The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-09-09
jim ANDPIEK LEE KILLED
THE CORPSES AT GAINESVILLE.
A Desperate Fight With Detectives Who
Came on Them Cnawares Near Del
aware Bend-saore Prohibition
Defeats and Victories.
Other State Specials.
Gainesville.

To-day has been the most exciting one
ever Witnessed In Gainesville. From
early morn till late to.nighs thero ha.
been but one subject of conversation,
that of the killing OF the Lee boys, the
notorious outlaws. This morning,
about Q o'clock, a wagon containing
Heck Thomas, general manager Of the
Fort Worth detective association; jim
Taylor, OF Dexter, Cooke county,
Jim Shattel, of Cooke county, and
the lifelsss bodies OF two men, stopped
on the public square. A crowd s0oa
gathered around She wagon, aud in it,
lying side by side, and
COLD IN DEATH,
wore Jim aud Fink Lee, the outlaws
who had 50 long bssn terror TO the
people Of Delaware Bend and vicinity.
The vehicle containing the dead men
was drawn 10 the jail, where
they were taken out and carried inside.
The news spread ike wild fire, and a
large crowd soon gathered in front of
the jail.
CoRoNEE's INQUEST.
Inc coroner was summoned, q jury
empaneled and the following pro.
ceedings had:
Heck Thomas being sworn testified
as follows: l live at Fort Worth,
Texas; about 10 o'clock yesterday
morning l was informed by John
Strother that the Lse boys were near
his house, and he thought they had cut
his pasture fence; tried to find the
Lee boys then, but failed; between IL
and O'Clock, while at dinner, run
ner came and told me that the Ice
boys were rldln; through Strother
Browns pasture; Jim Taylor and Jim
Shattels commenced looking for them
at once; about or $50 o'clock we saw
them half mile off; they were off
their horses and on the ground, and
we could tell what they were doing:
we hurried in that direction, but we
couldn't see them; after we
had got over the hill aud
when we struck tho lane
between Strother Browns and John
WashiDgtOn's pastures we saw they
had cut Strother Browns pasture
fence, and were cutting John Wash
ingtOn's pasture fence across the lane;
We had spy glass; We got as close to
them as pOssible-aDout 40 or 45 yards
away-and ordered them to surrend ar.
They dropped their nippsrs and fired
at us and missed us; as Pink tried an.
other shell on his gun no was killed
We all then were shooting at them
and could not toll which killed
him; about q second or two later Jim
was shot by one Of us and about lG
shots were fred; Wa kept shooting till
Jim quit; don't know how many shots
struck the Lee boys; no one did any
shooting at tho Lse boys except jim
Taylor, Jim shattels and myself; Jsck
Brown saw part Of the shooting, but
he didn't do any Of it.
(Signed) HECK THOMAS.
IDENTIFIED.
witness was theD sworn who iden
titled the dead bodies as those of jim
and Pink Lee.
After the conclusion of tho testi
mony tho jury retired and returned
the following
VERDICT:
We, the jury, empaneled and sworr
to inquire into the cause and manner
and time of tho death of jim and Pinl
Lee, find that they came to thei
deaths on September 7, 1885, from gun
shot wounds inflicted by Heel
Thomas, Jim Taylor and Jim Shattel
j. II. HARRIS, Foreman.
By the timo the investigation wa
over the crowd outside had increase,
to several hundred, and, becoming i'm
patient, had managed to get in at tn
doors and windows until the room
was filed. Tho bodies OF the dea
men, which were covered with blood
were washed and ordered carried t
the court house, whore
HUNDREDS CALLED DURING THE pA
to take look At the lifeless forms {
tho men who had terrorized q Who'll
community. and bid defiance to th
law and itg officers.
An examination Of the bodies she we
that Pink Lee had but one wound. tn
ball went In at the right eide of tn
neck, ranged upward and came OF
behind the left ear. Jim Lee was she
tvicc--opco under tho chin, the bp
coming out Ia tho back OF his noel
Tho lower part of trio right cor vs.
shot Off.
DESCRIPTIVE.
The men were very much alike
apprenticeship little tho tale
Pink Loo had sandy whiskors, ligh
hair, weighed about 1876 pounds, wa
about 8 feet o inches high, an
was Is years old. Jim Leo had sand
whiskers, light hair, was about 10,
6inohos, weighed about 100 pound
and was about 80 years old. The fac,
OF both would Indicate they wol
mean, desperate men.
AN ACCOUNT or THE FIGHT.
MIR. Heck Thomas gives tho follow
ing accoup. Of the fight: ~ have Doe
after tho Lee boys since June 10. Jill
Taylor has BEEN out since about May
We would have trken them sooner, b,
tho country through which they wei
accustomed to ruu ia full Of thiove
and lAwless characters, and beside
they had friends on the outside VIII
kept them posted ~ 10 our movement
Al times we were Ia close places IN