The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-05-07
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GALy ESTON.


Correspondence Of the Hora d,
GALVESTON. May 3, 1850.
The murderous ARRAY that laid George
Turley cold in death last Sunday mo rning
has been the theme of general conversation,
and various and conflicting have been the
reasons assigned for the tragedy that has en-
veloped one family in Il pail of sorrow. The
facts, as near they can be cleaned OF the
cause that led to the fatal rencounter, origi.
mated in the action of Frank McGowan
toward Miss Thompson, sister-in-
law of the murdered Turley. Nc
Gowan was the accepted sutton of Miss
Thompson, and under promise of marriage
had wronged her, and after having accom-
plished this, cast her off, and refused to full
I'LL his promise. George Turley determined
to compel McGowan to make the only rep
aration in his power. This led to his assault
upon MCGOWAN in the Assessors office, when
he called MCGOWAN outside of the railing and
attempted to kill him with bowie. knife,
but being frustrated in his attempt, drew a
revolver and undertook to shoot McGowan,
and finally exacted from MCGOWAN promise
to marry Miss Thompson, and compelled
him to keep it. McGowan's treatment of his
wife was brutal in the extreme, and for four
months she clung to him, suffering every
indignity that woman could suffer
and finally was compelled for self-protec-
ton to seek divorce, which was granted.
This served to widen the breach. and finally
resulted in u family feud. MCGOWAN at tho
time of his marriage was nineteen years old,
but at that early age had familarized him.
self With nearly every vice. George Turley
was regarded as an honorable, hard Z.
working young man. John MCGOWAN,
the elder brother of Frank, took up
the feud in his brothers behalf.
and committed murderous assault
upon Turley in barber shop in Houston.
Turlsy was getting shaved when John Nc
Gowan hastily entered the shop, snatched tie
razor from the BARRIERS hand and made A
terrible cut at Turkeys throat, but missed hia
aim and gave him q serious cut across the
mouth, laying his lip open to the bone. He
then jumped back and fired two shots at Tur-
ley before he could spring out of the chair
Tnrley seized McGowsn, wrenched his revol.
yer from his hand and beat him over the
head with it. Turley, it is said, INDUCED in
threats that he would kill Frank Met owan Il
II took him ten years, and that Mr.. Turley, the
father OF George, went to Judge MCGOWAN
advised him TO send Frank away AS his sor
threatened to kill him. This is, however
denied by his wife and mother, who repre-.
sent that George never INDUCED in sucl
threats, and If he had he would have con
stantly gone armed to carry bis threat int,
execution; that he seldom went armed ant
was unarmed when he was assaulted by ,Jobr
M. MCGOWAN in the barber shop, and wa,
unarmed when he was shot down on Sunda,
last; that the only weakness he ba(
was that at times he INDUCED rather too
freely in drink, and when under its influence h,
felt the great wrong that had been done MI
sister-in-law, and INDUCED in violent Ian
guage toward MCGOWAN, who, fearing VIC
lence at his hands, always went armed
George Tnrley was steamboat engineer, anc
arrived In this city on Saturday last, on Nil
way 70 Calcasieu to geta boat, which he pro
posed to place in the lumber trade ON tn,
coast. He had formerly been running on IN,
coast, and resided for awhile in Lake Charles
Frank MCGOWAN came down on the excur
sion train from Houston on Sunday. The,
met IN the Two Brothers" saloon. ane
according to the testimony of Alexander
Aiam, at the Coroner's inquest, who was II
ssompany with McGowan, Turkey remarked
'snereis the st son ola b--h IN Houston.