The Family Barn

Gus: 1959 (From the Family Book)

Franklin Kirby always had numerous livestock on the Government range between his farm and Boat mountain near Western Grove, Arkansas.  Once a neighbor told him he had just seen three of the Gibbons boys round about twenty of his best three-year old steers and start driving them toward Harison, Arkansas.  Franklin Kirby , his brother-in-law, Art P., and two friends, Troy M. and L.Jones, got into the car and went to head them off.  They met them just east of the Johnsey farm.  The Gibbons boys had no whips or dogs so were driving the cattle by shooting their pistols behind them.  Art was driving the car.  Their plan was that all except the driver would have a pistol in one hand with his other hand on the door handle of the car and when the car passed through the cattle and came to the Gibbons boys each man would jump out and grab a horse by the bridle and cover the rider with his pistol.  The plan worked perfectly and each of the Gibbon boys was sent to the penitentary for two years.  They were driving the cattle to Harrison, Arkansas for shipment to Kansas City, Missouri where they had already made arrangements to sell them.