Jeptha Dyches was born October 11, 1845 in Jefferson County, TX. He was the son of Joseph Josiah Dyches and Elizabeth Lewis. He was shot and killed by John Beard on October 18, 1875 in a gunfight that broke out between the two at a dance. He married Mary Elizabeth Low on November 11, 1865 in Williamson County, TX. She was born about 1844 in Louisiana.
Children of JEPTHA DYCHES and MARY ELIZABETH LOW
| Lucinda E. Dyches | b. April 1866 in Williamson County, TX. |
| Thomas A Dyches | b. July 07, 1869 in Williamson County, TX; d. May 11, 1871. |
| Eli Jack Dyches | b. abt. 1871 in Williamson County, TX. |
| Mary Lillius Dyches | b. Aug 17, 1873 in Williamson County, TX. |
| Andrew Josiah Dyches | b. May 22, 1875 in Williamson County, TX. |
Genealogical Sources
- 1850 Census Williamson County, TX
- 1860 Census Williamson County, Texas
- 1870 Census Williamson County, Texas
- Williamson County Marriage book 2 pg. 195.
- Williamson County Probate records – Mrs. M. E. Dyches will probated July 20, 1887.
- Williamson County Probate records – Jeptha Dyches will probated September 29, 1888.
Born of Texas 
Jeptha died chasing after John Beard for stealing cattle.
The story posted for Jeptha may be confused with a gun fight at a Easter party in 1895 where James Beard ( John Beards brother) and James Curtis ( related to Dyches) killed each other. Or maybe even William Dyches for that mater he was in a gun fight at a party in 1895 and later assassinated. I think your web site says by two horse theifs.
Anyway all this info can be found in historical news papers. I can give you the dates of the papers if you need them.
Thanks, yes I would appreciate any further information you might have.
HI
I wrote the mesage below thinking I could attach some files of news articles that I was going to send, but I don’t see how I can attach them here. The other Newspaper articles have links where you can view them.
News paper articles on Jeptha and John Beard.
I attched the news article on Jeptha Dyches and John Beard. In the article they call Jeptha “Jeff Dyches” and do not name John by his first name, they just call him Beard.
see attached. ( I can send this by regular email if you like since I could not attach it here?)
This article is when John Beard turns him self in 22 years later. This is a Austin paper in Swedish but I include it becasue they have the name Jeptha correct. I put the english version below which is close to what was in the Swedish verison but with the corret name for Jeptha.
Texas Posten (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, May 7, 1897, Sequence: 4 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth202902/m1/4/?q=Dyches
This is also a article when John Beard turns him self in, However They incorecly called Jeptha John Dyches. John Dyches would have had
to be JOhn I. Dyches who died in abt 1884 since the only other John that would have been in the county would have been John N. Dyches and would have already died before 1875. John I. dyches is be my GG grandfather and John N. dyches is my GG grandfather.
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. Thirteenth Year, No. 28, Ed. 1, Sunday, May 2, 1897, Sequence: 22 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth84168/m1/22/zoom/?q=Dyches
This is the news article on the gun fight in 1893 at a dance. There is also another news paper article I read that someone posted on findagrave.com, but I have not been able to find it for myself. You can search for James Beard d 1893 (James Poey Beard) James Curtis in the news article was realted to the Dyches family thru his mother.
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. Thirteenth Year, No. 28, Ed. 1, Sunday, May 2, 1897, Sequence: 22 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278640/m1/1/?q=dyches
Also attached is a article about the William “Billy” Dyches Gunfight at a party.
see attached ( I can send this by regular email if you like since I could not attach it here?)
This article is written after William Dyches was assassinated. The paper mentions the same gunfight but a little exgerated. They say that John Beard was killed in it but John Beard turned him self in in 1897.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278220/m1/8/?q=Dyches
News paper articles on Jeptha and John Beard.
I attched the news article on Jeptha Dyches and John Beard. In the article they call Jeptha “Jeff Dyches” and do not name John by his first name, they just call him Beard.
see attached.
This article is when John Beard turns him self in 22 years later. This is a Austin paper in Swedish but I include it becasue they have the name Jeptha correct.
Texas Posten (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, May 7, 1897, Sequence: 4 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth202902/m1/4/?q=Dyches
This is also a article when John Beard turns him self in, However They incorecly called Jeptha John Dyches. John Dyches would have had
to be JOhn I. Dyches who died in abt 1884 since the only other John that would have been in the county would have been John N. Dyches and would have already died before 1875. John I. Dyches is be my GG grandfather and John N. Dyches is my GGG grandfather.
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. Thirteenth Year, No. 28, Ed. 1, Sunday, May 2, 1897, Sequence: 22 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth84168/m1/22/zoom/?q=Dyches
This is the news article on the gun fight in 1893 at a dance. There is also another news paper article I read that someone posted on findagrave.com, but I have not been able to find it for myself. You can search for James Beard d 1893 (James Poey Beard)
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Tex.), Vol. Thirteenth Year, No. 28, Ed. 1, Sunday, May 2, 1897, Sequence: 22 | The Portal to Texas History
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278640/m1/1/?q=dyches
Also attached is a article about the William “Billy” Dyches Gunfight at a party.
see attached
This article is written after William Dyches was assassinated. The paper mentions the same gunfight but a little exgerated. They say that John Beard was killed in it but John Beard turned him self in in 1897.
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth278220/m1/8/?q=Dyches