Other Newspapers

contributed by Bunny Freeman

Fort Worth Morning Register, 8 Oct 1899

THE SIX TOED HIGGINSES
"Down in Kimble county, Tex.," said a visitor from the Lone Star state to a New Orleans Times - Democrat reporter. "is a remarkable 6-toed family, about whom, as far as I know, nothing has ever been told in print. Their name is Higgins, and the family is composed at present of a grandfather who must be over 90, four middle aged sons and a drove of granchildren, numbering twenty-five or thirty. Old man Higgins who is called "Mexican Bill' for some reason I was never able to learn, has six toes on each foot, and his wife, who is now dead was equally well provided. They were cousins and all their sons have six toes except one, whose feet turn in noticeably at the ankle, but are otherwise normal. All the grandchildren have at least six toes and several of them have seven, the extra one being in each case more or less rudimentary and not developed like the others. I can vouch for this personally, as I have seen the whole tribe on a number of different occasions, and in summer time they generally run around barefooted. "The six-toe Higginses, is the name the family is known by among all the neighbors. Old Mexican Bill has told me that his parents were both six-toed, and that the same peculiarity existed his relatives as far back as he knows anything about. The extra toes don't seem to bother the crowd and at first glance one would not be apt to notice anything unusual about their feet. They are farmers and stock-raisers on a small scale and the grandchildren are above average of intelligence. I am told by physicians that it is something very unusual for a malformation to persist in that way through three or more generations."

Grand Forks North Dakota, The Daily Herald, 7 Mar 1891

TWO COURAGEOUS GIRLS
THEY TRAVELED SIXTEEN HUNDRED MILES ALONE IN A LIGHT WAGON.
There are two young ladies spending a few weeks in San Antonio who have recently made a remarkable journey. They are Miss Mary Jacqnes, of Java Lodge, Hampshire, England and Miss emma Hartley, of Junction City, Tex.
The town of Junction City is nearly 200 miles from the Mexican border, the entire distance to the City of Mexico from that place being about 1,600 miles. A light wagon and a team of Texas horses were purchased, and all arrangements for the trip had been perfected early in last September. In the wagon were stored a complete camping outfit and a small amount of provisions, it being the intention of the ladies to procure the necessary supply of eatables from people along the line of their journey. The provisions taken along were only to be used in cases of necessity. The only firearms carried by the ladies were a brace of pistols.
The country lying between Junction City and Piedras Negros, where they crossed the Rio Grande river into Mexico, is a desolate mountainous region, the only inhabitations being at intervals of from twenty-five to fifty miles. The journey to the Rio Grande river occupied four days. It was at the Mexican border that the girls met with their first obstacle. They found that the Mexican duties on their horses and wagons would cost them more than a new outfit. They conferred as to what would be the best thing for them to do under the circumstances, and finally they decided to despatch their own team and wagon back to Junction City. This was done, and they crossed over the bridge to Piedras Negras on foot and purchased another outfit in that city, and again set out on their journey of 1,400 miles overland to the Mexican capital.
The journey to Monterey was made over mountain trails, but they were beset with no severe difficulties. They were treated with universal courtesy and respect by the natives and were given every assistance by those whom they met. They were mentally prepared for danger and adventure, but in this they were disappointed, the most thrilling incident of the trip being the riding of a soldier into their tent by mistake. The astonished, but courteous, Mexican quickly retired with profuse apologies for his intrusion.
In the higher altitudes they experienced some discomforts, owing to the chilly nights and the scarcity of wood and coal for camping. They passed through sections of the country which had never before been penetrated or traversed by any foreigner, and the astonishment of the natives was very amusing. Every night of the journey, which occupied nearly three months, was spent in their camp tent alone and unprotected. They traveled by the way of Monterey, Saltillo, San Luis Potosi and Pachuca. At Pachuca they spent several days visiting the mines, iron works and reducers.
They spent several days in the City of Mexico, and started to make their return journey overland, but owing to the severe weather experienced on the uplands they were compelled to abandon their team and wagon at San Luis Potosi and finish their trip by rail. But determined to enjoy the unsurpassed climate and scenery of Mexico to the utmost. They traveled a good part of the way to the city on the locomotive.
San Francisco Examiner.

Morning World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska, 12 Feb 1897

POSSE FIGHTS OUTLAWS
FOUR TEXANS RESIST ARREST AND THREE ARE KILLED.
Houston, Tex. Feb 11 -- A dispatch from Menardsville tells of a desperate encounter with outlaws near that place Tuesday. Sheriff J. L. Jones of Kimble county, with Tom Taylor, Oscar Latta, Bud Frazier and John Goodson, about daylight came across a camp near the Menard and Kimble county line. There were four men in the camp who the officers supposed were the cattle thieves they wanted. A command to surrender was replied to by a shower of bullets.
A pitched battle then ensued, which lasted half an hour. J. C. Johnson, alias R. J. Smith, and Jim Crane were killed by the posse. Another man, named Underwood, was shot through the thigh and backbone and will die. The fourth man, though wounded, managed to mount his horse and escape.

San Jose Mercury, California, 24 Sep 1885

LOVERS KILLED.
FATAL SHOOTING AFFRAY IN KIMBLE COUNTY, TEXAS.
Mason, (Tex.), Sept. 23 -- Near Junction City, Kimble county, a Mexican named Gonzales became enamored of the daughter of a well-to-do neighbor named Mortez. The latter forbid Gonzales his house. Mortez, accompanied by his daughter and a young son and a gentleman named Coleman, were camping out on Monday, when Gonzales put in his appearance and attempted to entice the daughter away. Being discovered, he opened fire on Mortez and Coleman and both returned the fire. Gonzales and the girl were both killed and the brother fatally wounded. Mortez and Coleman have been arrested.