The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-20


have lived in north Texss. trst met
Jack Rush 10 March, 1880, but Hevsr be-
came in any way familiar tn him; he was
net the style of man that liked, but be
oiten came about my saloon, which, Of
course, made me acquainted with him to u
csrtain extent sm Is perfectly innooent
OF his killing, cir, 10 you are. The grounds
for suspectiDg me. are: there was muni>
cipal election held In WeStherford on the
9Th day Of April, 1880. l was working 10
the interest of one Of the candidates for
mayor. was challenging votes. One
Jack Campbell came in front Of me at the
polls, and said he would like 10 have me-
challenge bis vote. A dispute arose and
be struck me and fell on my face.
When got up Was struck sgain in the
back of the head. As fell, saw Jack
Rush and Jack Campbell standing over me-
Both were arr 81 d and fad ore o d
costs. Jack Rush had to remain 10 jail
about ten days to pay his fac. OF course
at the time of the assault, used some
tbre' tening, violent language. but The
extreme i'll feeling passed off and had no
thought of ever molesting Jack Rush. A
short time before the killing Jack Rush and
A GAMBLER CALLED SLIM JIM
went on hunt in the B'szos bottoms, about
twenty miles from W'atheriord. and were
absent over week. Rush assaulted Slim Jim
in their tent and gave him an unmercltui
thrsshing; then left him and returned TO
Wes,herford. The night Rush was killed
Slim Jim was in Weatberford, but could not
be- found the next day, These statements
about Rush and Slim Jim are corroborated
by many good citizens Of Weathersord)
feel positive that
SLIM JIM KILLED JACK RUSH
Ms revenge for the thrsshng be had given
him Previous to Jack Rush end Sim Jim
going on their hunt, John Greenwood and
myself had difficulty with man named NJ
@ Clark. Green wood and myself knew we
had to kill Clark or he would kill us. While
Rush and Sim Jim we're absent, Clark re-
appeared and the quarrel WAS renewed.
Greenwood and myself had my brother Wal
ter borrow two shot guns. to be prepared
for emergencies. We wanted to leave them
in the house of Greenwoods parents, but
they objected, so we laid them under the
house where we could get then conveniently
| had received threatening auouym us let
ter, which | construed to be from Clark. l
had it in my mind to kill NJ O Clark, but
never thought of ling Rush. The testimo-
ny on the trial was substantial y the same
sg INST Greenwood ard myself but none OF
it implicated my brother Walter, and he was
acquitted and released. The testimony OF
the inmates of Kate loves house-none
of them in any manner ieliuble-was 70 the
effect that Greenwood and l were seen at
Kate loves with shot gun, while Rush
WAS there on the night of the killing, and
thst was seen by them to shoot Jack Rush
THUS WAS all the positive, direct and clesl
testimony against us; but these three unreli'
able witnesses were sustained by
A MASS OF CIRcUasTANTIAL EVIDENCE
from persona of good standing snt
we wore convicted. The circumstsntia
evidence fitted in AS perfectly rs possible
Il WAS to tie fleet that Rush and had ,
difficulty on election day, and Of my vioen
talk; that had effected the borrowing of two
sho, guns, and Greenwood and hsd beer
seen carrying them at night; that We wer,
seen with them the night zach Rush VIZ
killed, and ths subsequent finding of the gum
under Greenwood's house. All this circum
stan.ial testimony was by reliable witnesses
but those who gave it were not aware tn,
guns wers carried for Clrrk instead of Jacl
Rusk. But tho testimony fitted in perfect,
and made the testimony of the three wOmer
at Kate loves pass for the truth, and we
though innocent, W, re COZ Iemped to suite
fer what | feel positive was the crime O
: i'm Jim. The killing occurred NAV ID
1880; ge we're all indicted and tried seporate
lv NJ the following term Of court; my brothe
Walter was acquitted, and Greenwood and
convicted; we appealed our cases; both wor
affirmed by the court of appeals in Deem
Dor. 1880, NJ Tyler.
On the 10Th of January 1881 ocing AZ,
believing that with the lspse of time tn
truth about the killing would become know
and my life be spared,
COMMENCED FEIGNING INSANITY.
The prisoners bai just been removed f-on
the old wooden Ill building 10 tina new on
one, with ito iron cages and cells. , wa
net nearly a. well heatei..as the old Alding
and tho removal occurred duripc sever,
cold weather of last winter. the ole
building the Temperature ave. ID during
tne cold spell at least 80 above Zero; In tn,
new Jail with Its cold iron floor cages arc
nothing but our blankets to lilo on it certain,
ly WAS down to zero, at least. W.
suffered fesrfully by such gres
change, and concluded to mike it the -.
OF my feighed insanity, wanted tho ide,
to prevail that my mental faculties had neer
paraiy zed or greatly impaired by ressonof to,
radical change oftempersturp; that mud be-
come idio,icaly insane. would sit on my
chair, gazing at the floor or around my Gag
apparently oblivious to Transporting events
| would not tall and cate but little. No on,
can begin to imagine the
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TORTURE
subjected my self 10 during the ninety on,
days from January 18th to April l5!h
ieigning insanity, and at the Same time pos
sessing all my faculties. Sometimes woulr
be almost dea.hly sick, and If had dared e
lot my physician know my condition, how
felt etc., my auffsrings could haye been TO
Level. My brother ana friends would cal
to SEE me, and could not even let then
know what was undergoing to save my life
All the time was watched, 10 see If at any
time gave evidence Of being sane; and doc
tors and all kinds Of expert wero employed
with all kinds Of devices 10 tempt me TO be.
tray myself. succeeded In convincing al
that l wHs insane, aud Judge Hood refused Z
sentence me, and was returned to my cell
Tho same ,survilance and scientific investiga
ton was kept up. A fellow prisoner, sen,
fenced to the peniten.isry, occupying th'
same cell with me, one night committee
suicide under the same blanket with me
he took carbolio acid, gave quick, SHARP
yell aud was