The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-01-15
HOW | HAPPENED.
THAT AFFAIR AT MINERAL WELLS.
a Letter from Leading citizens, Expiana-
tory of the Causes which Led to tho
Excitement and the Shootiugs
During Holiday Week.

MINERAL WELLS, Dec. so, ISL
Editor HERALD Whereas, the special
from this place, of date of December 70,
published in the Gazette of the eth, I'M
der the head of "a Shooting Matinee"
grossly misroprosents the facts which
led to and circumstances connected
with the shooting of Prinkler Moore
and the young man by the name OF
Harris, by Deputy Marshal G. W..
Farris, December 25, and puts Mineral
Wells aud her officers and citizens IN
false light before the pubic, therefore,
we, the undersigned citizehs of Mineral
Wells, ask that you publish the follow
ing statement, in order that the great
wrong done this place and its people by
said false article, may DO righted:
On the 9Th of November lot OF
"cow-boys" came TO our little city, and
IL being understood that extra privi-
leges were to be granted on that day,
and most wilfully abused such privi-
leges, and when night came on they
grew so desperate Ms not only to veil
and shrek and swear and curse and
use obscene, vulgar and indecent Ian
guage, but shot their pistols on and
across the street and into houses, tore
down signs, broke windows, burst open
doors and broke into saloons that were
closed against them, our marshal being
powerless against such mob. Com
plants were afterw ards filed in the
MAYORS court and warrants issued for
the arrest of four of the par
ties, against whom it was thought
the proof WAS sufficient to
convict, The parties did not remain ia
and around town all this while" a.
stated in the spe,iaI, hut two of them
i. a. ? "a hA.t
understood that they would rcturn To
Jake ~ the town" about Christmas, j
was thought bss to defer the arrest Of
lhat.,p " no remained Till the others re-
turuGd, which WAS done. December %
three of hem came to town, and Mar
shall O'Neal went quietly 10 them and
told them he had wrilS for them anh
asked them 70 submit, hut they stub
bornly refused, when tho marshal sum-
moned Il sufficient number of citizens to
effect their arrest. This Sc med to en-
rage some of them very nlurh, and on
the morning of The 18th firearms were
hauled int. town and slowed away in
saloon, and serious threats were made
against the town and its officers. The
other party, for whose arrest a warrant
was issued, came in with several others,
and instead OF "giving up" as stated l.
the special, positively refused To sub
Farris, assisted by citizens summoned
as special police for g, took him and
started to the mayors Office, and on
passing the Buck Horn saloon the young
man Harris, who was the party ar
rested, tore loose and started INTO the
saloon, and when caught by the mar
shall made fight. At this moment sew
eral of his pals rushed out upon the Of
ticers as though they would devour
them instantly. The officers and posse
leveled their guns and pistols
and ordered them to stop,
which they did, all except
Prinkler Moore who made furious
rush at Deputy Marshal Farris, whom
he had just previously threatened to
kill. Farris presented his pistol, and
giving back, ordered Moore to stop, but
Moor, in & STOPPING position, as if trying
to run under the pistol, rushed madly
on, when Farris fired at very close range
mot over two or three feeDhitting Moore
III the neck and grazing Harris in the
side. AS soon as the excitement some
what subsidized Mr.. Farris surrendered
his pistol to Mayor Laverty and became
himself submissive prisoner. On the
day, complaint being filed be-
fore Justice Green, charging him with
assault with intent to murder. Farris
waived examination and gave bond for
his appearance before our next district
court, some twenty-five or thirty of our
best citizens going on his bond. We re-
greet the occurrence very much, but we
have been imposed upon too much al
ready, and the citizens and officers of
Mineral Wells are determined to stop it
and enforce law and order at all haz-