The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 38, July 1934 - April, 1935 Page: 15

Grass Lease Fight and Attempted Impeachment

juries, the officers, the all that goes toward settled civil rights and
protecting life.22
With the closing of arguments the Committee retired to the
consideration of evidence, a statement of facts, and the formulation
of charges. The cattlemen continued their lobby, some incidents
of which might be observed as illustrative of the times.
Bruce McClelland, who had quit mustanging to become Claren-
don's stuttering surveyor, had been placed on the stand during
the taking of evidence. Much had been made of the barrel of
whiskey at his office, and of the fact that counsel, court, and
defendants had found mellow solace there during the Clarendon
trials. Counsel elicited the statement that all had repaired to
this office, and McClelland added:
"Y-y-y-e-e-s s-s-i-r. A-a-n-d-d t-th A-a-ttorney G-g-g-en-r-ral.
"Stop, sir !" shouted Hogg
". . . d-d-rank mo-more th-than an-anybody !" and the court-
room roared. After he left the stand McClelland assured Good-
night, "I-I-d of c-c-amped th-there t-t-till spring, or g-g-ot it
out."2a
The evidence was heard only in committee. Upon its report to
the House Judge J. H. Davis, Buck Walton and Judge Carroll
spoke in defense. General Hogg argued for the State and, upon
conclusion of his speech, "the friends of the majority report, by
concerted action, cut off all debate" from the floor and forced a
vote by moving the previous question. In spite of the vigorous
dissenting minority report by two of the committee of five, declar-
ing none of the charges substantiated, the resolution for impeach-
ment was adopted sixty-seven to twenty-one, with Browning de-
clining to vote. And though the vote lacked four of being the
constitutional two-thirds necessary for impeachment, the resolu-
tion was declared passed and Willis' case was sent to the Senate
for trial.24
Willis was now in the Senate-was it to be "good-by John"?
In the course of proceedings Nelson had testified that Temple
Houston during his term as district attorney had "demanded and
"Galveston News, February 18, 1887.
280oodnight to J. E. H., September 29, 1929; "Recollections," II, 135.
2fHouse Journal, 1887, pp. 501-519; Senate Journal, 1887, app., 5.