The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-02-09
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shropshire ftans, WHO Kliied wiiiiam En
gers, 0ets on WITH Two Years In the
Penitentlnty
The Jury In tie case Of the State u Texas
w. Shropshire Evans, charged with the
murder Of William Fingers, German, on
tho OH Of April 1870, rendered verdict
Yesterday morning, finding him guilty Of
| mnnsaughtCr, aud assessing his punish
ment ut two years IN the penitentary at
| hard labor. Everybody was surprised ut
such light verdict, for 50 strong aud con
| yincng was the testimony OF what Few
stnte's witnesses most of whom had fled
the country, that verdict OF murder
| in the first degree was looked
| for. County Attorney Seay prosecuted the
case with his usual yigor and in such an
able manner that he has become the re-
/ cpicnt of the highest enCOmid ms, yet Judge
| Barksdale and Colonel Mccoy fought most
zealcusly for their client, and to them the
defendant owes his life. The jury at first
stood eight for hanging and four for ac-
quittal, but firing, they agreed upon man
slaughter and fixed his punishment at TWO
years. So far no motion Tor new
trial has been made, and
it is presumed that Evans is eminently sat;
ished with the result. The state labored
under the difficulty of not having an eye
witness to the killing, though the case was
pretty clear against the prisoner to an un-
biased mind. Evans wife and son saved
him by their testimony. After the verdict
had been rendered, man named Beach,
who saw the killing, came into the court
room and stated that he was an eyewitness
to the affair, and made the following state
ment to a HERALD reporter:
"W. Il. C. Beach says that ! was living on
Anon McCamon' land ; don't eX-
a. lNIs g.Ft Tho .lnn
and son of Evans were hunting plover on
Broston's prairie, and his father called to
him to bring him the gun, and laying it on
the third rail of the fence from theMop, shot
Fingers as he was turning his pillow and team
around; Fingers, | am satisfied, never knew
what killed him; | was about three hun
dred yards off; am now living near
| Scyene with my brother, Perry
Beach; I have been west about three
years, and returned here On the Sth day of
last month; did not know where | would
be, and in order to keep from being both
cred, | kept my mouth shut.
II saw him standing at the northwest cor
ner of the fences Fingers did not make any
demonstrations or talk; Fingers had the
reins around his neck, Texas style; Mrs.
Evans stopped to the door OF the house just
as the fatal shot was fired.
County Attorney Seay remarked that he
would have given $3.50 and his fee III the
case had he known of such testimony dur
ing the trial, as it would have melted out
that Justice to the defendant that would
lave required his life for the one he had so
co1lly taken. The HERALD Of the date of
/ the Killing, contains these headlines, with
1.-THE f9. owing remarks 1.-The cheerful old
muskrs! Mr.. Evans quietly sits i'll the
/ fence corner and turns it loose and wall
. lnnlr takes the life of 40 fnuustrious and
/ WY cifi7nn 4 iorcible plea for hemp"
s ha STATE
men, of the cause of the difficulty
is as follows: "a German named William
Fingers rented thirty acres Of land from
Shropshire Evans, residing seven miles east
Of the city, and paid u portion Of the rent
money in advance. Repeated demands
from Fingers failed to get Evans to stake the
land off, and being DESTROYS of going to
work. Fingers summoned number OF the
neighbors, who proceeded to step off the
required number OF acres and he then went
to work. Yesterday morning, between 7
and 8 O'Clock, Evans Went to where
Fingers was at work in the field, and
ordered him to cease blowing. Fingers re-
fused TO do so, when some words passed be-
tween them, but without any serious re-
suit. Evans then returned land waiting in the
fence corner until Fingers reached the end
of the row he was blowing, fired, the shot
taking effect in the right side, producing
death in u few minutes. A gentleman who
heard the shot hurried to the spot and ar
rived in time to see Evans running Off and
receive Fingers dying declaration that Ey-
ans had shot him.