Neither Fear Nor Favor: Deputy United States Marshal John Tom Sisemore

by Wesley Harris

  “Mrs. Sisemore,” he began, “I promise you the Marshals Service will do everything possible to avenge the death of your husband.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Martin. In the few moments I have had alone since John died, many thoughts have occurred to me. You may know the cowards did not have the nerve to meet John face to face. They shot him down like an animal. They deserve to die.” There was a hint of anger in her voice and across her face.

  “There is still talk that John shot down Frank Mullins in much the same way. I do not believe that. I think John learned to hate Frank Mullins but not enough to murder him. Now there will be more talk. It has already started. John’s death will be blamed on the Mullins family.”Nora’s expression changed. “I do not want to see more good men die, Marshal. One is enough. Bring the killers to justice if you can, but please don’t let any more men die.”

  The Marshal rose and took Nora's hand. “We will do our best. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your family.”

  Martin had started for the door when Nora called to him.

  “Marshal, would you stand beside me at my husband’s funeral?”

  Martin stopped. He did not turn to answer. He replied with his back to a lady.

  “I would be honored.”

  He left quickly, brushing a tear from his face with the back of his burly hand.

  ***

  Mayor Fred Price, Deputy Finley, and James Martin stood together in the pine thicket. “We tried everything, Marshal. Posse, tracking dogs, everything. They just disappeared,” Price declared. “They left no sign nor trail whatsoever.”

  Martin stared vacantly towards the ditch. “Tell me about this Mullins family.”

  “I actually know little about them. They live in Simsboro and rarely come to Ruston. Will is Frank’s younger brother—you saw him at the trial. In some respects, he and Frank were different. Frank was flashy and outspoken. He overshadowed Will. But they were both cut from the same cloth.”

  “There were hard feelings between John and the Mullins family,” Finley interjected. “Seemed like they were always running up against each other. Ever since John killed Frank, there has been talk that the family would avenge his death.”

  Martin looked at Finley. “Do you believe a Mullins did this?”

  “I don’t know, Marshal,” Finley said. “It is very possible. Or it may have been one of Frank’s friends. On the other hand, there were others who wanted John Sisemore dead. You might say he had put a lot of folks out of business.”

  Martin did not mention the telegram Sisemore had just sent him days before. A huge still was being operated by some tough characters in Union Parish. Sisemore had hoped to raid it by the end of the week.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Special to the Times.

  Ruston, La., Nov 18 -- No new developments during the day to throw further light on the assassination of John T. Sisemore. He was buried in the Ruston cemetery here this evening by the Knights of Honor. Revs. McLees, Notestine, and Edwards of all the Christian churches here took part in the funeral services. His body was followed by a large crowd of our citizens. Most all of the business houses closed their doors and attended the funeral. Mr. Sisemore died in the full discharge of his duty as a citizen and officer. He has never flinched where duty called him and in his death this section of our state loses a good, brave and true man. He was a Christian and went about his duty fearlessly and willingly.

  The casket that held his body was covered with flowers furnished by the ladies of town. Our whole community is overcast with gloom and sadness. The Christian and law abiding citizens of this community will leave nothing undone that can be done to ferret out the mystery of this most foul murder.

  Shreveport Times. November 26 -- There are no new developments in the murder of John T. Sisemore. Our town has somewhat quieted down but will never give up the fight until the guilty murderer is run to earth.

  Mr. Sisemore owed four hundred and eighty-five dollars on his home here and the good citizens expect to pay the amount and present the home clear of debt to Mrs. Sisemore and her little children for a Christmas present.

  Shreveport Times. December 10 -- There is no clue to the murderers of Marshal Sisemore. Our citizens have made up a purse amounting to over $1000 as a reward for the arrest and conviction of the assassin and other rewards will be forthcoming.

  December 1898

  Robert Russ sat in his favorite chair—his rocking chair—in his favorite place—his front porch. Spread across his knees was a newspaper. Suddenly, Russ sat up with a start.

  “By God, how can they print such a thing? It’s sacrilege! Desecration of the memory of the dead! How could they do such a thing?”

  Russ took pride in maintaining control of his emotions. It was one of the secrets of his success. But this was enough to outrage any man. The legal section contained a notice that the affairs of Frank Mullins, deceased, had been probated. That in itself had not upset him. It was the fact that the notice was centered directly over another announcement.

  “The Ruston Leader,” it began, “starts a fund with this issue for the relief of Mrs. J. T. Sisemore. The Leader desires to raise a fund to pay the debt against her home. We ask that this money be deposited in the Ruston State Bank, and the name of the party and amount be furnished for publication in this column. Let everybody give something to this fund and let your name go on record. Ruston Leader- $5.”

  “I wonder,” Russ continued to himself, “if that young publisher Everett realizes how he has insulted the Sisemore family, putting those two articles side by side? Probably didn’t even cross his mind.”

  Russ threw down the paper in mild disgust. He had already given the mayor a piece of his mind after the town charged Mrs. Sisemore thirty-five dollars for the plot to bury its police chief.

  Everything had been looking good until Sisemore was killed. Ruston was progressing, the soldier boys had come home, the fair had been a huge success. The future seemed bright. What would happen now? Would prospective newcomers shy away because lawmen were being gunned down on Ruston’s streets? Would there be a wave of crime now that both the sheriff and the police chief were dead?

  The funeral was unlike any Russ had ever seen. All three of the town’s preachers had led the masses out to the cemetery. The Woodmen of the World provided an honor guard. Adored in heavy uniforms, axes strapped to their sides, the fraternal brothers erected a huge Woodmen tombstone. The heavy granite marker was carved to resemble a log. There were other Woodmen markers in the cemetery—many men took membership for the insurance—but none were as big as the seven-foot high stone presiding over Sisemore’s body.

  It was the only funeral Russ could recall where the mourners had posed for a photograph around the grave. But then again, the whole matter of John Tom Sisemore was extraordinary.

  Two weeks had passed since the funeral. Ruston regained a sense of normalcy. After a heated search to track down the killer, efforts had all but ceased. The desire to avenge Sisemore’s death had not dissipated, but the clues to his assassin had.

  Russ stepped off the porch and walked among the oaks he had planted around his home. Now they were merely saplings, but Russ believed those trees would survive the ravages of time and progress to tower over his grandchildren’s children. In the days ahead, people will wonder how they came to be here. Perhaps, Russ decided, they will look back into the past at us and learn from our mistakes. We certainly made our share.

  No, Russ decided, this community will not fall apart. More good men will rise to meet the challenges of the future. Sisemore and the rest of us will be forgotten in time and those who replace us on this earth will look forward, not into the past.

  They may be much like us, Russ supposed. Every child thinks he’s smarter than the parent. Their hard heads will compel them to make the same mistakes for themselves. Scraping knees and banging heads are a part of growth. Maybe they won’t hurt themselves too much.

  ***

  J.
V. kneeled beside his mother, laying his head in her lap. Nora slipped her arms around her son as his tears stained her dress. They were alone for the first time since that night. Christmas was coming and she knew the agony would intensify.

  She felt for her children. Not for their pain, for children outgrow their pain, but for the loss they had yet to understand. Their memories would grow dim until their father was no more than a blurred image. Eventually even the photographs would not produce recollections of the man they called Pa.

  Nora closed her eyes to hold back her own tears. Her son’s father was gone. John’s boots were back in their place on the hearth, beside a crackling fire. The shotgun was on the mantel.

  J. V. looked up. “Mrs. Thompson said Pa died serving his country—like a soldier.”

  “She’s right,” Nora affirmed, stroking his head.

  “And it’s an honor to die for your country, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it’s an honor,” she assured him.

  He was silent for a moment before speaking again. “I wish I could have died instead of him.”

  “Don’t say that, Julius,” Nora said, moving her hands to cradle his moist face. “Pa wouldn’t want it that way.”

  “What are we going to do without him?" he whispered. “I miss him already.”

  “We’ll make it. We’ll all miss him. I don’t think we will ever stop missing him.”

  He held her tight and knew she was right.

  EPILOGUE

  Although the murder of Ruston Police Chief and Deputy U. S. Marshal John Tom Sisemore was never officially solved, many believed the friends and family of Frank Mullins were responsible. One account passed down through the Sisemore family asserts the lawman was assassinated by a hired killer.

  Just before his own death a few years after Sisemore, a convicted killer named John Henry Thomas reportedly confessed to receiving fifty dollars to kill Sisemore. He did not reveal the source of the blood money. Although Thomas was never charged in Sisemore’s death, he reportedly met his fate at the end of a rope when he was hanged in El Dorado, Arkansas for another murder.

  Despite my best efforts, I was unable to confirm the existence or demise of John Henry Thomas.

  I hoped to accomplish three objectives with this book. First, was to preserve the story of John Tom Sisemore. The people of 1898 pledged never to forget the “most horrible crime ever committed in Ruston,” yet by mid-century, memories had faded. In 1983, when I first heard of Sisemore, his public service and death were known only to his own family members. The U. S. Marshal’s office in Shreveport and the Ruston Police Department had no record of him. The Marshals Service in Washington listed a John “Sisemere” on its Roll of Honor, the apparent result of Marshal Martin’s dirty typewriter keys. Every “o” in the letter appeared to be an “e.” It was a shock for me as a Ruston police officer to learn one of our chiefs had been murdered in the line of duty and no one in our department knew of it. Even officers with decades on the job had never heard of John Sisemore. Fortunately, the documentation I provided the Marshals Service corrected the name before it was engraved on the Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington.

  The Sisemore story has touched me personally, both as a native Rustonite and a public servant. The commitment and dedication to the job displayed by John Sisemore, even to the detriment of his personal life and physical health, are characteristics I and other law enforcers have experienced. Although private citizens find it difficult to understand that all-consuming commitment, perhaps this portrait of a man willing to give up his life for his community will convey some of the feelings law enforcement officers have but find difficult to express.

  My final goal was to provide an accurate glimpse of early Ruston and how the people and events of those days shaped the future, affecting yet unborn citizens a century later. The battle against alcohol did not stop with the death of John Sisemore. It was not until after a heated battle in the 1970’s, fought this time with words instead of guns, that legitimate sales were authorized. The death of Sisemore during what was both a legal and moral battle struck Ruston hard. But the town survived that crisis and many others. Later, Robert Russ would write, “Prohibition has added more to the material, social, and religious growth of Ruston than all other agencies put forward by its citizens. Money that once went to saloons, now goes to beautify and make happy homes. Wives and daughters who once had sad faces, now carry smiles and contentment. Ruston is now the refuge for virtue, happiness, and law abiding citizens.”

  The early days did shape Ruston’s future. Quality education and moral values were priorities in 1898 as they still are today. Ruston has always sought to be a good town with good schools and good churches. Good people. Then and now.

  SOURCES

  Interviews

  Iley Barr, 1987, 1988.

  Melba Duque, 1983.

  Mather L. Farmer, 1988.

  Peggy Sizemore Hardy, 1998.

  Clarice Sisemore Sanderson, 1988, 1998.

  Buddy Sisemore, 1988.

  W.M. "Maynard" Sisemore, 1988.

  Annabelle Beatty Strozier, 1998.

  Sarah Jo Beatty Sisemore, 1998.

  Documents

  Beatty Family Bible

  Criminal Records for Third Judicial District Court, 1891 to 1898, Lincoln Parish Clerk of Court.

  Transcript of testimony to Coroner’s Jury regarding death of T.F. Mullins, February 28, 1898.

  Court records for charges against J. T. Sisemore, T. F. Mullins, B. F. Smith, Sam McGowan et al, J. O. Taylor, W. S. May.

  Letter from Robert Russ to Mollie Russ, May 8, 1896. Robert Russ Papers, Louisiana Tech Archives, Box 1, Folder 4, M-26.

  Letter from U.S. Marshal James Martin to U.S. Attorney General, November 23, 1898. U.S. Marshals Service Records.

  Lincoln Parish Civil Records, 1895-1898.

  Bond for A.T. Lott as Chief of Police, June 10, 1897.

  E.F. Warren vs. Town of Ruston & W.S. May, Docket No. 1038.

  Lincoln Parish Marriages, Book C, 1885-1888.

  Oath of Office, James G. Huey as Chief of Police, January 7, 1897.

  Oath of Office, John T. Sisemore as Policeman, May 8, 1896.

  Probate Dockets No. 249 (1898) and 2165 (1900).

  Tax Assessment Records, 1897, 1898.

  Muster Roll, Company F, First Regiment, Louisiana Infantry Volunteers, 1898.

  United States Census, 1880, for Ward 4 of Lincoln Parish.

  Newspapers

  Ruston Daily Leader

  Ruston Leader

  Shreveport Evening Journal

  Shreveport Herald

  Shreveport Sunday Journal

  Shreveport Times

  Books

  Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana. Volumes 1,2,3. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892.

  Blow, Michael. A Ship to Remember: The Maine and the Spanish- American War. New York: William Morrow & Co., Inc., 1992.

  Calhoun, Frederick. The Lawmen: United States Marshals and their Deputies, 1789-1989. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.

  Fletcher, Mary Frances and Ropp, Ralph L., ed. Lincoln Parish History. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 1976.

  Garraty, John A. The American Nation: A History of the United States, Fifth edition. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

  Graham, Kathleen. “Notes on a History of Lincoln Parish,Louisiana.” Louisiana Polytechnic Institute Bulletin, Vol. XLIII, Nov. 3, 1945.

  A Historical and Pictorial Review of the Past 75 Years of the City of Ruston: 1884-1959. Ruston, LA: Ruston Diamond Jubilee, Inc., 1959.

  Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce. Dallas: Taylor Publishing, 1982.

  Sabbag, Robert. Too Tough to Die: Down and Dangerous with the U. S. Marshals. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.

  Other Sources

  Bennett, Corinne. “Some Memories of the Smith Family.” Unpublished essay dated December 8, 1949. Lincoln Parish Library.

  Ber
nard, Shane K. “A Biographical Sketch: James M. ‘Captain Jim’ Martin. Louisiana History, Vol. XXXV, No. 1, Winter 1994.

  Townsend, H. E. A History of the Louisiana Chautauqua. Unpublished thesis. Louisiana State University, 1929.

  Wilson, William W. Robert E. Russ: A Study of His Influence on North-Central Louisiana as Reflected in His Writings. Unpublished thesis. Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, 1969.

  Photographs of John Sisemore, his family, and early Ruston were examined to add authentic details to this book.

  NOTES

  The newspaper and court document excerpts at the beginning of each chapter appear, in most cases, in their original form. Only obvious errors and misspellings of proper names have been corrected and some excerpts were condensed for brevity.

  PREFACE

  1. An excellent brief history of the Sisemore family appears in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, p. 241-242. Information regarding birthplaces and migration of the family was derived from U.S. Census, 1880, Lincoln Parish Ward 4.

  CHAPTER 1

  1. This chapter was developed using the following sources: Historical and Pictorial Review of the Past 75 Years of the City of Ruston: 1884-1959, and Robert E. Russ: A Study of His Influence on North-Central Louisiana as Reflected in His Writings, and numerous photographs and maps of early Ruston.