James Franklin

About 1863, James Franklin, son of Hiram Franklin, who lived about four or five miles west of Weatherford, had been out in search of the cows, and suddenly came upon approximately nine savages. They lodged an arrow so deeply into his back the point reached the pit of his stomach. James Franklin then hurried toward the home of Zebedie P. Shirley, who lived only a short distance away. When James reached Mr. Shirley's home, the latter met him a short way from his house, and drove the pursuing Indian away. The spike remained in the boy's body for several weeks, and finally came out.

Walker K. Baylor, son of Jno. R. Baylor was hunting turkeys only a mile or two away, when young Franklin was wounded. A lady who saw Walker K. Baylor motioned for him, and said, "What are you doing out there, boy? Don't you know the country is full of Indians? Don't you know they have just killed a boy, and that he is down at Mr. Shirley's?" W.K. Baylor told the good lady that he had neither seen or heard the Indians, nor did he know that a boy had been wounded.

Ezra Mulkins, Jno. and W.R. Curtis, Matt Gibson, W.K. Baylor, mentioned above, and then only about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and one or two others followed the Indians to the wild and rough parts of Palo Pinto County, but were never able to overtake them.

Note: Author personally interviewed Sam Newberry, W.K. Baylor, and others who lived in Parker County at the time.

The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.