ride through the county, kill and rob the wealthy, gather all the fine horses, and shove off for Mexico; that by this means they would acquire a fortune once merchandising here was too slow. In 1869 he headed a negro riot of about 500 armed negroes, which was , however, suppressed by the timely arrival of two companies of whites, one from Fort Bend and the other from Brazoria counties. And he now stands indicted in the District Court of this county, charged with knowingly receiving of a negro two bales of stolen cotton. He lived here up to the day of his last leaving in a state of concubinage with a mulatto woman, and his whole course of life here was studiously designed to stir up strife and confusion between the whites and blacks of the community
Upon his return here in 1874, he again opened a store and notwithstanding the good citizens were much incoused at his many acts of villain and especially the insult offered the lady before mentioned because all knew her and respected her. She had been raised amoungst us and was truly like Caesar's wife. Nevertheless they permitted him to move on in the even terror of his ways unmolested and unannoyed. But he soon begain again his same old tricks. An lection was ordered for represenative from this district; he again became a canadate upon the Republican ticket; was elected, but declined to serve. (It may be, however, because of his being some $600 defaulter to the State as collector of taxes). Then an election was ordered for justice of the peace, and upon election day he declared himself a candidate for that office. Election was progressing and he having voted a large number of negroes for himself, declared to the citizens that he would not qualify if elected. Then it was that two gentleman went to his store, told him they had heard he would not qualify if elected and demanded that that he should say to the voters publicly that he would not qualify. The people then knew that his object was either to annoy them or keep the office vacant; it being that of presiding magistrate. Then in a few hours afterwards several gentleman went in to his store, when one of them said to him that the people of the county did not want him here and stated to him that this was the feeling of the entire county, and remarked that here are some twelve or fifteen gentleman in your store and we will take an expression of opinion and there upon took a vote (merely to show him their feelin,) when every man in the house voted against Baughman. There was no threats made, no pistols shown if indeed a single gentleman in the house had one, and no hostile demonstrations of any kind made until Baughman left his store, ran into another store when one of the gentleman thinking Baughman had run for a gun, he picked up B.'s rifle, came out on the street and in front of the store into which Baughman ran, and said if he wished to fight him to come come out on the streets. In the meantime the Sheriff came up, talked with them a few minutes when all retired to the courthouse with him. There was no attempt whatever to break any door; nobody interfered. These gentleman then left town, went home early in the evening and Baughman [?] that night, and for what cause is best known to himself. A sfor being a Republican, and having been a Federal Soldier, we simply answer that there is now, and has been since the war, a number of both classes in this county. In fact, all the offices int he county have been filled very near all white since the was by Republicans and Union Soldiers, and none were ever harmed or molested.
Now, sir, "we appeal to a candid world to say whether the people here should desire that such a man should live amongst them. If Chicago wants him, we say in God's name, take him. As for E.J. Davis, the insignificant, and who seemed so greedy of a chance to vent his invidions spleen upon Gov. Coke, his superior, we turn him over with his record to the people at large, because we feel that his days are numbered, and the "well [?dio?] unwept, unhonored and unsung" and unworthy, of our further notice.
Respectfully,
J.T. Lanson, E,N. Brooks, J.O. Hutchins, J.W. Jones, W.L. Hathaway, John T. Cordray, T'J' Whitten, H.T. Compton, J. Rust, S.G. Cloud, James D. Whitten.
Here is the Brownstown Indiana newspaper article extract from a letter from a unknown writer concerning the death of Issac Newton Baughman.
Eagle Lake, Texas, Aug. 30, 1876
Dear Sir: I will try to give you some of the particulars concerning the murder of your son Newton. On Monday morning of the 28th inst., between 1 and 2 o'clock, a band of some 15 or 20 men surrounded his house. It appeared as though they knew exactly the position his bed was in, and, being armed with Winchester rifles, they shot right through the house, which is built of pine lumber and not ceiled. he received a wound in the leg before he waked up.
After shooting awhile, they called to him and told him they meant him no bodily harm and to come out. He said to them "Gentlemen, do you mean what you say. I am shot in the leg. I can't get out of bed." they commenced shooting again and cursing him, and set the house on fire with kerosene oil. After he was dead in bed, they broke in the door and shot his body all to pieces-dragged him out of bed and shot him through the head twice as he lay on the floor. They tried to put out the fire after they were through. They stole his watch and six-shooter. I didn't hear the words he said to them, but a person who was in the same house did. This person staid until he was dead, and then ran out the back door and escaped.
I was sleeping in the store-house, about 150 yards from Newt's dwelling, when the shooting commenced. I got up and started out of the house. I expected to find men at the door to kill me as I came out. Finding none, I ran within about 50 yards of the dwelling, but by the time I got that close they were putting out the fire. As soon as they left the yard, I went to the house. I found the bed burning and his clothes also. After putting out the fire, I went to the nearest neighbor (a white neighbor) and started a man for the Coroner before daylight. After the inquest , I tried to count the shots that were on his body, but there being so many I could not make out the number. His feet were even shot. I made preparations to send his body home, but found that they wouldn't carry a corpse while the weather was hot. I had his body put away as decently as I possibley could.
As for what he was murdered, Mr.Baughman, God Almighty only knows: I don't. I know this much:I know Newt hasn't harmed man, woman or child since I came to Texas, and since he left the town of Wharton I know he never had anything to say about political matters. I don't think that any of the party that used to bother him in Wharton had anything to do with it. Newton had a great many friends. In fact all the farmers and honest men in the neighborhood liked him, but most of them are agreed to say anything for fear of their own lives, though some of them will and do come out and say what they think. Mr. O. B. Walker was a Eagle Lake yesterday, and told them (and no doubt but he was talking to men that were in the band that murdered him) that he would give five hundred dollars to any man that would show him a man the Newt Baughman ever wronged. No on could say that he ever wronged any one.
This page researched and written by Janet Barrett Hobizal in June 2007, From records found at the Wharton County Historical Museum
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