Fatal Land Dispute
Record-Union (Sacramento, CA)
June 4, 1892
FORNEY (Texas), June 3. – Near here today Jack Arnold stabbed Will Short to death and fatally wounded James Short, during a dispute over some land.
(Transcribed by Kathy Jennings)
—
Man Killed in Family Feud
Forney Tribune
8 June 1892
Friday, about 12 o’clock, a courier from the Arkansas[sic] neighborhood who had been dispatched for a physician reported a serious cutting affray between Andrew Arnold and Jim and William Short. Officers and physicians repaired to the scene of action and found William Short dead and his brother Jim [James E.] Short seriously stabbed. Andrew Arnold, the person who did the stabbing was found in a field near by and was put under arrest. N.M. [Nicholas M.] Short, a brother of the wounded and dead men was also
arrested as an accomplice. They were brought to town and late in the evening Sheriff Keller and deputies took them to Kaufman to jail to wait the action of the grand jury, which was in session.
The particulars which we obtained were as follows: The father of the boys owned twenty acres of land which entitled each child, six in number, to one sixth interest. About four or five years ago ill feeling was engendered, but fortunately it was smoothed over. Recently the old gentleman told his son, Will Short, to fence a certain amount of it and this he did. Nick Short sent them word he was going to tear the fence down and Friday he took Andrew Arnold, hired laborer, over to put his threat into execution.
Demeaning epithets were passed and the row ensued. Will Short struck Arnold with a large club. [Arnold] drew a dirk and stabbed him three times, once in the left side in the immediate region of the heart and twice in the right side, from the effects of which he died in a half an hour. Jim Short had tried to part them and Arnold stabbed him several times, leaving him in a very critical condition. Arnold and Nick Short then left in different directions. Arnold met Ol Thomas in the road and in a very cool manner told him he had a fight with the Shorts and he expected he had killed two of them. He then continued walking until he reached a neighbor with whom he had worked and told him that Nick Short had excited him to action and had assured him that he would get him out of it. The dirk used was of the ordinary make, having a white bone handle. Nick Short is a man about 50 years old and has lived here several years. With the exception of being fractious and over-bearing, he has a fair reputation as a citizen. Jim Short, the wounded man, has a large family. The one killed was a single man.
Note: Court records indicate that N.M. Short was not indicted in the murder. Andrew Arnold in 1895 was sentenced to 3 years in prison for attempted murder and in a separate case to 2 years for attempted rape. -From Forney Country, A History of Northwestern Kaufman County by Jerry M. Flook.
Note: There is a William A. Short buried at Heath Cemetery, born 28 Oct 1879, died 3 Jun 1892.
