Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-31
MEXICAN BANDITTI SACK A
TEXAS TOWN.
Village OF GAINESVILLE Plundered
Attack on the United States Gus
tOmhOuSe.
Murder Of Two Inspectors.
Particulars of the Raid.

murderous raid, made by party
Mexican robbers, last Friday evening, o
the village of Gainesville, Texas, at tn
mouth of the Rio Grande. The particu
lars were obtained from passenger, VIII
reached our city last night, on board G
the Texas steamer /. c. Harris.
On Friday evening, December 18th, a
half>past eight o'clock, the village 0
| Gainesville, at the mouth Of the Ri,
esfande, Texas, was attacked by a bant
Of Mexican robbers, (among whom wer,
two negroes who killed Mr.. George 7
Hammond and William II. Phelps, ant
seriously wounded Mr. Robert R. Ryan
They first rode to small out>house
attached to the premises of Mr.. Charles
Frost, which was used as a lodging plac
for some mechanics who boarded there
Here they found Mr.. Harry Marquart
whom they made prisoner and placed q
guard over, telling him that if he moved
or attempted to give any alarm he would
be shot, Three of the party then rode
to the small building occupied as Gus
tomhouse, and found Mr.. R. R. Ryan,
Acting Deputy Collector, standing at the
door. They addressed him in Spanish
several times ; he replied in English that
he could not understand what they said.
0ae of them drew pistol and pointed it
at his heart. Ryan seized the pistol with
one hand and with the other got hold of
the Mexican by the throat, when another
of the party ran behind Ryan and broke
heavy pistol over his head, which felled
him as if dead believing him so, the
Mexicans entered the building and found
Mr.. w. fl. Phelps, night inspector of
customs, sitting on his cot; without
word of warning they all fred at him, and
he fell. After he had fallen they cut him
in eight places and most horribly mangled
his body. Ryan who had been left at
the doorway, recovered his senses and
made his escape. He was seen, however,
and five shots were fred at him; happily
they all missed their aim, and he sue,
ceeded in hiding himself in the stables
Of Mr.. Frost. While this was going on,
one Of the party rode up to the house of
Capt. James Selkirk; dismounting, went
up to the front door and knocked. Mrs.
Thornham, Capt. Selkirk's daughter,
went to see what was wanted, and asked
the Mexican what he knocked for; he re-
piled that he wished to see Capt. Sell
kirk, as he had letter for him from the
Governor Of the State. Mrs. Thornham
suspected that something was wrong, and
told him Capt. Sslkirk could not be seen,
as he had gone to bed; that she would
give him the letter in the morning if he
would leave it with her. He refused to
let any one have it except Captain Sell
kirk, and getting ON his horse, rode out
side the fence, where he stopped. Mr..
George T. Hammond, one of the mounted
Inspectors Of Customs, was spending the
evening at Mr.. William Clark's house.
Having heard several pistol shots fired,
and thinking Captain SeIkirk's family
would be alarmed at it, he without
knowing the cause of the firing) went
through a side door to Captain SeIkirk's
house, and told Mrs Thornham not to be
as it was party of men
firing for amusement. Mrs. Thornham
said it was not so; that they were rob-
bers, and that one Of them was at the
time hiding behind the fence. Ham,
nond a-ked if they had any arms in the
house. Mrs. Thornham said they had
not, and requested Mr.. Hammond to go
and inform Capt. Jos. Cooper that there
were robbers around. He went out to
comply with her request, and had only
passed the door when he was fired at.
He then ran tOward Mr.. Clark's house,
and fell at the steps, wounded through
both legs.
While Mr.. Hammond was at Capt.
Selkirk's house, three of the robbers bad
entered Mr.. Clarke's, where they only
found Mrs. Clarke and her children.
They asked here where were the mon.
She replied there were no men in the
house. They pointed their pistols at her,
and demanded her money and jewelry
She said she had none. They then
made her unlock and empty out all her
trunks, etc.; they broke open all that she
did not unlock. In one of the trunks,
the property Of one OF the boarders, they
found $500. They took one of Mrs.
CIarke's trunks and filled it with every
thing Of value that they could find.
AS they were plundering, Hammond,
who had fallen wounded at the door,
dragged himself in, and was crawling I'M
der the bed when he was seen by the
who cried out, "Kill him
kill the -" and took hold of him by
the feet and dragged him out. Ham
mond cried out, 81 am already killed"
Then each of the party shot at him, and,
drawing their knives, cut him in seven
places, killing him Immediately. They
took his boots, hat and coat off, and left
the building.
The same man who had tried to gain
admission to Capt. Selkirk's made an
other attempt, and, finding the door
locked, went to the window, and finding
that well fastened, he broke part Of the
sash with his pistol and then galloped off.
The robbers in a body, then rode to-
ward the warehouse and Office Of Capt.
Joseph Cooper, some distance off. Capt.
Cooper had heard the firing, and was
about starting to see what was wrong,
accompanied by Mr.. William Kelly,
when he saw several horsemen approach
ing. He Immediately ordered them to
halt, and demanded, who comes there?'
They replied, Friends" but as they
did not look like friends, Capt. Cooper
and Mr.. Kelly presented them with the
contents OF their revolvers. They re-
turned the fire, and looked for a place
through which they might gain admit
lance, as a strong fence had been put up
around the premises by Capt. Cooper,
only few deys previous. Not having
counted with meeting with any resist
ance, they next tried the rear of the
house, but here they were met with the
same fire, and as the firing and cries for
help had attracted the attention of the
people on the Mexican side, several of
whom were coming over to the assistance
of the inhabitants, the robbers rode off,
taking their plunder with them.
Scouting parties were Immediately sent
out, and the robbers were traced to a
point two miles above Gainesville,
where they had crossed the river into
Mexico.
The bodies of the murdered men we're
inferred the evening following. The inS
habitants of Gainesville and Brazos
Santiago, together with all the United
States officers, together with many from
the Mexican side, were present. George
II. Hammond was twenty-six years Of
age, and leaves wife and child to mourn
his loss. He had written for his family,
who were looked for by the next steamer
from New Orleans. William H. Phelps