Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-07
MURDER AND MYSTERY
A stranger Shot and Killed Of N,.h,
at Big Springs.
Testimony Of Witnesses-No Claw q,
the Perpetrator.
Special to the eaze,,s

Special to the Gazette.
Big Springs, Tex, February s--ope
vi the most cowardly and dastardj,,
murders that ever disgraced n conmn.
nity was committed here last ninht
young man by the name of FrsnI
Carniew arrived here ON n frei"ht
!rain ABOUT o'clock last niyht Ta
inquired for place of lodging nj ,bs
aepot, and was directed TO n hotel n.y.,
iar away. While on his way 10 tbe s
motel, Sn company with n friend n
man suddenly came ont of an aI,'o d
and fired upon him. sbootin@ Mn,
through the right lung. He felito tba
ground, and his cries brought nart;as
10 his rescue. His friend ran away
ana was arrested while making his
hight. He was taken to room aud
nlaue statement that he was shot by
never had any hard feelings with anv
one. The whole affair is clouded in
mystery. The supposition is that the
paity VINO shot the young man mis-
LOOK the person, and that the bullet
M Mus intended for another. Every one
mere now goes around with an eve
open, and looks bacl, for his enemies
me Truth of the matter is that no one
can tell who the bullet was meant far
W .:h, clIlzens are quite indignant, and
MN take the law in their own hands
IL no other remedy is available. Our
town has heretofore been quiet and
moral place up to within a few
weeks ago.. and our citi-
zens don't intend to suffer such
outbreaks. The boy who has lust died
from The effects of his wounds was n
German and a jeweler by trade. He
had upon his person slate and book.
purporting him to be deaf mute
rms was u little game the poor fellow
was playing to transport him to his
destination, which was Ell Paso.
This numbering business is becom-
ing too prevalent out here. Those
days are gone when such dastardly
acts could be committed and the muir
derer go dancing around as hero. An
examining trial and inquest was held
this afternoon by j. M. Johnston, j.
+: The following is the testimony
taken:
George Welsh, being duly sworn.
says: / met deceased in Longview,
Tex, two weeks ago. We have been
together since. His name is Frank
Carniew, and he was from near Han
over, Germany; don't know the name
of either of the two witnesses sworn.
] saw witness Cooksey last Monday in
the afternoon. He said he was cow
boy, and had been to Big Springs;
have not seen Cooksey since till he
came into the courtroom; / never saw
witness Branchford before last night
at the depot, which was for the first
time. Deceased and myself stayed in
Colorado City one day; don't think he
knew Branchford; think though that
Branchford heard what a party at the
depot said to deceased last night when
discovered, which was, shells below.u
Think the party who spoke to Carniew
was the same who shot him. Carniew
and myself were walking up the
street together; when opposite Seay
d Hynes' store, man in dark clothes
stepped out from the alley and fired.
Carniew was matchmaker by trade;
he had never worked, though, at his
trade in Texas.
Nj. j. Branchford, being duly sworn
for the state says: George, Welsh and
deceased were talking together on the
platform at the depot last night.
asked them If they could tell me any
place where | could stay. They point
ed me to q saloon. A party In
speckled suit, as near as L could tell,
with II light mustache, passed by and
said, "Hello, Carniew Carniew said,
'Hell's below p The other party
said it may twenty-five feet and ID may |
De twenty-five miles from here. /
link witness Cooksey resembles the
nan who spoke TO deceased at the de-
Dot more than any other man have
zen. i asked witness Cooksey if he
some remarks made by
him to some parties at the depot. He
aid he believed he did. i also asked
linn If he remembered meeting three
men at the depot and saying, "hello,"
md another party saying, "hell's be-
ow," and he said he believed he did.
20 the best of my knowledge / think
his man Cooksey is the man who
poke to Carniew at the depot.
Jack Cooksey being duly sworn says.
came ia to Big Springs last night;
speaking with some men at
he depot last night; don't remember
What | said to them; | went from the
epot to the saloon; l did not hear u
stol shot; stayed around the two
aloons for two hours perhaps, at least
III ! went to bed.
Sam Everett being duly sworn for
he state says that he saw witness
ooksey going up the street from the
alOon, but did not see the shooting.