Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-02
THROUGH THE BRAIN.
An Unknown Negro Killed by the
United States Mail Transfer
Man at the Union Depot.
The Pistol Fired by +. X. Slaven.

/
The sound of pistol shot awoke
| the echoes around the Union depot
last night just after the Sante Fe
was steaming away after the mail
agent had thrown out the transfer
mail bags. The train Is due here at
five minutes past eleven o'clock and
stops only few minutes at this depot.
The shot was fired by Il. X. Slaven,
the United States mail transfer man,
whose business ii Is 10 attend to all the
mail bags transferred to and from the
different roads at this point In the
dim light of the pistol flash the by
ISLANDERS ON the platform saw Il m;N
stagger and fall about halfway be-
tween the Texas and Pacific express
offices.
In fe seconds crowd of men had
surrounded the fallen man who was
gasping in the throts of death with n
bullet through his brain. The victim
was young mulatto negro apparently
about twenty-five years old. The cir
cumstances which led to the shooting
are as follows: When the Santa Fe
train moved into the depot Slaven
went to get truck which he had
placed in readiness to load the mail
bags on to bring them into the bag
gage room for proper distribution.
When he got to the truck, the negro
was lying on II and Slaven asked him
to get up. The negro refused and Sla-
ven caught hold of the handles and
pushed the truck some distance down
the platform. The mail is thrown
from the train some fifty yards north
of the baggage room, and in this di-
rection he pushed the truck.
When about half way down the
platform and between the two express
offices, he again ordered the negro to
get up and the negro made no reply.
Slaven then said something to the ne
gro who rose to his feet as Slaven adj
vanced towards him. He cursed Sla-
ven and ran his hand in his bosom, as
though to draw weapon of some
kind. At this Slaven drew his six
shoot and fired at the negro, stand.
ing only few feet away from him.
The ball entered the negro's fore
head just above the left eye, pressed
through the brain, and came out Just
above the right ear. He staggered
back one or two steps and fell without
uttering u word. DR.. Slauter was
summoned and pronounced the wound
fatal, and thought the man would not
live until IL o'clock. No ono knew
the victims name, but colored porter
who handles baggage at the depot says
his face is Il familiar one; that he is
well-known in this city ms q gambler
among the colored people, and that he
believed his first name was Bill. EX-
animation of the victims head by DR..
Slauter showed marks as though two
bullets had entered the forehead. as
the brains were protruding from two
distinct apertures, but the by-standers
and those who heard it say only one
shot was fired
w. Il. Howard and George Slaven.
who we're eye-witnesses to the shoot
ing, made the following statement to
GAZETTE reporter: 1--WE were stand
ing close To the men when the shoot
ing occurred, and heard Slaven ask the
negro to get Off the track. The negro
refused to do so and Slaven stoppt d the
truck and let it fall on the platfoi m.
AS he did this the negro raised up and
SAID You G. d. s. OF II b. and ran
his hand in his bosom us though to
draw pistol. Slaven raised his hand
anu We SAW u llisll, neafu the shot and
saw the negro fall. There were n
number of people on the platform close
TO us -
After lying where he had fallen for
some time the negro was moved out of |
he way of passing trucks still gasping
for breath. He had on u dark suit of |
clothes, specked shirt, new shoes and
I large white hat with small black
band and red cord around it. There
was nothing on his person to indicate
who he was or where he lived. Mr..
William II Sparrow, baggage-master
AZ the Union depot says that Slaven
has been working for him for some
.ime; that he is quiet and inoflensive
IN his habits and he could hardly be-
ieve it when he heard that Slaven had
lone the shooting; that he is about
.Wentty-three years of age and liked by
I'll who know him. As soon as the
'hooting occurred Officer William
richmond arrested Slaven and
brought him up to the city hall but
subsequently took his prisoner back to
he depot to stand guard over him
until this morning when the inquest
will be held.