WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
279
the man branded as one "without character or standing," is pre- pared for a trip to Mexico, to procure on the best terms such testimony as he can, to sustain the power of attorney; he is joined by League, and Francis J. Parker, a clerk of Judge Wat- rous's court. It will be profitable to review the antecedents and relations of this man Parker, as it will be found that he figures in s,weral important matters of fraud and chicanery, conducted through Judge Watrous's court. It will be recollected that reference was made to an order entered in Judge vVatrous's court for the exclu- sion, from the regular panel of jurors, of the citizens of our coun- ties lying on the Rio Grande. From the marshal's returns in the comptroller's office, it appears that this order was strictly carried out, until January, 1856, when it is discovered that it was violated in returning Mr. Francis J. Parker as one of the regular panel, at Galveston, and that he was the only citizen from the Rio Grande summoned in the iace of the order, and with regard to whom the marshal had departed from the rule of the court. Now, why was Mr. Parker "selected"? Why was he selected "two or three times"? An answer may be suggested by slightly reviewing the relations of this man to Judge Watrous, who was deeply interested, at least, in important questions pending in his court. Parker was, in the first place, the deputy clerk of the United States court at Brownsville, over which Judge Watrous presided. He had also been appointed by the judge United States commis- sioner for Brownsville; and is now an itinerating commissioner on his mission to procure testimony in Mexico for the establish- ment of the forged power of attorney. It will be recollected that F. J. Parker was selected for jury service in this court. Edwin Shearer, also a deputy clerk, had been placed on the jury in the Ufford and Dykes case. The progress of this man Parker, in acts of service for Judge Watrous, is next traced in his participation in the attempt made for the judge to prove up the forged power of attorney in the Lapsley cases. He appea1·s to have been the selected custodian . of this precious document, and to have accompanied to New Orleans the witness who had been obtained at an expense of $6,000. Still further he may be traced, doing Judge Watrous's work, until at last he comes forward as a witness for Judge Watrous, before the Supreme Court of the United States, to sustain his
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