Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 1985 Page: 4 of 14
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Page 4-Paiaclos Beacon Thors. Feb. 14,1985
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filmed by PIN-TV and will be
telecast this Saturday and
Sunday.
the top three floats in various
categories. The parade, as well
as the Coronation Dance, were
Parade sponsored by the Har-
monic Club. A certificate and a
cash prize were presented to
HUNDREDS of spectators lin-
ed Main Street on Saturday to
watch the annual Valentine’s
Lining the streets,
i let
This Week in Texas History...
Corpus Christi founded by ex-smuggler,
BY BARTEE HAILE
Feb. 11, 1856, Gen. William
Walker, the conqueror of Nic-
aragua, grudgingly greeted the
American rogue, Henry L. Kinn-
ey. The ex-smuggler and shady
founder of Corpus Christi, dared
to horn in on Walker’s Central
American empire. A trigger
squeeze away from oblivion, the
suave scoundrel met his adver-
sary with a ready grin.
A Pennsylvania native, Kinney
first saw Texas at 18, visiting
relatives at the Irish colony of
San Patricio in 1832. He made
innumerable friends on both
sides of the Rio Grande.
Kinney wandered back to
Texas five years later. Setting up
shop on the west bank of the
Nueces River where it emptied
into Corpus Christi Bay, he tried
his hand at smuggling.
The spot was ideal for Kinn-
ey's illicit ambitions. As the
farthest west outpost in the three
year old Republic, the ramshack-
le settlement was well removed
from official eyes. Free to do as
he pleased, Kinney quickly dis-
played a talent for crime.
Business was brisk, and he
soon employed 40 men, a dis-
reputable collection of con ar-
tists cutthroats and outcasts. In
an attempt to legitimize his claim
to the local real estate, Kinney
bought a forged title. When the
real owner showed up with 300
armed comrades to evict the tres-
passers, Kinney fast talked the
angry landlord into selling him
ten leagues of the land.
Continuing to prosper, Kinney
dabbled in politics and rubbed
shoulders with the mighty of the
new nation. For Mirabeau Lamar
he functioned as a secret em-
issary and later performed deli-
cate duties for Presidents Sam
Houston and Anson Jones. How-
ever reprehensible his reputa-
tion, the smuggler's network of
spies and informants made his
aid invaluable.
In August 1845, on the eve of
Texas annexation, Gen. Zachary
Taylor landed with a boatload of
US troops. Kinney’s thriving
community was described by an
officer as “the most murderous,
thieving, gambling, God forsak-
en hole in the Lone Star state or
out of it.”
Five thousand soldiers strand-
ed on his doorstep with nothing
but time on their hands while
they waited for hostilities with
Mexico to commence. The enter-
prising Kinney exploited the rare
opportunity and made money
hand over fist by proffering a
smorgasboard of vices.
He called the place Corpus
Christi, and the Texas version of
Sodom and Gomorrah swelled to
a town of 2,000. The proud father
even published his own news-
paper.
After the Mexican War, Kinn-
ey promoted Corpus Christi as
the “Naples of the Gulf" in an
extravagant campaign that span-
ned the U.S. and Europe. In 1852
he hosted the Lone Star State
Fair, the first event of its kind in
Texas, but the much ballyhooed
affair ended a colossal flop.
Two years later, Kinney was
bored and broke. Rumors of an
impending invasion of Nicaragua
by the filibuster William Walker
inspired a bold plot. Never a
follower, Kinney did not contem-
plate joining the Walker expedi-
tion. Instead, he planned to reach
the Central American country
first and pull the rug out from
under the charismatic Tenness-
eean.
Locked in a stalemated civil
war, a Nicaraguan faction invited
Walker to fight on their side.
With less than a hundred suppor-
ters, the tiny General entered
Nicaragua in June 1855 and by
year's end controlled the coun
try.
Meanwhile, with a worthless
promissory note Kinney obtained
the rights to 22 million acres on
the eastern coast of the strife torn
nation and attracted 500 pro-
spective colonists. But in the
spring of 1855 criminal indict-
ments handed down in New York
and Philadelphia stopped the
venture in its tracks.
Aboard a rented schooner,
Kinney slipped out of New York
harbor with a mere 13 recruits.
When the vessel ran aground on
a Nicaraguan beach, he stumbled
ashore to find out why his Latin
paradise was called the Mosquito
Coast. It was nothing but miser-
able swampland.
Informed of the intruder, Gen.
Walker fumed, “Tell Colonel
Kinney, or Governor Kinney, or
Mr. Kinney, or whatever he is
called that if I ever catch him in
Nicaragua I’ll hang him.”
Unfazed by reports of Walker’s
fury, Kinney persuaded Texan
aides of the General to arrange a
face-to-face meeting. The Feb.
11, 1856, discussion proceeded
without incident, and a second
rogue
chat was scheduled for the next
morning.
That evening Walker uncover-
ed secret effort s by Kinney to
turn members of the Nicaraguan
junta against him. The following
morning, the General exploded
and threatened execution, but
Kinney calmly reminded him of
his safe conduct guarantee.
Kicked out of the country,
Kinney headed straight for Wa-
shington, D.C., where he painted
Walker as a mortal enemy of U.S.
interests. His slanted tale helped
to set the stage for the over-
throw and firing squad death of
General Walker.
Kinney lost his touch after the
Nicaraguan escapade. He drifted
aimlessly during the Civil War
unable to capitalize on the chaos.
In 1865 he was shot to death in
Matamoros, Mexico. The violent
demise of the founding scoundrel
of Corpus Christi went unnoticed
and unmourned.
State Capital Highlights
By Lyndoll Wiliams
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
AUSTIN—-Texas lawmakers
worked steadily in committees
last week to reduce the impend-
ing state deficit, and a handful
of legislation inched closer to
passage.
Meanwhile, the Texas Court
of Criminal Appeals refused to
review the commercial bribery
indictment of Attorney General
Jim Mattox, leaving Feb. 11 in
tact as the opening day of Mat-
tox’s trial.
His lawyers wanted the in-
dictment thrown out on the
grounds it is fundamentally de-
fective. Mattox is charged with
threatening to use the powers
of the Attorney General’s office
to block the municipal bond
business of a Houston law firm.
Parimutuel Betting
Opposition has surfaced to
the parimutuel betting bill on
three fronts:
—Gov. Mark White last week
repeated his pledge to veto the
bill unless it contained a state-
wide referendum. The version
recently introduced calls for
voter approval only in affected
counties.
—Black legislators, who pro-
vided momentum when the bill
almost passed last session,
withdrew their support last
week because the present ver-
sion does not dedicate proceeds
to Aid to Families with Depen-
dent Children.
'‘Horseracing has forgotten
who some of their friends are,"
commented Black caucus chair-
man Paul Ragsdale, D-Dallas.
The caucus wants dedicated
revenues to welfare put back
into the bill.
—Baylor University chancel-
lor Abner McCall unveiled a list
Letters To
The Editor
' &
m
I
Support urged for Ducks Unlimited
Dear Editor,
In the next few days you will
look up into the skies and see
many thousands of beautiful
ducks and geese flying above
you. As you watch and listen to
these beautiful birds, just reflect
upon the fact that it is all due to
the efforts of Ducks Unlimited.
In past years this organization
has contributed many millions of
dollars to the purchase, lease and
reconstruction of their far north
nesting grounds in Canada.
If it were not for these efforts
of Ducks Unlimited there would
"in all probability” be no ducks
or geese in existence.
So come out and support this
fine organization on Feb, 22,
1985 in Eagles Hall.
O.M. Roane
of 200 prominent Texans op- fraught with drama for the
posed to the bill. McCall chairs players involved. Two dominant
the Anti-Crime Council of Tex- personalities are Rep. Tom
as which opposes horserace Craddick, R-Midland, who au-
gambling. thors the House version, and
Indications are strong 'that gen, John Montford, D-Lub-
the support of the Black Cau- bock, sponsor of the Senate
cus could be readily regained, version, and they are destined
Ragsdale, himself, introduced t0 confront one another in a
a bill last week to legalize pan- conference committee,
mutuel betting on dog racing. Meanwhile, Texas Agricul-
The bill limits dog tracks to ture Commissioner Jim High-
four coastal counties: Jeffer- tower and the man who might
son, Galveston, Nueces and run against him next year
Cameron. bumped heads a little last week
Water Legislation over the water plan. Hightower,
The House is expected to be- supporting Montford’s plan to
gin debate this week on a wa- dedicate a $200 million bond
ter bill stressing development plan to water for agriculture,
which passed unanimously out was rebuked by Sen. Bill Sar-
of committee last week. A Sen- palius who wants a $500 million
ate version emphasizing con- bond plan. But Hightower, who
servation and water for agri- earlier watched Craddick wipe
culture may reach the debate out all his proposals in the
stage this week. House version, replied he had
The water plan issue is com- learned not to expect every-
plicated to the layman, but thing he wanted from the Leg-
islature.
In other Capitol events:
—The Court of Criminal Ap-
peals overturned a state law
prohibiting sale of beer to in-
toxicated persons. The law was
too vague in establishing guide-
lines to detect drunkeness.
—Two Democratic senators
urged the governor to reap-
point Republican attorney
Harry Whittington to the
Board of Corrections because
of his work in initiating prison
reforms Four board positions
are available and Gov. White’s
office said Whittington is in
the running for reappointment.
—White met with Pentagon
officials for a briefing on the
role of 450 Texas Army Na-
tional Guard troops scheduled
for training exercises in Cen-
tral America. The troops will
go to Honduras, bordering the
two revolt-torn countries of El
Salvador and Nicaragua.
From the Palacios Beacon files:
20 YEARS AGO
Miss Mary Ann Jenkens was
crowned Valentine Sweetheart at
the Harmonie Club's coronation
ball Saturday night.
The Deutschburg annual sea-
food supper and cake auction
netted $695.34 for the march of
dimes.
Paul Fields and Robby Shelton
members of the 1964 State A A
Champions Fighting Sharks had
signed pre-enrollment applica-
tions to attend Kice University.
2?YEARSAGO
Miss Marion Wilson was cro-
wned Valentine Sweetheart at
the Harmonie Club’s dance Sat-
urday night on the Pavilion.
An estimated three to four
inches of snow blanketed the
area last Friday, Feb.12. The
snow that fell Friday was on the
exact date snow fell here two
years ago.
Formal dedication of the new
St. Anthony's Church was sched-
uled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb.
21.
Business changes found Mrs.
Forrest (Millie) Green and Mrs.
Bertha Allen taking over the
ownership of Muriel’s from Ron-
ald and Muriel Harris; Main
Barber Shop moving from the 500
block of Main to the Sisson
Building adjacent to the post
office on Main; the Green
Building on Main begin made
ready for Central Power and
Light Company and a gift shop
occupying the quarters in the
Rioux Building on Fifth Street.
30 YEARS AGO
Sherwood Barber was elected
chief of the Volunteer Fire Dept,
and Millard Brooking, secretarv-
treasurer.
PUBLISHER
NICHOLAS M. WEST
OFFICE MANAGER
ELAINE TEMPLEMAN
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Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 1985, newspaper, February 14, 1985; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth724578/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Palacios Library.