San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-12-14
THE DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
Fail Particulars of the kiiiisg Of .imde,xo,,

quiet of this town was disturbed this
evening shortly after five o'clock, by a
tragedy which took place in the office of
Charles Carter, Esq, postmaster. The
particulars are Us follows: This morn
ing a United States Marshal from Dal-
las, Texas, named w. H. Anderson, ar
rived here in, pursuit of tho notorious
Bill Collins, who, for some weeks past,
has been in this county working on
thrashing machine, under the name of
Gael. -.la. ..-.. .....
Upon his arrival here, Anderson made
himself known to the authorities of this
place, showing his credentials, ETC., but
for prudent reasons did not show him
self. It having been ascertained that
Collins was Mt work in saloon quite
close to the international boundary line
at West Lynn, Sheriff Brown, of this
county, in company with Deputy, Mar
shal Judson La Move, proceeded as far
as the boundry line to the saloon of
Messrs. White & Soutbrer, where they
found Collins, but as the latter kept his
position behind the counter, and as they
were not quite certain as to their man,
and as they did not wish to excite his
suspicion, it was deemed better to wait
for more favorable opportunity. This
opportunity presented itself this even
ing shortly after five o'clock, when Sher.
if Brown, of this county, saw Collins on
his way to the post-offlce. Mr.. Babcock,
who was not known to Collins, and
whose appearance would not excite sus-
picion, endeavored to overtake Collins
before he reached the post-office, with
the view of apprising Marshal Anderson,
who was then in the post-offlcc. Mr.
Babcock, to whom your reporter is in
debtcd for this account of the affair, says
that Collins must have been suspicious
of something wrong as he quickened his
pace and reached the post-office before
Mr.. Babcockr could overtake him. In
the meantime Marshal Anderson was in
the post-office, sitting at the extreme
right of the room, talking with Mr.. Car
ter, the postmaster, who sat opposite to
him. As soon as Collins entered, the
Marshal at once recognized him and or
dered him to throw up his hands just as
Mr.. Babcock entered the post-office
door, the detective at the same time pro
senting his pistol within six inches Of
the robbers heart. Collins partly threw
up his hands, Mr.. BabcocE catching
hold of Collins left hand and holding
it The detective, upon ordering Col
Inns to throw up his hands, said, "Now,
Bill, don't want to shoot, but keep up
your hands" Though partly obeying
the order, Collins managed to get hold
of his revolver, and was in the act of
bringing it out from his breast, when the
Marshal fired, the shot taking effect a
little above the left nipple and proving
fatal. As the shot was fired the Mar
shall backed towards hall doorway Of
the Office, and while he was doing so
Collins brought his own revolver out
and fired two shots; the first shot miss
ed its max and went crashing through
window opposite the door, the second,
however, took fatal effect upon the de-
tective, passing through his heart The
officer fell almost simultaneously, while
the robber fell backwards, his body lying
partly in and partly out of the entrance
door to the post-office. The position of
the parties at the moment of the shoot
ing was as follows: The detective was a
little to the right of the entrance door,
in about the center of the post-office,
Collins was near the door, and Mr.. Bah
cock to the left of Collins, holding the
latter's left arm. AS soon as the Mar
shall fired he commenced backing to-
wards the doorway leading into the post
masters private apartment, and had he
gone but step or two farther he would
have escaped. Mr.. Babcock states that
the reason why the Marshal did not fire
a second shot was that he knew his first
shot had taken fatal effect, and that he
would probably get ont of danger of any
shot from Collins, but here he miscalcu-
lated. With that desperation known
only to desperate men, Collins managed
to level his revolver even as he was fall