come. Kingsland offered to pay $675 for building a "colored" school in that
City as an inducement for Support as the county seat.
At an election held in June 1889, none of the towns received a majority of
the votes. Another election was held in August 1889 with Rison receiving
a majority by seven votes. Kingsland appealed to the county Court which ruled
that Kingsland was the winner. Rison appealed to the circuit Court which
ruled Rison the winner. Kingsland appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
The case was known as Rucks vs. Renfrow with a decision rendered on April
11, 1891.
In the decision given by the Arkansas Supreme Court it was shown by evidence
that:
Many illegal votes were cast at the election, some by minors, some by persons
convicted of infamous crimes, and some by non-residents of the county, and
some by persons who had not resided long enough in the county and townships
in which they voted, to become legal voters.
The Court further stated that:
We have estimated the following illegal votes were cast for Rison at the
election: two by persons under 31 years of age, nine by persons voting in
the wrong townships, three by persons not long enough in the State, three
by persons who were nonresidents of the county - in all seventeen, und that
the following illegal votes were cast at the election for Kingsland: four
by persons under age, ten by persons voting in the wrong township, three
by persons convicted of infamous crimes, four by persons who did not reside
in the county, eight by
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MUSIC ON THE LAWN -A bandstand sat on the
courthouse lawn during the early 1900's. |