Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-19
vIcILxxrs AND RANCHES.
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fhrmssIses.

ThrmssIves-
A special from vernon, Wilbmger
county, Texas, says; There isa terrible
state OF Affairs existing between The
officers and citizens Of this county over
the killing Of three citizens hess since
the LIST Of January, two Of whom-W.
z. Morrison and Hills Jsnes--were
assassinated, and Hick Garrison was
killed by John Davidson while IN o
difficulty. Immediately after the Kill
ing Of Morrison the following notice
was posted mp in the courthouse:
"No one wanted to investigate this
case. The man who does will 60, too !;
no law wanted in this case.
CITIZEN"
Since that time the Rangers and other
parties have been working on the case
and endeavoring to find out who did the
killing. After obtaining what informa-
ton they could get. Captain Schmitt, Of
the State Ranger force, and a prominent
citizen, called on Governor Ireland at
Austin and informed him of what had
been done. Captain Schmitt says the
Governor ordered him here with his
company of Rangers to enforce the law.
The result was twenty-three citizens
are now under arrest. Five or
six of the number are charged
with the killing of Morrison and the
remainder as being accomplices TO the
murder. The examining trial will be-
gin Monday before Judge Williams.
Your correspondent cannot learn what
the defendants expect to show on the
trial. All of them claim not to be UNI
easy as to the final result. Captain
Schmitt says the State expects to prove
that there was regular organization
formed by the defendants for the pur-
pose of killing certain parties.
THE MURDERERs' OATH.
He furnished your correspondent
with the following, saying they were
exact copies of the originals furnished
him BY one of the witnesses who has
turned States evidence and claims TO
have belonged to the organization {:
OATH.-We, the members Of this
committee, bind ourselves to kill all
bad men whose names may be given by
any of our members, without some
cause can be given, and then it shall be
left to the majority, We furthermore
pledge ourselves to assist any of our
brother members in all undertakings
and regardless of the case, even TO the
extent of our lives, and if any one of
the members give any of our trans
actions away by sign or action we bind
ourselves to take his life
dead LIsT.-C. NJ. Ryan, George
Mills, DR.. johnson, Judge Doan, Tom
Clay, r. C. Spencer, II. S. Hayes, Bob
Sanmen. Hills Jones. killed; Ray Nor
rison, killed; Hick Garrison, killed"
All of the parties whose names ap-
pear to the oath have been arrested ex-
cept one. The Vernon Guard came out
Saturday denomcing in strong terms
the Rangers and accusing them Of being
the tool in the hands of the toughest
and most disreputable class to crush
good citizens and the civil authorities in
their efforts to rid the country of cow
thieves, hOrse-thieves, incendiaries, &c.
W. ii. Ney, detective, came here
about the time of the killing of Morri-
son. He joined the citizens organiza-
ton and took the oath, when he OBJ
tanned all the documents and the names
Of all the parties connected with this
'o-called law-and-order party. The
terrible ARRAY all grew out of cattle
stealing in which there were two fac
ions, the officers of the county being
1t the head Of one and the victims
being the leaders Of the other.