The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-04
THE CRIMINAL CALENDAR.
The Crooks Habeas Corpus Case Under
Full Sail at Sherman.
Synopsis. of the Testimony Press
Measurably Mazzled.
The Lawyers Tangliug Things Up Into
"Pretty Case."
Ed. Bran Again On Trial for His Life
mt Marshall.
The TIL of New York Bank Tapped BY
the Teller-Two More Killings In
Southwest Texas Banker
Ward Indicted.
Ed. Bran Again On Trial for His Life
at Marshall.
THE DAYS RECORD OF CRIMES.


The Crooks Habeas Corpus Trial.
SHERMAN, June 3.-[Special. THE
testimony elected yesterday evening in
the habeas corpus trial of Mack Crook,
charged as an accomplico to the mnrder
of Sheritf.elect Black, of Lamar iouuty,
was OF desultory nature and amounted
to nothing. On assembling of court this
morning, the state began the introduc-
ton OF evidence. On question OF nd
mitting evidence against Harris, who
was not on trial, Wright, OF Dallas,
stated as one ground of objection that
the papers would publish It, and
that while IL might not
affect the court to hear 1t, it would have
a tendency to prejudice the public mind
and difficulties be encountered in oh.
tanning jury on tho final trial. The
court then gave orders to ali CORE
spondents TO not publish the testimony,
On adjournment of court Tor dinner the
HERALD correspondent saw the Judge
and the order was so far modified as to
be TO not publish the testimony Of tie
witnesses, as given by them, but that
summary OF the evidence would not be
Objectionable
The case as made ont SO far is that
Sheriff Black, at his home Mt
Blossom Prairie, was killed on Su nday
evening, November 6, in 1884. Mack
Crooks had been sheriff previously and
was defeated by Black. Newt Harris.
who is also charged with Crooks as an
accomplice to the killing, was deputy
under Brooks ana acted as TAILOR.
Crooks lett Paris and went to Hot
Springs, Arkansas, on the morning of
November IL, 1884, and while there re-
| ceived telegram from his brother TO
the effect that Black was killed and for
him TO come home. On reaching Par;s
1t IL testified by party who was
afterwards arrested as an accessory, and
who had nolle pros entered in his case,
and made written agreement with the
county attorney TO testify on behalf of
the state in consequence of having his
cause dismissed and he not prosecuted,
that he met Crooks and informed him
that Middleton had told him that he
had killed Black, and had left the gun
he killed him with hung up In tree;
that Crooks seemed surprised at his
knowing anything about it, and said
that they must make out they were
h'nting for the murderer, and
also asked him II Middleton had
gone back and got the gun, and that the
witness informed him that Harris had
told Middleton to so back and get 1t,
and that Middleton said he did not be-
lleve he could find 1t again.
Jack Duncan, a detective, now figures
In the case as having written a
letter to Paris from Caddo and
from Kansas, signed with name
that Middleton went by and that
on recelDt OF these letters Crooks and
Harris sent Lewis Holman to Kansas to
either kill Middleton, give him money
! 20 go to Mexico, or decoy him 10 where
they could kill him, and they both gave
him Sll0 TO go on. This evidence is all
! from the accessory, and outside of IL
there II so far no evidence that in any
manner duplicates Crooks, unless II DO
the evidence Of one witness, who SAYS
he saw him get gun out OF Shilling's
saloon on the evening Of November IL,
The gun he saw him take, II he did see
MIN take one, is shown must have been
tho gun of Capt. o. II. Parish, A gun
was found on March %, 1885, some four
months after the killing, near the scene
OF the killing that is Identified as the
gun o. +. Parish and that was in the
saloon on the evening of November IL.
lt Is also In testimony that the gun Of O.
+, Parish was IN the saloon and seen
by Parish on the evening Of November
10 and on the morning Of November IA.
The argument was opened by Mr..
| Wright,.oi Dallas, who stated the full
defense; and that the only evidence in
any manner inoulpated the defendant
was thai of one who was admitted 10 be
an accomplice and of another whom he
claimed was an accessory.
He WAS followed by Mr.. Ho ges, OF
Paris, for the state. Mr., Hodges did not
conclude this evening.
Mr.. Lightfoot. ffor tho defense. will
! follow him, and Mr.. WoolridRe, of Paris,
| will conclude for the state and Mr..
Judge will conclude for the defense.
The case Is what the lawyers would
| term "s pretty case," involving as II
does, such tangled variety of facts that
require skill to unravel aud weave into
theories, and are apparently as capable
of being woven one way as another.