Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1886-11-25
JOHN TRAYLoR KILLED.
Harry Hancock kills him with a
Load of BuckShOt.

n Whlch resulted IN Inc ueath OF
/ John A. Traylor. Some three
: months ago TrayIor and two or
o three others opened gambling
!, house IN this city and which they
n ran with varying luck until this
tragedy put an end to it. On Mon
}: day night after 10 o'clock Traylor
visited the rooms occupied by
; LauraIne and Hancock and shot at
t Il lamp, having previously upset
. tables, etc, the shot took effect in
the window casing. Traylor then
! retired and later IN the night at
tempted to return to the rooms,
but was prevented by the night
policemen. On Tuesday Traylor
circulated about town generally
saying he intended to cowhidc
Hancock and make him leave town
He went so far as to buy 4 COW.
hide and carry it on the streets
with him repeating his threats.
Tuesday night one of the men who
had been keeping company with
Traylor sent friend up to Han
cocks rooms and made arrange
ments TO go up and settle differen-
ces. The man went up and made
peace, but in less than twenty min
utes after he was down on the
streets, he began removing the
threats. Hancock, who has lived
here tor the last fifteen years, is
peaceably disposed and during his
entire residence here has mover
been engaged in any rows
or broIIs, in. order TO
avoid any trouble, which |
would have been inevitable had he |
went down on the street, remained |
in his room Monday night, all day |
Tuesday and Tuesday night and
on Wednesday morning. Tuesday
afternoon Traylor openly made
threats on the street and in saloons
that he would cowhide both Han
cock and Lauraine and that he
would make Hancock leave town
or he would kill him. These
threats were of course conveyed
TO Hancock. Wednesday morning
the threats were again repeated
and on several occasions TrayIor
was seen walk up and down the
street opposite Hancock's rooms.
About l0:15 O'Clock in the morning
Traylor and one of his men were
walking diagonally across the
street from Kiber's corner and
when about midway of the street
on the railway track Hancock fired
on Traylor from the second story
window with shotgun loaded with
twelve large buckshot, every one
of which took effect in Traylor's
breast, the man who was with him,
John Ray, at once left him to his
fate. He staggered for n few sec
onds but did not fall, and Hancock, ;
knowing 1T was life or death case
wanted to make sure of him, was
IN the act of firing the second shot
but seeing him fall lowered his gun :
and let the second shot take effect
in the ground before Tray!or, who
by this time had fallen. A crowd
gathered as if by magic; the only
words Traylor uttered were, "Pm
gone" and so he was. HIS dead
body WAS picked up and carried
into the courthouse where 1t was
prepared Tor burial. Hancock at
once hailed deputy sheriff Lang
hammer and surrendered to him.
Justice Hackworth had Il jury sum-
moned who at once viewed the d,
body. The inquest was held IN the
afternoon and number of witness
es were examined their testimony ,
was substantially as detailed in the
above. They returned a verdict
that the deceased came TO his death
from gunshot wounds inflicted by
q gun in the hands of Harry Han
cock. The justice fixed the bond
of Hancock at the sum of $1,000
which was Immediately given. E.
G.. Abbott, A. Lauraine and J. q.
Holt being the sureties. Had the
bond been fixed at S150,000 it
would have been made as easily.
TraYlor had been for many years
a sporting man and was generally
regarded as dangerous, especially
when drinking, but on Wednesday
when killed he was sober ; when
picked up a large 4a-calibre re-
Volver was found on his person.
Traylor, of course had some friends
but the general drift of public
opinion justifes Hancock in his
course. On the 30th of Decem Der
last Traylor shot and killed Bill {
Allen with shotgun loaded with
buckshot, firing on him from the
opposite Of the street as he, Allen,
was walking along. The killing
of Allen grew out of sporting mat
tiers. Traylpr was about 80 or 80
years OF age and was raised at
ChappeIl Hill, where he leaves a
wife and one child. His wife is a
most estimable lady and is highly
respected by her neighbors and
much sympathy is expressed for
her in her sad af1iction. Tray
Ior's body was taken to ChappeIl