Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-24
VERNON.
A Real Northern Winter-A Mid
night Blaze Details of the Last
Assassination.

Assassination.
Correspondence OF the Gazette.
VERNON TEXAS, Jan. 90-The
weather is still very cold. We are hav-
ing real Northern winter. Stock is
suffering fearfnlly.
AOout II o'clock, few nights ago,
the roof of the house owned by Mrs
Robert Farmer, and occupied by MIR.
DeIthmdge, was discovered on fire
The family at the time we're all asleep.
The cry of fire was raised and people
rushed to the burning building. Men
were on the roof quenching the thirst
of the flames with buckets of water.
About one-third of the roof was burn
ed and considerable of the household
effects were damaged by fire and
water
1t becomes rplinful duty to record
another cold-blooded murder in our
little city. About O'Clock last We'd
nesday evening two men rode up to
Byars & MOrIison's livery stable and
called w. II. Harrison, one of the pro.
prietoTs. He TOOK a lantern and went
out to see what was wanted. When
he reached the stable door the parties
opened fire upon him and he fell
pierced by three balls. The fatal shot
entered his head over one ear and
passed en- irely through. coming out
over the other ear. He lived about one
hour, but never spoke. lhe parties
who did the shooting rode rapidly
away, and in nassing Souls IL HOI.
mans livery stable were commanded
to halt by the hostler they answered
by q volley of three shots. rhe ho,tler
returned the fire, but, his pistol not
working we'll, he only fired one shot.
The killing caused great excitement, for
Morris on was sober and Industrious
young man, and generally we'll liked.
He was one of the seven parties VINO
were arrested, charged with the burn
ing of p. Wilson's livery stable, hut
he was discarged because Justice Rid
| die thought the evidence was not
| sufficient TO hold him to bail. His sad
| demise casts a gloom over all our peo-
| Pile. They cannot conjecture who the
| guilty parties are. While Mo rrison
was generally well beloved, yet indict-
ments were pending against him for
cattle stealing. Whether guilty or
not, his taking Off is a calamity to our
! town and county. We cannot refrain
from saying here, that had the law
been more strictly enforced, and the
| jurymen had been more firm
when sitting in judgment, probably
this killing might not have
occurred Sheriff Douglas has done
all an officer could do to ferret out the
| guilty parties, but snow falling that
night he was unable 10 track the par
ties.
The party who got out the Vernon
Guard last week while B. Wilson
Bdgell, the editor, was away, aroused
the town by publishing Edgell's mar
riage at Wichita Falls. Edgell re-
turned Sunday, but not a married
man.
The railroad Is coming without fail.
Soon Vernon, the pride of the prairies
will be alive and u regular boom will
he upon us. Many people are here
every day buying Town and country
property. Wllbarger county is set
ling faster than any other county in
Northwest Texas. Her good and
cheap lands are being rapidly sought
by home-seekers
Last Sunday night Gen. Dodge, Col
Frost, r e Montgomery and othel
railroad magnates were in town, and s
social meeting of our citizens and rail
road men was held at the Guard Office
Our county judge was up in Harde
man county last week, qualifying tn,
county officers.