Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-19
an ACQUITTAL.
.,s,llp, After BeiDe in jail
y s ssls Months, is Given His
,rtedom BY a Jury
Tho orinis charged Against
inlsi'n =. =, which WATSON was
~" mug ~ JAiy Last

|oET ~ s,.tes VS.. John McLaugh-
" w., Win murder, was taken up
fnps, ,et and the taking OF evil
hs w .s,,ments 10 the case occu-
Z !. ~ oonrt until Monday night last,
" = I'M. s 10 the jury. They remained
X y nil this evening, when a YER
lsa " ~, sulI,y was returned tonight.
y ~ ~ man, after spending fifteen
So An The verdict was evil
NV IN y approved by the court, for
lig w gov Ben Burncy, uncle OF
~ a,snaant. gave vent to
oe S'ngs on the verdict
lsds9ed he was promptly fined
4, contempt, as was also a lurymsn,
~ .s,s sS nm bis hat. The fine OF the
o.AI Howeyer, mas been RENTED, The
|ei, aV .",tracted general attention, and
( nAs . as topic OF conversation TO-
y ia opinion being that WATSON
NY ~, have been hung until after
ny ~ was disp Of, as evidence
him was about the same as
ls,s Mclaughlin.
VIZ Tnr MLAUGHLIN CASE.
,,.rnmstsnces OF the case as pre-
\ VI NJ the numerous Witnesses con-
~,ny instances OF romantic, as
r,lmnal nature, and written in
~onld make an interesting volume
.,."tsddlng one word OF fiction, The
,.s,rt Il a handsome young fellow,
A ~ evidently f4vorite among the
4 a Nc sectlon-several of whom
AVA AZ WITNESSES In the case, either
\ !, against him. The following Is a
synopsis Of the case!
November 1881, young man
IA Henry Martin, living at the home
vdow lady named Brooks, who Is a
M McLau ghliu, was foully muir
N near the house, as he
,.tutning late in the evening on
,,s,ek irom neighboring house,
/. N had beeh to get his washing.
lots that killed him were plainly
M The house, and when the horse
4, |, Sss riding came trotting up few
r,op later minus its rider, parties
,,nsee what had become of Martin,
ssusd bin dead in the road, his body
I,l5rs,sa BY many bullets. just before
sbooiifswas heard james WATSON and
N.Isughlin had been at Mrs Brooks
& ,tlrg for Martin, quite drunk and
Is n ri nmei. When told that Martin
y h, At home they mounted their
Nd sad started off, apparently to
|kiNhim. This circumstance caused
syron TO be directed to them
a he murderers, but why they
tnnIlied TIE crime was not known, un-
snwAs because hey were rendered
qsnle by bad whisky. They were
lrested, however, and soon left the
o|airy, goug out among the cowboys in
TEXAS Panhandle, where they re-
ned about two years, coming back to
scene of the murder some time in
h Here they remained unmolested,
outstanding writs had been issued
aeir arrest, and might have stlll been
&glng their freedom, had IL not been
d N unfortunate occur ence July 2S,
and with which Mclaughlin had
Lug to do, but which had much to do
bin, as the sequel will show. On
he mentioned James WATSON and
OF men led by wealthy
nan named Almiriue WATKINS
ID some thieves, and after over ak
I'm and recovering the stock, Wat
Nd WATSON fell out about the dispo-
Of the thieves when the former
Aoi and Killed by WATSON, who i'm
aNly dod Mrs Watkins, who had
Ausly been friend Of WATSON and
hAllye Of Mclaughlin, at once pro-
ga That she would give $4,000 reward
JASON, dead or alive. This started
eol men in pursuit, but the outlaw
ai ktpt them at a safe distance
ne chase was utterly abandoned.
zoe widow placed $1,000 cash in the
" Denlson as standing reward
ne slayer OF her husband, and on
saoel J, 1884, ne was captured near
fA0gse BY 8 pa ty Of men who, by STRAIT
sot the drop on him. He was
KY mere and plpced in jail, ana on
OIL July, 1885, was pronounced
dtle murder OF Henry Martin, rem
ssIisl In the Watkins case unnec-
\ Vp to the time OF Wasson's trial
A'galln remained in the background,
aef zeal to convict Wae-un, Mrs.
MY brought him prominently
e 'front.' though he was at
Sle had assisted the govern
nNerlslly In gathering up all
'usuce TO be had against WATSON
wv money freely to convict him on
Aisvn case, 1t being understood that
ns'knS case We might come clear
III ggupd OF seli-deteuse, as both of
Y" some lively shooting and
proved to be the best
h aae employed the best OF
Asot to prosecute, and tits
KEY $1,000 in bringing WATSON to
W. " suu succeeded, as she has the sat
1 y kaowlng he was hanged on
%mst' Soon after Wasson's con-
mclaughlin was arrested at Deni-
NJ, ~ ana was placed upon trial the
"ae ~ April last. The same wit
IN testified against WATSON, some
sA.l ere relatives Of Mclaughlin,
,,siuelantlY compelled to become
s ~ against him, their evidence be-
!, ~ damaging TO the defense as 1t
los rs Asson case, as it placed them
y. ss \, al the way through in the
Martin, the principal witness
s ,staer OF Mrs, Watkins, who tes-
~ A tney both came to his house
s',. we killing Ihe only lived a
NINA e .a,s rom the scene), and Nc
INV s5. 'old him they had killed Martin.
a,,ss ,Ssuing the same evidence was
&rp, Ae Jury failsd TO agree and the
~, 10, sss femanded to prison to await
n wS wa, and on April 2s babe his
d ~ s, %, farewell, saw him led
\. s.., gallows, and heard the sound
,s,.l.a'irap as Wasson was launched
sl5ss ,1 lor the same crime he was