____________________________________________________________________________ "A PROCLAMATION" By the Governor of Arkansas Whereas, satisfactory information has been communicated to me, that on the 2d. day of July (inst.), a most deliberate and wilful murder was perpetrated, at Murfreesborough, Pike County, on the body of Mr. John M. Dickson, by a certain E.K. Williams, and it appearing that the said Williams has made his escape, and is now going at large. Now, therefore, I, William S. Fulton, Governor of Arkansas, do hereby offer a reward of TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, to any person or persons who will apprehend the said fugitive murderer, E.K. Williams, and deliver him into the custody of the Sheriff of Pike County, and I do, moreover, hereby require all officers, both civil and military, and exhort all the good people of Arkansas, to use their best exertions, to apprehend and bring to justice the said fugitive, that he may be dealt with according to law. Given under my hand and the seal of Arkansas, at Little Rock, this 25th day of July, 1836. William S. Fulton The said Williams is between 35 and 40 years of age, about 5 feet 10 or 11 inches high, blue eyes, light hair, beard rather inclined to be sandy, large underlip and a sore generally about the middle of it, tolerably well-made, and generally looks fresh and rather inclined to be red-faced. He is a very good scholar, and it is believed is either from Kentucky or Ohio. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, July 26, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ $290 REWARD FOR A MURDERER. Whereas, an unjustifiable and most unprovoked murder was committed, in the town of Murfreesborough, Pike County, Arkansas, on the 2d. day of July (inst.), on the body of my husband, John M. Dickson, by a certain E. K. Williams, alias Ezekial Williams Kerr, I will therefore give the above reward to any person or persons who may apprehend, and deliver the above named E.K. Williams, alias Kerr, to the proper authorities of said County of Pike. The said Williams, alias Kerr, is between 35 and 40 years of age, 5 feet 10 or 11 inches high, blue eyes, light hair, beard inclined to be sandy, under lip large and generally a sore about the middle of it, tolerably stout built, very fond of ardent spirits, and very noisy when drinking. He has a brother-in-law near Golconda, Illinois, and another near Fort Jesup, Louisiana. This same villain, it is pretty well ascertained, murdered a boy, a few years since, in the State of Kentucky, by stabbing him. Lucinda Dickson Murfreesboro, July 8, 1836. Editors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas, will confer a favor on a distressed widow, and perhaps benefit society by contributing to the apprehension and punishment of a cold-blooded murderer and notorious villain, by giving the above an insertion in their respective papers. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, August 2, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ Clark County, November 1, 1836. Mr. Editor - Pleased to give the following statement an insertion in your paper. Jacob Brindley, of Pike County, who lives at the ferry on Little Missouri, has maliciously propagated, rumored, and charged me with harboring a certain Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, (who has been charged with the murder of John M. Dickson, of Pike County). Some most infamous individual, taking advantage of the sudden flight and absconding of Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, from this County, personated him at my house in order the better to accomplish his homicidal or furtive design. The same individual has exhibited himself at and about my house, at all times of the night, striking on the fence, whistling in chargers, and making various other noises and pranks, which caused me, together with my neighbors, to believe that the above-named murderer of John M. Dickson was at my house, until contradicted and ascertained by the following statements: This Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, was seen and met by John W. Williams, a highly respectable gentleman who lives on the Military road seven miles from Washington, Hempstead County, on the road seven miles from Golconda, Illinois, the 22nd. day of August last (on his way from this country). The said Eli Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, was seen also by Wiley A. Berry, of Livingston County, Kentucky, William Berry, and Nathaniel Gray, of the same County, six hundred miles from this County, about the last of August; not withstanding, this other base rascal, who was essaying to pass himself, for some malicious design, for Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, was seen on the 28th. of August by Elijah Kelley near my house, and by Samuel Hasley, and by Amos Wilson on Wednesday night the latter part of August; and on Thursday following by Moses Guice; on Friday, by Dr. Long, told Jacob Brindley, that this supposititious (sic) individual had been seen by many persons, and that he did not believe it was Eli Kerr, and that several men were watching and lying in wait for him and that I wished him either taken or killed. Since Dr. Long had that conversation with Jacob Brindley, that villainous individual has not been seen nor heard at my house or about my plantation. The said Jacob Brindley has used every exertion in his power, by his base culumnies, to injure my standing and reputation; and by his multifarious lies, fabrications, and equivocations, has left no dubiousness on the mind of the public as to that individual who attempted to pass for Eli W. Kerr, in order to evade justice in the execution of his murderous design, detraction or villainy. For evidence you will see the following certificates. John Speer ____________________________________________________________________________ I, John W. Williams, of the County of Hempstead, Arkansas, do hereby certify, that, on the 22nd. day of August, 1836, whilst on my way home from the State of Kentucky, I met, in the road, a few miles from Golconda, Illinois, a certain E.K. Williams, who committed a murder on the body of John M. Dickson, on the 2d. day of July last, in the County of Pike, and that he was then on his way from this country. J.W. Williams ____________________________________________________________________________ This day, personally appeared before me, Isham Clement, a Justice of the Peace, in and for the County of Livingston, Kentucky, William Berry and Nathanial Gray, both citizens of said County, (who, being duly sworn, depose and say), and, on or about the 1st. day of September, 1836, E.K. Williams, as he called himself, when in Arkansas, was in the said County of Livingston, Kentucky, at the said Berry's and Gray's house. Sworn to, and subscribed before me, this 2d. day of October, 1836. Isham Clement, J.P. Attest: Nathanial Gray, William Berry. ____________________________________________________________________________ Commonwealth of Kentucky, Livingston County. I, James L. Dallam, Clerk of the Court for the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Isham Clement, whose name is attached to the foregoing certificate, is, and was, at the time of signing the same, a duly qualified and commissioned Justice, within and for said County; and as such, full faith and credit are due and should be given to all his official acts. Given under my hand, this 3rd. day of October, 1836. James J. Dallam, Clerk. ____________________________________________________________________________ I, Wilie A. Berry, of Livingston County, Kentucky, do hereby certify, that I am personally acquainted with a certain Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, the individual who is charged with the murder of John M. Dickson, of the County of Pike, Arkansas; and that some time in the latter part of August, in the present year, I saw the said Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, in Livingston County, Kentucky, and was informed by him, that he had come directly from Arkansas. Wilie A. Berry Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 7th. day of October, 1836. J.W. Williams, J.P. ____________________________________________________________________________ We the undersigned, do certify, on the night of the 28th. of August, or about that time, we were in the company of John Speer, at his dwelling house, watching for E.K. Williams, murderer of John M. Dickson, and near about twelve o'clock of said night, we saw a man appear three times, in the distance of eighty yards, as nigh as we can guess, and from the action of the person we saw, we think he either wanted to see some one privately, or to steal, rob, or murder. Elijah Kelley Samuel Hasley October 8th., 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, November 15, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ To The Public A certain "Major" John Speer, who keeps a house of entertainment in Clark County, near the Antoine Bridge, on the road leading from Little Rock to Red River, in order to get into a newspaper controversy with me, or to give the public a specimen of his very extraordinary talents for writting, (sic) has published, in the Arkansas Gazette, a lengthy and windy communication, over his own signature, dated November 1st., 1836, in which he charged me with having "maliciously propagated, rumored, and charged" him with harboring (his brother-in-law) Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, who stands charged with the crime of murder, in Pike County; which communications has attached to it the certificates of certain persons, certifying that the fact of Williams, alias Kerr, have been seen, after the perpetration of the crime above mentioned, in the States of Illinois and Kentucky. The said communication also charges some person with endeavoring to personate the said Williams, by "striking on the fence, whistling in chargers, and making various other noises and pranks, at and about the house of the said John Speer." Not wishing to trouble the public with my grievances about the above named communication, I would barely remark, that circumstances as strong as holy writ, establish the fact of John Speer having harbored the said Eli W. Kerr, alias E.K. Williams, "at and above" his house, after the perpetration of the murder above named; and the "suppositious individual" mentioned in said communication, who endeavored to "personate" said Williams, at and above the house of said John Speer, is generally believed to have been the servant of this John Speer, or some other person induced to come there for him, for the purpose of screening him from the charges of harboring said Williams. Circumstances go strongly to show this fact to every unbiased mind. I have never "maliciously charged" John Speer with the commission of an act. I have spoken of the affair in common with those whom I have heard conversing on the subject, but not with the view of injuring him. He has no laurels that I wish to take from him. His reputation, whatever it may be, he is welcome to enjoy. I would barely remark, in conclusion, that this Major John Speer has admitted that E.K. Williams, alias Kerr, ate at or near his house, after the commission of the murder mentioned in his communication. This admission, therefore, puts him at issue with his communication. Add his admission, therefore, to the circumstance of a stolen horse being found in his possession, and it will show whether he is the man he has cracked himself up to be, in his garbled communication, or not. Jacob Brindley Little Missouri, Pike County, Arkansas, 1st. December, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, December 13, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ For The Arkansas Gazette Mr. Editor - I notice in your paper of the 13th. of the present month, a publication over the signature of one Jacob Brindley, of Pike County, bearing the date the first of the same month, in which he denies any purpose of doing me injustice, at the same time making as false assertions against me as ever were made against a man, when he charged me with having harbored E.K. Williams, and of having the horse, (stolen by Williams), in my possession, if he had stated that I arrested the horse in his possession, and informed the proper person of it, who was authorized to receive him, he would have stated the truth. The fact of my having taken the horse from the possession of the thief, can be proven by a gentleman by the name of Swink, living at Judge Barkman's, and the fact of me having sent word that I had taken possession of a horse, supposed to be stolen, can be established by Moses Grize (Guice), who lives with Col. Wilson. This took place on the 15th. or 20th. of July last - and he was personated at my house in the later part of August last. The charge of this having been done by my servant, or at my request, that I might not be suspected, is one of the vilest things I have ever seen or heard of. If it was done through my influence, (and not through Brindley's), why did that villain stop on the very same day, that Dr. Long told Jacob Brindley of, the danger that Williams was in? The evidence and circumstances all go strong against Brindley himself. Now, Mr. Jacob Brindley, a word or two with you, and I am done. Your false assertions against me, make it my duty to call your attention to a few facts in regard to your being a man of truth. Did you not, some time previous to the expiration of the preemption law, swear before Almighty God, that there did not exist a preemption on a certain tract of land. I allude to the tract of land on which Francis Bittick has his farm, - and did you not deny in the presence of James Ward, Senior, that you were sworn at all? - and after denying that you were sworn, did you not admit to the same person that you were sworn, but did not take the oath prescribed by law? Now sir, if there was no preemption, why did you deny swearing at all? And did you not state a falsehood, between Col. J. Wilson and James Ward, concerning a load of salt sent by Col. Wilson to Ward. Now, sir, if you are not guilty of the above charges, Mr. Ward is your neighbor and will acquit you. Were you not, sir, called on by Samuel Hasley for having made too free use of his name? And did you not deny the facts in the most positive terms, and did not the said Hasley call on John McLaughlin, and prove positively that you did use the words denied by you - and did you not contradict McLaughlin? - or was your plea that you were in a state of insanity? Now sir, if you are not guilty, these are men of truth and will do you justice. If you fail to clear up these charges, your base statements will not be noticed. John Speer Little Rock, December 23, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, December 27, 1836. ____________________________________________________________________________ To the Editor of the Arkansas Gazette: SIR - In a recent number of your paper, "John Speer" has published a communication, purporting to be an answer to my defence, published in your paper a short time since, but which is in fact an evasion of the issue between us. Knowing himself to be guilty of the charges which are against him, and which he has so solemnly and equivocally denied, he now seeks to shield himself from public indignation and contempt, by charging me with the commission of acts, which are as derogatory to the character of a gentleman as those of which he himself is guilty. I am at all times prepared to defend myself successfully against the poisoned tongued slanderer. I am well known to the citizens of the county in which I reside, and nothing that John Speer can say, will have any effect upon that community. He is a common disturber of the peace and quite of the neighborhood in which he lives - a news carrier, a yellow-tongued slanderer, a defamer of private character, and a man destitute of the attributes of a gentleman. In relation to the slanderous charges he has published against me, I have only to say, that I can settle my own affairs with my neighbors without his officious interference. The charge of my having sworn about Bittick's preemption claim, is false and destitute of truth. If this man Speer can say the same in relation to all the oaths which he has taken about preemption claims, he must be a fortunate man. I have no disposition to expose his character, or to prefer charges against him. If I had, perhaps I might say something about good fat beeves, which would make John Speer feel a little curious. But to the horse story. On the night that the traveler's horse was stolen from my stable, John Speer has admitted that he was at my ferry until a late hour of the night, and from there, he went to Mr. Thomas Milson's and stayed the balance of the night. After this, the stolen horse was found in the possession of John Speer. If this is not strong evidence of his guilt, I am much mistaken. I again repeat, that it is generally believed that John Speer did procure his servant, or some other person, to personate Williams, alias Kerr, the murderer of Dickson, at and about his house, in order to give him a chance to make his escape, and to screen him from the punishment which the law had meted to his offence; and I have no doubt that through the low cunning and management of John Speer, that the murderer of Dickson made his escape from justice. Jacob Brinley Little Missouri, Pike co., Jan. 13, 1837. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, January 24, 1837. ____________________________________________________________________________ EDITORIAL A more striking exemplification cannot be found of the folly and weakness of human passions, than the correspondence which has been carried on in this paper in the shape of advertisements between John Speer and Jacob Brindley, Esqs., one of Pike County, and the other of Clark County. They have been endeavoring to persuade the world, (each other), that they are the most corrupt mortals alive, when in fact we have no better citizens in the country than both of them. They ought from shame, to discontinue the affair where it stands. ____________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Gazette, January 24, 1837. ____________________________________________________________________________ David Kelley 1996