Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-26
THAT BASE LIBEL.
COMPTROLLER Swain and His Friends
Determined 10 Unearth the
Sender OF the Telegram.
strong Amdavits from Persons I'm Position
to Know All About the
PhH,ips murder.
speelAl % the Gazette.

PhNtipS murder.
Special 10 the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. 25.--Thc matter Of
the telegram apparently sent out from
Austin and first noticed Ia the Denison
News, which was mentioned In these dis
patches last night, created a profound
sensation and utter astonlshment and in
dlgnation in this city to-day. AS already
stated the telegram purported TO quote u
statement in the Texas Figaro, San An
tonic society paper, 70 the effect that
high state official and head OF depart
ment and prominent candidate for gov
ernor, had been the paramour Of the late
( Mrs Eula Phillips, and rode In carriage
with her on the night OF her murder, and
\ that said Official was cognizant Of all the
! horrible details OF that awful murder on
Christmas eve night. OF course the in
| ference was that none other than the Hon.
/ william J Swain, state comptroller,
was meant, and the indignant friends
of that gentleman to-day prosecuted
thorough investigation and search for
the sender of the dispatch. 10 was as
certaned that no such telegram was sent
from the Western Union office, and evil
dence went TO show that IL went from
San Antonio. The United Press seems TO
have distributed II TO Northern papers,
no names, however, having been called
During the day Col SWANS friends
called on Hon. T.. Taylor Moore, the at
torncy employed by the citizens commit
toe to prosecute the servant-girl murder
cases, and obtained Mr.. Moore's affidavit
that Col. SWANS name had never been
mentioned or ever thought of throughout
the investigation of the Eula Phillips
murder. The affidavit of Detective
Bales, who worked up the Phillips case,
Was also had, both of which are below
appended. In addition to these aflldayits,
10 is true that In all the sensational
rumors connected with the dread
fu Hancock and Phillips murders last
Christmas, nobody in Austin or out OF 1t
ever heard the name OF Col. Swain
breathed, and this in the face OF the fact
that other prominent citizens OF Austin
were in popular rumor directly men
toned as connected with the unfortunate
aud murdered woman. One OF these citi-
zens, man of some distinction, Is said
and positively asserted, to have ridden In
the hack with Mrs Phillips from the as
slgnation.house, at the foot OF the ave-
nue., back to her husbands residence, 1T
being the woman's last fatal ride on the
night of the murder. During all this
time, and when the names of Young and
middle.aged men were banded about the
streets OF Austin the name of Col. Swan
was never heard OF In this connection
till the Infamous and lying dispatch
alluded to. During the afternoon some
of the police and detectives familiar with
the Phillips case were interviewed, and
they protested establishment at the Sian
der, never having even thought much
| less heard. of Col. Swain In so foul con-
nection, THE GAZETTE man called on
| Col, Swain himself, at his Office at the
capitol, and found him indignant as well
as amazed. He intimated the slanderer
who sent that dispatch was suspected,
and he would be prosecuted to the full
extent OF the law and made to atone for
the utrocious libel. Col. Swain said he
had not been In the habit OF keep
ing irregular hours, and in this
every person who knows Col. Swain
knows IL to be true; In fact no man
stands higher with the honest and moral
portion OF the community here than the
comptroller. Col. SWANS friends be-
lieve the dispatch was sent by news
paper man formerly resident of Austin
but not now. All evidence here now
points to a foul and infamous conspiracy
to niure Col. Swan In his canvass, a con-
splracy thought to be abettcd by oppos-
ing political forces and the partlsans OF
political rivals; but Col. SWANS fair
name cannot be thus easily besmlrched.
This whole affair IL one OF the most damn
able ana Infamous libels ever attempted
I'm Texas.
THE STATE or TEXAS,
, county OF Travis: Before me, the under
signed authority, personally appeared Il.
II. Moore, who upon oath SAYS that he
was EMPLOYED by the citizens executive
committee to aid In the Investigation and
prosecution OF the case OF the State of
Texas VS.. James Phillips, In which said
Phillips was and is charged with the mur.
der of his wife. Said Moore saws that he
thinks ho is entirely familiar with the