Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-25
VERNON VENDETTA.
The Story as Told by Capt. schmitt
of Ranger Force.

W - MIA y AUS 4 EN4t NitiNA 80 AgEHys
TO the Editor OF The GAZETTE
In your daily issue Of the 18th,
statement ofthe Vernon trouble was
published by one ofyour specisl CORE
spondents and as great injustice was
done me by the statement claimed to
be given By Sheriff David, wish you
would allow me to correct II.
First, Sheriff Davis said he was
given capiases for the arrest OF Sheriff
Douglas Deputy Sheriff John David
sou and j i Wilson. This II false as
all capiases Issued were placed in my
hands 10 execute, and only one capias
was sent out for the arrest of Sheriff
Douglas. Sheriff Davis had no author.
lty whatever To arrest Davidson and
Wilson, and now he rays he arrested
them on telegram from United
States Marshal Mckee Davidson and
Wilson had been at Graham before
the | uited States court where David.
son stood indicted for cattle stealing.
Lieut. Grimes sent detachment To
Graham with capiases to arrest David
SOD aud Wilson, and at the same time
he sent telegram To Deputy United
States Marshal John CroZler to arrest
| said men. Deputy United States
Marshal CrOzer being ut Wichita
Falls, United States Marshal Mckee
received the telegram. He NJ once tele-
Rraphed MS follows: "Io j I'm Or 2ier,
Deputy United States marshal, mes
sage comes from Grimes o you to arrest
Jim Wilson aud John Davidson
They left to-day for Wichita Falls y
THIS message Sheriff Davis got hold
Of aud this ~ the only authority he
had TO arIes Davidson and Wilson
aud convey them TO Vernon. Nooth.
er sheriff would have undertaken
such an act, He had not lawful Gus.
tOdy of the prisoners. He got into
Vernon the next morning about 8
O'Clock; both Wilson and Davidson
went into town heavily armed, and
Davidson made the remark, that II
they had known that Billy Ney had
given things away they would
not have surrendered. | was informed
TO that effect, and intended to take
them before they could do any harm
demanded the prisoners from Sheriff
Davis. When he refu ed to give them
up did tell him that / would Take
them by force, wherupon Wilson
made a rush Tor u pistol Sheriff Davis
had in his coat pocket. Lieut..
Grimes drew down on him with his
gun Sheriff Davis finally got Ut easy
and said that when l came with the
proper authority he would turn the
prisoners over To me / put guard
around the door 40 as not to allow the
prisoners TO leave, and went into the
county judges office to get copies OF
the Capiases for Douglas, Davidson and
| William and MI han 4 ratNtrnnI
said writs produced them To Sheriff
Davis, W nereupon he left Immediately
The only words that passed was by
Wilson, who said: Are you going 10
turn us over ~ Davis replied, "Nts,n
and left the court house. Sheriff
Davis did not offer to fight us all
sinple.handed, nor did he say
that We were not strong enough 10
take the prisoners from him. There
was only one ranger present when /
demanded the prisoners. The special
sheriff, Jones, was appointed on my
request some hours afterwards, and
said Jones did not discharge the oh.
jectionable guard. On the cor trary,
he requested me not To discharge The
guard, and all the prisoners were left
under my charge until discharged by
the court and placed under bond.
Sheriff Davis would not nearly be a
match for me In a single. handed fight,
and u school-boy would laugh ut his
making the remark that | mad not
men enough to take the prisoners from
hun. II Sheriff Davis had refused to
surrender the prisoners after ! pro-
duced the writs for them, he wou d
have found himself badly left. He
knew that and left the courthouse
very quickly. / leave this matter "a
any one who knows the law TO decide
who was wrong, The guards were
badly lnsulted by the prisoners, but nc
one can say that any one OF the guard
ever insulted prisoner by sign, action
or word. One of the prisoners, who
now has so much TO say, committed 4
heastly act. His name and the facts
will be given II he does not behave.
GRo. III. SCHMITr.