>My Maternal Great Grandfather, James Henry Ray, was shot and killed >by a neighbor in Blossom, Lamar County, Texas sometime in the year >1900. The name of the neighbor, according to family history, was >Gossett (probably John Gossett). > >There was a fire in the county seat, Paris, Texas, in the year 1916. >All records pertinent to this case were destroyed. > ><snip> > >Does anyone out there have any ideas as to where I should search for >the particulars surrounding the death of my Great Grandfather? > >Herschell R. Spears <hebe@peoplescom.net> I am not familiar with Texas records, but I would assume that if the neighbor was convicted and appealed the decision there would be court records at circuit/region or state level (or possibly even federal level). Find out what the court structure beyond the county level was and check there. I had a similar problem in 1898 in Missouri and the killer appealed his conviction to the supreme court in the state. (He lost and was subsequently hanged). If there are appellate records, they will almost certainly contain many details of the murder. If you haven't already, be sure to check for smaller newspapers in nearby towns and counties. And see if you can find some Gossett researchers who might know something. Are you absolutely positive all potentially relevant records at the county level were lost? (Sometimes that is not really the case). Connie clsheets1@prodigy.net