The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-09-08
OASTROVILLB TRAGEDY.
Application for Writ of Habeas
Corpus by Anton Beetz.
Verbatim Report ofthe Evidence Adduecd
This Morning Startling State
ment by Witness.

hear the evidence Of witnesses examined
on the application Of Anton Beetz for
writ Of habcas corpus.
The first examined was William Guth-
rie. who testified as follows: If live In
San Antonio. on Avenue -. On August
- / was in Castroville. I knew the
deceased. Nigel. saw him on August
%, in the next house to where ! was
boarding. knew +. Thumm; to see
him, not personally. knew Anton
Beetz, to see him, also. saw Thumm
and Beciz on August %. right opposite
where WIS sitting. saw these par
ties together at the time Of the shooting
that night. but could not exactly state
the time. 1t was way after supper; long
after sundowu. was boarding at Mrs.
Dcnnirg'- house; about u feet from the
saloon. was sitting ON the gallery
when ...W them together, the sleeping
pnrt Of the house. Nlggli was sitting
right In the shade Of the door just where
the light was shining right on to h i'm in
Wernettc's bnr-roOm, he was smoking q
cigar. There are two doors In front Of
MCrncttc's bur-rOOin, and he was sitting
in the one nearest to me, 1t was about 20
or ~ feet from where ! was sitting. 1t
was situated In the Main street, right In
front of the courthouse. Witness was
mt this point shown diagram). lie was
facing the door sitting with his face to-
wards the door looking right into the sa-
loon, his back was this way, (llustra-
ting) to the street and his legs spread
apart. There were three or four men
sitting right along, but none between
him and me. | did not see who these
men we're. When | first saw the nppli-
cant with Thumm they were just ut the
corner going past the Denning house
where we were at They were In
the middle OF the street. Ihumm
was the farthest from me. They walked
right along past in front of me, and after
they got past the shine OF the light at
the door they stopped. | heard no CON
vcrsation between them. The Sheriff
passed Beetz here almost four or five
steps and he fired right In but could
not say whether he went in front of
Beetz or the back Of him, 1t was done so
quick, but he had to pass BeetZ; when
he got past the shine of the lamp he
made n shot right across about five steps
toward where Niggli was sitting; he
made lust quick shot. lie had pistol
in his hand coming, ana when he got
there he fired. When the Sheriff was at
his (Nigglis) back and made n scuille
with his feet the other men rose and that
was the first he noticed there was any
thing wrong and just turned round and
was shot through the shoulder and into
his neck. lie fell on his right shoulder
and turned right on his back; his head
was living about two feet from the door;
the other parties rose; | heard Thumm
say "Iou have got it now but can
NOT recall the words. | did not hear
him say anything before he was shot; 1t
was done very quickly. Beetz cleared
ns soon MS Thumm got past him. Thumm
had about live steps to make, and after
rhumm had shot Niggli he turned and
looked at him aud looked round Tor his
friend Beetz went right ahead MS far
us ! could see, but my attention was
drawn to this. lie Just walked away us
soon rs the Sheriff passed him. After
rhumm fired he put his pistol back, that
was the last saw of him, he went the
same way going ahead. | did not see
them very far. did not see them past
the second door. | came back into the
house where some of them were asleep
and told them what had happened and
came right ont on the gallery again.
Nigel was lying there all by himself.
| saw he was on lire right round where
he was shot. | went to put 1t out and
| somebody came out OF the saloon before
me and some men came and told me
| should not Interfere; cannot say
whether they came down the street or
where saw them first pass the corner.
| did not see anyone with them; | was
with Niggli considerably that night at
| ter he was shot; lie did not change his
! position in any way, he seemed IA If he
was doing or asleep.
Cruss-cXamined: | had been on that
! gallery about 10 or 10 minutes and had
! been sitting In the same place; | was
| sitting on the corner facing TO the north;
| / first saw applicant right at the Deming
| house, II little below the corner, towards
me. had seen Thumm lefore that night
about half an hour; lie was going home
with Niggl; | saw BeetZ ABOUT three
quarters OF an hour before, he was stand
ing opposite me ut the first door from
the west going into the bar-rOom; Mig
gil went home with Thumm and some
other fellow, a tall man; no word waS
spoken between BeetZ and Thumm, ai
they came up. They were both together
ont In the street about 20 feet from me
There were no people out in the street
except those sitting right along with
Niggli. There were no persons In tn,
street in front of me. Thumm left
BeetZ four or five yards when he wen
to Nigel and BeetZ cleared OIL. | die
not see him after he had passed the cor
ner of Wernett's saloon. BeetZ scarcely
turned round to look; there was gen
eral sCampering OF people Just a littl,
before the shot was fired, the other
cleared away. | WAS all right, | sa
right still. The. light was shining RICH
on Niggli; he was sitting on the outsd,
of the door about five feet and ther,
were other persons sitting towards tn,
other door. There was no one between
him and me. did not see Beetz max
any demonstration; he did not say any
thing. | don't think he had anything Il
his hand. There had been pre-
vious difficulty right in the saloo
BeetZ was there. There were dileren
persons talking, but could not sa
whether Beetz talked. lie did not d
any thing. Thumm and some one,
policeman, think, went oil together.
p Joseph Wernette testified: | live 1
Castroville. On the night of August q
| was in my fathers saloon. | kne'
Niggli. lie is dead. | saw him on tn
, night of August %. | saw him at on
} saloon. / know Thumm. i know Anto
= BeetZ. lie is In the court room. | sa,
rhumm and Beetz that night. did NJ
see Beetz and Thumm together. Nigg
Y was shot that night. heard thu
: Thumm shot him. | saw him after b
= was shot. He was right in front of ii
n saloon, lying down. | heard the shot.
|. reckon 1t was about second, or tw
seconds, after saw him heal
the shot. lie was wounded
the arm, teeth, left arm al
: in the shoulder. That was abo,
= 10 or II o'clock. | did not see Bee
after the shooting. | saw him befo