San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-01-04
Texas Tragedies.

The following are some of the most
atrocious tragedies enacted in this state
during the past few days:
Last Thursday, at Brandon, Hill
county, Joe Lane MORALLY wounded
Green Wood, in a friendly scufile.
Lane got mad. and drawing derringer
fired, missing Wood. Wood then drew
a pistol, firing at Lane and hitting him
four times. Wood escaped, and has not
been arrested.
Last Thursday tramp whose name is
unknown, attempted to board freight
train at the town of Lawrence, in Kauf-
man county, twenty-eight miles east OF
Dallas. He was put off by q brake
man, and at once began abusing the
railroad man. A bystander uttered
some remark upon the transaction,
when the tramp turned and fired upon
him, infiicting pretty severe wound in
the thigh. The shootist was ut once
arrested and locked up. He expressed
himself as perfectly indifferent concern
ing his fate, and said he had two "solid
partners" who were on their way to Dali
las, and who would make things lively
there.
A deputy sheriff of Bell county pass
ed through Waco last week, having in
charge sixteen year old boy murderer
named John Washburn. His victim
was little Benny Ballou, only nine
years old. Washburn had taken q dis
like to Ballou, borrowed gun from
companion, and leveling it at Benny
said: damn you, I told you I was 60
ing to kill you, and now I am going to
do it," He fired, wounding him fatally.
The other boys were so horror-strick-
ened that they did not pursue him. He
was captured in Ellis county. In con-
versation with Washburne he said he
did not know the gun was loaded. He
just wanted to scare Benny.
A terrible affair occurred on Satur-
day of last week about eight miles above
Marlin, in Falls county. As Mr.. 7. S.
Parten was going home to dinner from
his field in company with his little boy,
his brother, Mr.. John Parten, had con-
cealed himself near by, and fred the
deadly shot that sent his own brother
headlong and unexpectedly into eterni-
ty. The two brothers lived within
stones throw Of each other, and have
not been generally on speaking terms.
The quarrels among themselves that
engendered such bitter hostility, seems
to have originated from the settlement
of their fathers estate, and T. s. Par
ten had got judgment against John re-
Gently for several hundred dollars, and
was in town day or two before the
shooting occurred to get out an execu-
ton to recover property. A posse went
in pursuit of the slayer, but he made
good his escape.
A German shoemaker by the name of
Wissian, q resident of San Marcos, lived
in unhappy relations with his wife, and
so on Tuesday last the woman stole
quietly away from home, ran to the
bank of the beautiful San Marcos river,
and cast herself into it. Her body was
afterwards found and buried. The hus-
band, who had lost former wife by
death, was deeply grieved at the dread
full result of the rashness of this act of
the second partner of his bosom, and
refused to be consoled or comforted.
Those who sympathized with the trou-
bled man were not few in number, yet
all their efforts to calm his surging spir-
it were without avail. The hours flew
by; he, too, made up his mind to cast
his chances in another world. So on
Friday afternoon of last week, he laid
down upon bed, placed gun between
his legs and exploded it. The ball en-
tered about the pit of the stomach, rang
ing upwards, and found an outlet near
the left shoulder. The shot attracted
attention, but poor Wissian was dead.
His body was buried near that of his
wife. Wissian has brother residing
at New Braunfels.
Twenty-Five miles west of Waco, near