San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-07-06
RE(OLLECTIONS OF AN OLD
CITIZEN.
The Gait House tragedy Of 1888, with
sketch Of ). 5. Prentiss.
To the Editor of the Courier-Journal.


This terrible affair took place De
cember, Is, 1888, at the Gait house, on
the corner of second and main, in this
CITY. 1t had its origin in such trl-
fling incident as the fit of a coat. The
participants were John w. Redding, a
merchant tailor doing business on the
corner of third and main streets, Judge
Wilkinson and Dr. Wilkinson, broth
ers, of Mississippi, John Rothwell, a
brotherin-law of Redding, Alex. H..
Meeks and navy officer by the name
of Murdough.
Redding's standing in business cir
cles was high. He was very quiet
man, but very sensitive; was short In
stature, but tleshy.
The Wilkinsons were beau-ideals of
the southerner. They were finely ed
ucated, polished gentlemen, with black
hair and eyes; about five feet eleven
inches in heig ht, and spare built.
Rothwell was highly respected cit
izen, a halter, doing business on the
corner of sixth and market streets; a
large man, and of a quiet disposition.
Meeks was an entire stranger to ev-
ery one; was small, handsome man,
red complicated, and seemingly about
thirty years of age.
Murdough was a short, stout man,
with Jet black hair and restless eyes OF
the same color, and looked like-what
afterward proved to be the Casa
fearless and desperate man when he
was aroused. He was from Indiana.
THE TRAGEDY.
About six o'clock in the evening of
December Is, the two Wilkinsons and
Murdough called at Readings tailoring
establishment to look at a suit of clothes
which Redding was making for Judge
Wilkinson, who was about to get mar
ried. The Judge put his coat on to see
how it fit. His brother, the doctor,
and Murdough pronounced 1t a mlstit,
which incensed Redding, who as much
as told them it was no business of theirs,
and contradicted them point blank by
declaring that the coat was good tit.
The Judge threw off the coat, Redding
seized poker and the doctor seized
pistol, exclaiming as he did SO: No
one of your profession shall insult us. "
Redding laid the poker down and the
doctor put up his pistol, and SO the
matter might have ended. But the
taunt thrown out by DR.. Wilkinson
ranked in Redding's bosom, and as
soon as the others left closed his store,
and calling on his brother-in'law, Roth
well, induced him to close his store,
and accompanied by Bill Holmes and
Henry Oldham, vino were looked upon
as bullies, called at the Calf house
about s O'Clock. About the time the
Judge was Il wing on his coat at Red
ding's, stranger hired a saddle horse
at Frederick's livery stable, opposite
the Gait house. He returned TO the
stable Just rs some one ran over from
the Gait house and exclaimed; There
is going to be a HI of fight over at
the hotel. The stranger, who proved
to be Meeks, and who was said to be
drunk, said: 81 have never seen a Ken
lucky fight, and, as ] want to take
hand, [ am in, and, in a very excited
state, he rushed across the street, whip
in hand, and entered the hotel live
man, but was shortly afterward car
ried out a corpse. As he entered the
office the hotel was crowded and every
thing at fever heat between the two
parties, who were talking the matter
over. He, without knowing anything
about the affair, stranger to all, he
shook his whip in Murdough's face,
and declared @he Was in that fight.
This was all that was needed. Inam
ment, in the tvinklIng Of an eye, he
was weltering in his own blood, almost