title: Spindletop Unwound author: Shaffer, Roger L. publisher: Republic of Texas Press isbn10 | asin: 1556225504 print isbn13: 9781556225505 ebook isbn13: 9780585262413 language: English Trials--Texas, McFadden family, Humphrey family, Petroleum industry and trade-- subject Texas--Beaumont Region, Inheritance and succession--zTexas--Beaumont Region. publication date: 1998 lcc: KF228.M388S53 1998eb ddc: 364.15/23/09764145 Trials--Texas, McFadden family, Humphrey family, Petroleum industry and trade-- subject: Texas--Beaumont Region, Inheritance and succession--zTexas--Beaumont Region. Page i Spindletop Unwound Roger L. Shaffer Page ii Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shaffer, Roger L. (Roger Lee), 1941-. Spindletop unwound / Roger L. Shaffer. p cm. includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-55622-550-4 (pb) 1. TrialsTexas. 2. McFadden family. 3. Humphries family. 4. Petroleum industry and tradeTexasBeaumont Region. 5. Inheritance and successionTexasBeaumont Region. I. Title. KF228 M388S53 1997 364 15'23'09764145dc21 97-12739 CIP Copyright © 1998, Roger L. Shaffer All Rights Reserved Republic of Texas Press is an imprint of Wordware Publishing, Inc. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from Wordware Publishing, Inc. Printed in the United States of America ISBN 1-55622-550-4 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9707 Page iii Oct 1850 I certify these to be 64 pages & a piece of free inhabitance & done as near in acordance with my oath as I could do it the people was hard to get along with H Swearingen A M Page v Contents Acknowledgments ix Preface xi A Cast of Characters The Killing 1 In the Beginning 9 Gunfight at Nacogdoches 20 Family Values 21 Tribulations and the Trial 25 Money Matters 28 Party Time 32 Get Thee to a Nunnery 38 Credibility and Credit Ability 40 From Party Barn to the Big House 41 The Lawsuits A Primer 49 Lawyers Relief: The Humphries Lawsuits 54 Generations of Humphries Claims 59 The Humphries Trilogy 67 Brown Peregoy 69 Rule 11 74 Other Irrational Claims and Claimants 79 Page vi Daddy's Always Told Us That East Texas Idiosyncrasies 83 Pelham or William 87 Joseph Humphries 95 Meet The Family 103 Brown Peregoy: Wrong Again 108 Regulators, Moderators, and McFaddens 110 The Heirs of William Humphries 117 Polly 118 Jane 120 Amanda 124 Thomas E. Anderson 124 Holland 125 Mahaley 125 Sorting it Out: Greed And Grasping The Heirs at Law Postgusher Claims 127 Seven Affidavits: Uncle Pel's Best Case 131 Transfers of Spindletop, 1834-1883 137 William's Transfer Documents 139 The Definitive Answers: Yes and No 144 "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" 149 Appendix A, 151 A Chronology Appendix B, 193 A Selected Abstract of Title Appendix C, 207 Selected Documents Original Spanish Petition 208 English Translation of Spanish Petition 212 Benjamin Lindsey Certificate of Character 215 Page vii William Humphries Bond for Title 216 Benjamin Strickland Survey 219 Joseph Humphries Petition for Remainder of Headright 221 Entitlement Estate of Joseph Humphries, Sarah Humphries and S.P. 225 January Administrators Deed from "Pelham Humphries" to Snively 226 Deed from "Pelham Humphries, Jr. and William 227 Humphries" to Dozier Guardianship of the Heirs of William Humphries 228 Case 682 Settlement with W.P.H. McFaddin 229 Deed from Jane (Humphries) McFadden to Thomas 231 Russell et al. Deed from Jane (Humphries) McFadden Wilkerson to 232 J.G. Hazelwood Deed from Hazelwood to McFaddin 233 Deed from Carswell to McFaddin 234 Deed from Ring to McFaddin 235 Deed from Houghton to McFaddin 236 Deed from Thomas Anderson to McFaddin 237 Deed from Boren to McFaddin 238 Deed from Russell to McFaddin 239 Deed from Ingalls to McFaddin 240