Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-31
MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE.
0. H, swink, Stranger IN this City,
Shoots Himself, wapders Away
Into the Darkness,
Falls Into the Railroad 0ompany's Pond
aud is Drowned "A Very Sin
gular Affair.

I
fore daylight shooting occurred in
the east waiting.room Of the Union
depot in this city In which two men
were wounded and the full particulars
OF which have appeared in THE GA
zETrE.
The man who was arrested at the
time and subsequently turned loosa
seems now 10 have been the party
who accompanied Swink 10 this city,
aud II any robbery OF the person OF
Swink was attempted, he Is, in the
opinion OF the officers, the guilty one.
Immediately after the shooting OF.
flcer Riggles appeared upon the scene
and promptly arrested the young man
above described lie at the same time
saw man hurrying down the Mis-
souri, Pacific track, which runs just
alongside high fence, inclosing the
immense ponder tank THE compSny.
The officer having no assistance and
being unable TO manage the two men,
telephoned to headquarters for help,
which promptly arrived in the persons
of Officers Fulford and Rushing, who
gave chase 10 the party seen going
down the track whom they never over.
took.
About Z o'clock yesterday morning
tralnmen noticed man's nat floating
in the pond and shortly thereafter
the body OF n man was discovered ly-
ing on his face, his head slightly pro-
truding above the surface OF the water,
and at q point almost directly opposite
70 where the man was last seen run
ming down the track on the morning
of the shooting. Sheriff Maddox was
telephoned for and arrived promptly
upon the scene, accompanied by n
deputy.
A boat was procured and the body
found, bRuled on board and carried to
the platform OF the depot. when, upon
the arrival Of Esquire Nance, 3 jury
WAS impaneled and tho body viewed.
The jury then adjourned 10 the jus.
tiCe's office, where the examination OF
witnesses was proceeded to. Officer
A. II. Rlggles was the ouly witness
examined who knew much about the
affair. He testified In substance as
follows:
saw the deceased for the frat time
on the night of May ~ about Il O'Clock
when he, In company with n much
smaller, lighter man, crossed the
platform and entered the east waiting
room of the Union depot. followed
them In and asked IL they had Tickets;
that unless they had they could not
remain over night In the rbom, They
said they had and were
20 take the o'clock train
for the South. ! told them there was
no train until daylight, but they In
sisted that they knew better, and the
smaller one said thst he had never
stolen anything and did not propoee tr
he treated so, etc. Deceased produced
many timetables and maps 90 prove
that he was right rs TO the hour Of thu
trRin'R departure; said that he had
travelled all the way from pennsyl
vanla via ST, Louie aud had invariably
made connection, etc. j exam
ined their tickets and left tbs
room, going into the baggage room
and 1t was not thirty minutes
until heard shooting aud rushed IN
to nud everyone panlc.stricken and
two wounded men.
A boy, who works around tho depot
said that he had come down from thu
stock pens 10 get some Mexicans tina
wanted to 60 to work at loading cattle
aud that Just ~ he passed the waiting
room window. he Jaw the large mar
shooting and fiourishing his revolver
but he ran away for fear OF being shot
From all the testimony adduced I
seems that whilst everyone in thu
waiting-room was either sound asleel
or DOING, this large man commenced
shooting IA he sat In his scat and con
tinusd 10 shoot AS he came to a stand
ing position, and that no word wa
spoken or noise made by anyone prio
to the shooting, and, nom the lac
that one party was very close 70 hln
and that his rear pocket was eithe
= cut or torn out, IL IL presumed ina
, some one attempted TO rob him, an'
that waking he clutched his double
action revolver, and, In drawing II
shot hlmself, as some OF the psrlle
nreaant ata,ed at the time that the,
thonght his first shot took effect Ia hi
left side. "a the weapon was In that 20
alton when they first saw It after tn
report. !,
have run down the track and To hsv
iumped the fence into the pond an'
= In swimmiEg water, not knowing tina
the water was there.
II a said that he hsd horror o
Texans, and was very much scAre'
I alter entering the state, and was eve
OF the opinion that some one wante'
10 rob him.
Upon hls person was found a mum
Der OF letters, papers. etc, besides
silver watch aud S5l 30 la money. III
seems to have been very mex
perienced 10 travelling, AS is evidence
by letter. on HIS person IRON
his brother, II, II Swlnk, a very well
to.do citizen OF Temple. In thi
\ lengthy letter he IL given the mos
minute Instructions as TO what 70 o.
and how to act on his trip out here
Ne was evidently mechanic, for bi
brother advises him To bring mis- tool
j, with him, The railroad ticket fonn'
4 upon his person has been identified 2
he officer who examined Il the nigh
I. he tlrst saw him 10 the depot, iron
|, the fact on Sc hearing an endorsement
2 nfthe conductor upon its back to tn