Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-22
SHERMAN.
The Jury in the Gunter Trial Returns
Verdict of Not Guilty-O County
Court Proceedings.
Policeman 10 Melton Dangerously Shot
by One Of Party Of Four from
the Nation.
Two of the Party Captured Alive and
the Other Two Killed by the
Sheriff's Posse.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
SHERMAN, TEX, Nov. 2l.-There
were occasional sprinkles of rain to.
day, but this did not deter the cotton
planter from rushing his product ON
the rising market, and the rain was all
the more encouraging to the wood
vender, who finds in such weather a
certain forerunner offs healthy price
for his goods.
The common center of interest in
the city was the district courtroom,
where quite lumber Of our most prom
lnent citizens congregated TO hear the
testimony In the trial of Jot Gunter. |
The jury was fully made up last even
ing before adjournment, and IL has |
been the universal comment that there |
was never a more intelligent or better |
representative body OF twelve men |
impaneled in Grayson county, |
Every friend of law and order in the |
community, and every friend of
the defendant, feels assured |
that the case will end in verdict de.
manded 10y the law and evidence, and
to the decision public opinion will
bow with implicit faith. The testl-
mony for the state was concluded this
morning about 10 o'clock, when the
| defense began TO introduce witnesses
and continued throughout the day.
The evidence in the Gunter case
concluded at & o'clock and the case
was submitted without argument
after supper. In five minutes after
the charge was given the Jury returned
a verdict of mot guilty.
! Robert Ransom, who lives about five
miles south of the city, was up before
the county court to-day on an inquest
of sanity and was adjudged insane.
The court ordered that he be taken to
the county farm until quarters can be
obtained in the state asylum.
Charles Shobe and Bob Shobe, broth
ers, charged with the robbery of Tip
Harper at Denison ON Wednesday
night Last, had an examining trial yes
terday and were held on $1,000 bond
each TO answer to the grand jury.
Fred Griffith Is also held in DenisOn
as an accOmplice in the same act, for
examining trial before Justice Adams.
This afternoon about $3.50 O'Clock
Policeman Joe Melton was dangerously
wounded by q man from the nation,
whose name we could not learn. II
appears that four strangers were here
trading and before they started out for
home took in liberal supply Of fire.
water. The most boisterous one OF
the party was armed with a
Winchester rifle and as he rode up
North Travis street, fired In the air a
time or two. AS was his duty, Mr.
Melton started to the party to arrest
him, when the fellow pulled upon
him and fired two shots. One made a
slight flesh wound in the left hip, and
the other shot struck about halfway
between the left nipple and top of the
shoulder, passed through through the
upper lobe of the lung and out at the
lower edge of the shoulder blade, max
ing dangerous III not fatal
wound. At this the party
In the wagon, drove rapidly out in the
direction of Denison, and as soon as
possible 3 force of police and the
sheriff with his deputies went in pur-
suit.
Mr.. Melton was placed in n carriage
and taken to his room on the west side
of the square, where DR.. StinsOn was
Z summoned to attend him. His left
arm was paralyzed from the shot, and
he thought II was broken until the sur
geon and his friends assured him diff
ferently. He was fully conscious when
|
talked collectedly about the circum
stances OF the shooting. The wounds
bled freely, aatuTating his clothing
with blood, and he spit out consider.
able quantity that welled up into the
throat from the lacerated lung within
Our community is deeply indignant
at this vicious assault to murder one
of the best peace-oilicers in the city
and il will afford us satisfaction Il
learn that the red-handed rascal II
caught. Mr.. Melton has a widowed
mother 10 care for and has devoted his
earnings to this purpose and the edu
cation of young sister and brother.
Just at 4 o'clock the sheriff's posse
returned, bringing the dead bodies o.
the two men who did the shooting
and brought In the old man and boy
as prisoners. Joe Melton Is believed
to be dying. The city is full of excite.
ment, and but for the fact that our of
tleers are as determined In defending
the prisoners as they were IN arrestine
the offenders the excited pOpuiac'
might make short work OF the surviv
ors of the party.
to town with the parties who shot Pc
liceman Melton it was ascertained tina
the prisoners were DIR. Barnes iron
Henderf on's storein the Chickasaw ma
ton and his son William, about thirteen
years old, whom IL appears took az
part in the shooting, either IN the city
or at the place OF capture. When tn
posse approached them about thre'
miles from town, j. w. Atkins aud hi
son, ]. w Atkins, Jr., began to fire OF
the posse at several hundre'
> yards distant. The fire wa
returned, but without effect, un
iii three deputies by flank movement
headed them OIL at an angle ia tn
road. Here they stopped, made q bar
rIcade of the wagon, and fought ia
riously until both were killed. ID
Barnes, who was in the wagon will
Akins during the fight on the street
had taken his own team, with the DO,
willie and at the last battle WAS sep