Individual Details
Isiah Zaccharias "Zat" "Zak" Phelps (possibly adopted nephew)
(January 7, 1854 - July 17, 1908)
"The Shooting of Zat Phelps by Nora Phelps Miller, Age 86
"Back in the East Texas woods, my father was murdered in cold blood on July 17, 1908. He was Zachariah Phelps but everyone called him Zat or Uncle Zat. He was a farmer, sheep rancher, raised horses and hogs.
"He was also a school trustee, along with Charlie Phelps and Joe Griggs. These trustees had purchased seats for the school house and the seat company gave each of them a big dictionary and some books, probably encyclopedias. For some reason, Charlie Medley had a grudge against my Dad about these books. He could neither read or write, but he was jealous I suppose. Anyway, certain people in the community kept tattling and stirring up trouble.
"Dad got my brother's horse and went hog hunting down at what was called Dry Branch. Charlie Medley and Burl Miller followed him to the woods, Charlie with a gun. They approached Dad and I don't know what was said but Dad got down off the horse. He must have known he was going to be shot because he asked Charlie not to shoot the horse because it belonged to his son, Walter. Charlie shot him and the bullet grazed the horse's hip. The sore remained as long as the horse lived. Dad fell to the ground. He didn't die immediately because he asked for water. Burl Miller went to the branch and brought some water in his hat. Dad died in a few minutes.
"Charlie and Burl started to Newton and met an acquaintance. Charlie told the acquaintance that he had killed the best friend he ever had. He and Burl went on to Newton and Charlie turned himself in to the law. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. All of the Phelps children were subpeoned to the trial but none went because children were not allowed in court in those days. I remember seeing the blood soaked shirt and it had to be kept for evidence." (His probate case filed in Newton County on January 31, 1912 Case #338B.)
"Back in the East Texas woods, my father was murdered in cold blood on July 17, 1908. He was Zachariah Phelps but everyone called him Zat or Uncle Zat. He was a farmer, sheep rancher, raised horses and hogs.
"He was also a school trustee, along with Charlie Phelps and Joe Griggs. These trustees had purchased seats for the school house and the seat company gave each of them a big dictionary and some books, probably encyclopedias. For some reason, Charlie Medley had a grudge against my Dad about these books. He could neither read or write, but he was jealous I suppose. Anyway, certain people in the community kept tattling and stirring up trouble.
"Dad got my brother's horse and went hog hunting down at what was called Dry Branch. Charlie Medley and Burl Miller followed him to the woods, Charlie with a gun. They approached Dad and I don't know what was said but Dad got down off the horse. He must have known he was going to be shot because he asked Charlie not to shoot the horse because it belonged to his son, Walter. Charlie shot him and the bullet grazed the horse's hip. The sore remained as long as the horse lived. Dad fell to the ground. He didn't die immediately because he asked for water. Burl Miller went to the branch and brought some water in his hat. Dad died in a few minutes.
"Charlie and Burl started to Newton and met an acquaintance. Charlie told the acquaintance that he had killed the best friend he ever had. He and Burl went on to Newton and Charlie turned himself in to the law. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. All of the Phelps children were subpeoned to the trial but none went because children were not allowed in court in those days. I remember seeing the blood soaked shirt and it had to be kept for evidence." (His probate case filed in Newton County on January 31, 1912 Case #338B.)
Events
| Birth | January 7, 1854 | Stringtown, Newton County, Texas | |||
| Marriage | November 13, 1874 | Newton County, Texas - Louisa Isabelle Simmons | |||
| Death | July 17, 1908 | Newton, Newton County, Texas | |||
| Burial | Union Church Cemetery, Stringtown, Newton County, Texas |
Families
| Spouse | Louisa Isabelle Simmons (1856 - 1925) |
| Child | Lemuel Elbert Phelps (1875 - 1895) |
| Child | Louisa Adeline Phelps (1877 - 1965) |
| Child | Alvah Anderson Phelps (1880 - 1934) |
| Child | Elva Annie Phelps (1880 - 1949) |
| Child | Jesse A. Phelps (1882 - 1954) |
| Child | Elias Hayes Phelps (1884 - 1937) |
| Child | Allie May Phelps (1886 - 1889) |
| Child | Walter Gray Phelps (1886 - ) |
| Child | Nancy Marvilla "Rilla" Phelps (1889 - 1973) |
| Child | Richard Soloman Phelps (1891 - 1978) |
| Child | Margaret Tillie Phelps (1895 - 1980) |
| Child | Nora Lena Phelps (1897 - 1985) |
| Father | Enoch Joseph Downing Phelps (1828 - 1863) |
| Mother | Rachel Fowler (1830 - 1856) |
| Sibling | James Riley Phelps (1849 - 1916) |
| Sibling | Mary Emily "Molly" Phelps (1856 - 1899) |