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favored hanging the horse-thief would remain on one side of the road and those who favored turning him loose would cross over to the other side. Eli Hopkins, seated on his horse with Dr. Pat Clark on the horse behind him, rode up and down the line and counted the votes. Every lady in the crowd voted on the side of mercy, so thus the horse-thief was turned loose. The man in charge of the wagon and prisoner at once arose, kicked the fellow, and remarked, "Confound you, get out of my wagon if they are not going to hang you."

Some thirty years later Lawyer Jim Clark from Clarksville, while on a visit in Mississippi, met a rather prominent citizen, then well-to-do. This man, learning that Lawyer Clark was from Clarksville, Red River County, Texas, asked him if he knew Dr. George Gordon. Mr. Clark at once replied that he knew Dr. Gordon well. The man told him, "When you go home be sure to remember me to Dr. Gordon for his speech in my behalf which, together with the votes of the ladies, kept them from hanging me at that time." He had become a worthy citizen of his State and was fairly well-to-do. He explained to Lawyer Clark that at the time he took this horse he was away from home without any means of support, with no means of transportation, and was footsore and worn out from travelling, hence his reason for taking the horse.

As stated heretofore, Clarksville was chartered as a town by the Republic of Texas, in 1837. Her


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The History of Clarksville and Old Red River County
Pat B. Clark   1937