This family feud simmered quite awhile before it ended in the early 1900’s in eastern New Mexico, in an area now known as Quay County. The feud began in east Texas during the Civil War when the two patriarchs of the Spikes and Gholson families crossed paths, or should I say just “crossed.”
This article has been “snipped”. The article was updated, with extensive new research and sources, for the September-October 2020 issue of Digging History Magazine. It is included in the article entitled “Feuds, Fugitives and the Founding of Quay County”. This issue is Part II of a short series of articles dedicated to New Mexico history and how to find the best genealogical records. The September-October 2020 issue is available here: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=sepoct-20
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Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for this post. Sam Gholson was my great-great-great-grandfather, and I’m just starting to research him a bit. A few months after he killed the Spikes brothers, he apparently killed five more cattle rustlers in a related incident. Here’s a 1902 newspaper with an article about it. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth116024/m1/1/
Thanks for stopping by and providing some more information about Sam Gholson. I’ll take a look at the article and see if can add any more information. Good luck with your ancestry research!
Thanks for this Story.I too am a Great Great granddaughter of Samuel Gholson.
If it wasn’t for people like you to tell the story we the family may not know about it.So thanks again.
Cindy Catalano
You are so welcome … thanks for stopping by!
Thank you. Sam is my great great grandfather.
Michael, thanks for stopping by. I totally re-wrote and enhanced this article in the Sep-Oct 2020 issue of Digging History Magazine. Check it out here: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=sepoct-20
You need to find the truth on Sam he was a serial killer and got away with it it all started in Kaufman County
Sam did not fit the definition of serial killer: A person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern.
Great story
Very interesting hearing about Brother Sam Gholson. I am the Great Great grandson of Benjamin Franklin Gholson brother of Sam Gholson. Thanks Eddie Arnold Jr
So glad you enjoyed the article … thanks for stopping by!
According to “The Flamboyant Judge,” by James D. Hamlin, the Spikes family brought several lawsuits, totaling over 2 million dollars in claims, against the XIT over the matter. After losing the first one, the Spikes’ settled out of court for 17 thousand.
Hi, Sharon! Thank you for the great article! I published a book in 2004 about the Gholson family and am currently working on another one. My great-grandfather was Sam Gholson’s brother Frank, and my earlier book was more focused on Frank and contained very little information about Sam. I would like to rectify that with this one, and would like to quote your article in its entirety, if I may have your permission. Your information is accurate, as far as I have seen elsewhere. I have the article by Don Bullis and a book by Don McAlavy that is a fictionalized version of the story, OUR KIND IS HARD TO KILL.
My website is http://www.gholson-cook.com
Thanks!
Donna Gholson Cook
As long as the article is properly attributed I give you permission to use it. I also purchased your two books .. looking forward to reading them…thanks for stopping by!
Thank you! I will definitely give you credit for the article and send you a copy of the book when it is done, but it won’t be any time soon. I don’t have much time to spend on it, but I am enjoying every moment of the time I do have! 🙂
Great … I will look forward to reading it. Just started one of the books and already found some interesting Texas history I might research and write about some day myself 🙂
Very good! Thanks for reading! I am always glad to share anything I have found out with others, and I have found that most people are willing to share. That’s half of the fun, right?
Are family line is still CRAZY!
Research has resulted in the other side of the clash in New Mexico. The three Spikes brothers were not rustlers. They had their own cattle, and were trying to find water for them Gholson, like many other ranchers, claimed public water as their own, and defended it with paid men. They slew two of the Spikes brothers. The third was badly wounded and pinned under his horse, and was left for dead. A Mexican family came by, saved him and nursed him back to health. He went back to Kaufman County Texas, and returned to New Mexico to dispute the printed story told by the newspaper, as related by Gholson. Spikes sued the newspaper, and a retraction was issued. I have found many stories in my own family that proved to be false. The survivors of conflicts, or those with a preconceived notion, sometimes reach erroneous conclusions. Many stick with the stories that they heard or read, regardless of other information, because they like the story and believe the ones who told them. One example: a man in our family claimed to have been a Confederate and even won a pension. He later told family members that he lied about serving. He was only about 10 years old when some soldiers came by, followed by others who looking for them. He only pointed in the direction of the first group. He was proud of deceiving officials so well that he got a pension to which he was not deserving.
Spikes sued and LOST. The XIT settled the next several cases (Spikes had all his kin file duplicate complaints), out of court for a nominal amount to avoid more court time. See “The Flamboyant Judge,” by James D. Hamlin for an informative history of the case. If you have contradictory research, I’d love to see it.
The Brownsville Herald
Brownsville, Texas – June 21, 1931
XIT Libel Suit Won By Defendants
Lubbock, June 30. –(AP)–Verdict for the defendants in the liable suit of Fred Spikes, Lubbock, against
J. Evetts Haley and trustees of the Capital Reservation lands, was returned in the 99th district court here Friday.
In its decision the jury found Thaved, Charles F. Harding, and Fredrick E French, all of Chicago, were publishers of the book, “The XIT ranch in Texas”, written by J. Evetts Haley of Austin and that allegations contained in the book concerning the alleged reputation of the Spikes brothers were correct. It was the claim of the plaintiff that the alleged statements were false and libelous, and the basis for the suit.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58811290/xit-libel-suit-won-by-defendants/
Gary, thanks for stopping by and providing additional info. Funny you should do that now. I’ll be updating this article (and subsequently removing it from the “free side” of the web site) soon in the September-October issue of Digging History Magazine, which will be Part II of a series of articles on New Mexico history and genealogy. Check out the magazine link I provided above. Subscriptions, individual issues and free samples available.
Spikes Trial May 23, 1931
Corsicana Daily Sun
May 26, 1931
Tales of Alleged Activities of Gangs Related to Jury
Lubbock, May 26, 1931.
Tales of alleged doings of the Hawkins and Spikes gangs in the early days of the west continued to be related in district court today in the trial of the $200,000 libel suit brought by Fred Spikes, one of three brothers who survived perilous episodes of 30 years ago. Spikes complained of J. Evetts Haley and the trustees of the capital reservation lands syndicate, who published a book, “The History of The XIT Ranch,” which the Spikes claimed liabled him and his dead brothers.
Two former cowboys of New Mexico who had trouble with the spikes brothers, one with John and the other with Dick, and a former wife of Henry Hawkins testified today. Oral testimony was given by a one-time cowboys who now are ranchers, while the former Mrs. Hawkins, now Mrs. John Madden, gave her testimony is a disposition.
Mrs. Maden told of serving meals to John, Dick and Fred Spikes at her fathers house on frequent occasions. She related witnessing a gun battle between her husband and some officers on Mesa Redonda a couple of days prior to the fatal shooting of John and Dick Spikes and the wounding of Fred Spikes. The officers were chasing them in the fight, she said, and a member of the gang came by her fathers house to get a saddle belonging to her brother. ….
From most of my past reading on this subject, it appears that everyone agrees that there was a “Hawkins” Gang operating in the area. History says that this gang robbed businesses and stole cattle. My reading also shows the Spikes family was suggesting that they were mistakenly included with the Henry Hawkins gang. The history that I have found shows that Henry Hawkins was the leader of that gang. Henry Hawkins former wife testified “of serving meals to John, Dick and Fred Spikes at her fathers house on frequent occasions.”
Does it seem odd to you that respectable citizens would taking “frequent” meals with a known gang of outlaws?
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17206143/spikes-trial-23-may-1931-cds/
Spikes Trial May 23, 1931
Corsicana Daily Sun
May 26, 1931
Tales of Alleged Activities of Gangs Related to Jury
Lubbock, May 26, 1931.
Tales of alleged doings of the Hawkins and Spikes gangs in the early days of the west continued to be related in district court today in the trial of the $200,000 libel suit brought by Fred Spikes, one of three brothers who survived perilous episodes of 30 years ago. Spikes complained of J. Evetts Haley and the trustees of the capital reservation lands syndicate, who published a book, “The History of The XIT Ranch,” which the Spikes claimed liabled him and his dead brothers.
Two former cowboys of New Mexico who had trouble with the spikes brothers, one with John and the other with Dick, and a former wife of Henry Hawkins testified today. Oral testimony was given by a one-time cowboys who now are ranchers, while the former Mrs. Hawkins, now Mrs. John Madden, gave her testimony is a disposition.
Mrs. Maden told of serving meals to John, Dick and Fred Spikes at her fathers house on frequent occasions. She related witnessing a gun battle between her husband and some officers on Mesa Redonda a couple of days prior to the fatal shooting of John and Dick Spikes and the wounding of Fred Spikes. The officers were chasing them in the fight, she said, and a member of the gang came by her fathers house to get a saddle belonging to her brother. ….
From most of my past reading on this subject, it appears that everyone agrees that there was a “Hawkins” Gang operating in the area. History says that this gang robbed businesses and stole cattle. My reading also shows the Spikes family was suggesting that they were mistakenly included with the Henry Hawkins gang. The history that I have found shows that Henry Hawkins was the leader of that gang. Henry Hawkins former wife testified “of serving meals to John, Dick and Fred Spikes at her fathers house on frequent occasions.”
Does it seem odd to you that respectable citizens would taking “frequent” meals with a known gang of outlaws?
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17206143/spikes-trial-23-may-1931-cds/
Gary, thanks for stopping by again and commenting on the Spikes-Gholson feud. As indicated, I re-wrote the original article with new research. The impetus for the re-write was a research project for a client who is a descendant of Henry Hawkins through his young wife, Rosamund Greear. It was a fascinating project. The 20-page article was published in the September-October 2020 issue of Digging History Magazine, available for purchase here: https://digging-history.com/store/?model_number=sepoct-20
The Roswell Daily Record (Roswell, New Mexico June 3, 1932 Wednesday
FORMER SHERIFF ROMERO TESTIFIES AT LIBEL SUIT
Story of Old Days in New Mexico brought Libel Suit For $200,000
Lubbock, Tex.., June 2- (AP) -Cleofus Romero, former sheriff of San Miguel County, New Mexico, and a member of the posse, who shot and killed John and Dick Spikes and wounded Fred Spikes more than 25 years ago, testified today in the trial of the $200,000 libel suit brought by Fred Spikes against J. Evetts Haley and trustees of the Capital Reservation Lands Company.
Spikes alleged libelous statements were made in the book, “ The History of the X-I-T Ranch,” written by Haley, in which the Spikes brothers were mentioned in connection with cattle rustling.
Romero, who served as sheriff of San Miguel county from 1898-1910, resigned to become warden of the New Mexico penitentiary and later served as Mayor of Las Vegas, He told of events leading up to the shooting and of the fight in which John and Dick Spikes were killed, He said there were asked to surrender on John Doe warrants for larceny of cattle.
A deposition was read, allegedly made by Cabe Adams now resident of Old Mexico and for 30 years a rancher and cowboy in eastern New Mexico. He also was a member of the posse which shot the Spikes brothers,
The deposition said both he and his employer had last cattle and that he had found on the Spikes range unbranded calves and cattle with “slow” or unrecorded brands.
“The Spikes family was suggesting that they were mistakenly included with the Henry Hawkins gang.” Yet Henry Hawkins wife at the time of being “mistakenly included with the Hawkins gang”, testified at the liable trial of “serving meals to John, Dick and Fred Spikes at her fathers house on frequent occasions.”
Real 1920S Post Card Captioned –
OUTLAWS CAVE. – SPIKES BROS. – NEAR TUCUMCARI, N.M.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1920s-outlaws-cave-near-tucumcari-1792037682
Hideout of Hawkins and Spikes, Caprock (N.M.) (In the vicinity of Tucumcari)
Photograph shows a group of men and women posing in front of an underground hideout. Text on reverse reads “This is the famous rendezvous of Hawkins and Spikes, notorious New Mexican desperadoes, killed in 1903 (1902). There were port holes every few feet. The cave was 12 feet by 14 feet and contained a chimney. I’ll not name the persons. Located near Caprock in the vicinity of Tucumcari.”
Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico.
https://econtent.unm.edu/digital/collection/locales/id/273/rec/24
RSpikes – Testimony in the Spikes libel suit against J. Evetts Haley and the XIT Ranch included testimony that Jeff Spikes once worked for Sam Gholson in New Mexico. Seems odd that if there was a bitter feud between the two families that Sam Gholson would hire Jeff Spikes…
My grandparents, Bernard and Rachel Hawkins, were held at gunpoint shortly after moving to their new home near Grady, N.M. by Sam Gholson and one of his hired gunmen in 1912. He apparently had heard that a big man named Hawkins was back and thought it was Henry.
Jim, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Over the years this has been the most “contentious” article I’ve written. It’s like the Spikes-Gholson Feud is being fought all over again… lol! That’s an interesting tidbit about Sam Gholson. In the expanded magazine article I deal quite a bit with Henry Hawkins as he was the subject of my research for a client. If you send me your email I’ll send you a complimentary copy of that issue. Email me at [email protected].