Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-30
DALLAS.
The onicers Tell on- story OF tic killing
the Negroes Another Thought They
Had Small Prx

Had Small Prx
Special 10 the Gazette.
DALLAS, Tx, Jan. 29.--LaN night 90.
Cured one OF the most terribie shooting
ARRAYS that has stained the aunals OF this
community for many days past. News OF
the deed was brought to the city about ?
O'Clock, by Deputy sheriff M, .cely OF
Freestone county and Detectiye Jack
Duncan, who came here and surrendered
themselves TO the authorities. Deputy
Sheriff Soely came to this city yesterday
with a warrant for the arrest OF Jesse
Bonner, colored, charged with the theft
OF horse In Navarro county Bonner
lives in q teuant-house on the farm OF Mr..
Zimmerman, four miles from the city,
where the shooting occurred. Before
leaving the city to go to Bonner's to make
the arrest, Deputy Sheriff Seoly
invited Detective Duncan TO accompany
him, who consented, and they together
went to the house occupied by Bonner,
whore they arrived at p, IN, As stated
by them, the doors OF the house were
open and they entered, not expecting to
be met with any resistance. They had,
however, barely entered the door when a
yolley OF shots were opened upon them
/ by Bonner aud two other unknown men,
two OF them welding revolvers and one
a douhle-Oarrel shotgun. The officers, as
soon as the shots were fired, realized
/ their situation and drew their revolvers.
! Bonner seized the hand which contained
Duncan's pistol, at the same time aiming
his own weapon at Duncan and fred, but
/ with no effect After the shot Bonner
then threw Duncan to tho
door, whereupon Seely, who
was standing near, shot Bonner
in the right side, which subsequent in.
vestigation proved to be fatal. After
Seely had shot Bonner the light wen
out, and the remainder of the warfare was
waged In darkness, the parties engaged
shooting at each other by the fash o
their assallant's shots. Before Duncan
arose from the floor he shot one of thos,
who was standing over him after which
woman began screaming that her chile
was killed. The firing continued unit
the ammunition was exhausted, and thel
the crowd withdrew When Officer
Duncan and Seely went to leave tn
house they We're approached by negro
whom they told TO hold up hi
hands. He told them he was un
! armed and they turned him loose
The negro stated to the officers that Bon
ner and child had been killed. Tn
officers maintain that the child was kille
, by some one shooting from the outside q
,, them. In the deputy sheriff's oyercoS
I was found four bullet holes, but nelthC
/ he nor Detective Duncan was injured
the occurrence
I, Sheriff Smith, after hearing OF tn
= tragedy, repaired to the scene TO asce
1 tain the facts Of the case. He returne
g at O'Clock this morning bearing wit
him the other parties story OF the affai
= The negroes stated to the sheriff this
! when the officers arrived Bonner VIZ
!, pounding up corn for hominyr and the
y without any provocation, said NV
q have YOU now, Cd d-n you" and bega
y firing. They also stated that they had }
- firearms Of any description in the hous
:. The result of the shooting was the dea
:, of Jesse Bonner; girl five years old WI
, shot i'm the head and Is not eXpect'
y to live and seventeen-year-old boy W
shot In several places but not SeI1ousl
Justice Kendall, acting coroner, II
v paneled a Jury, repaired to the scene Al
'e examined the body Of Bonner and MAJ
- an Investigation, after which they Cur
- to Justice KendGlls Office, where the
- quest was held, Three witnesses we
>, examined--a colored boy and girl w
were present when the shooting OCCUR
~ and the physician who examined
wounds of Bonner
~ The first witness, colOred boy W
~ lived in the same building, said 81 W
~ y present when the men entered the doc
y, " one OF them, a large man with bla
- mustache. wearing a heavy gray oyerct
~ and white hat, screamed 'hi. hi!' as
10 entered and began shooting Bonner W
10 sitting on bench in the room.' VIII
a. they began shooting witness left
~ room. AS witness left the room he l
=, against another man and pushed h
'lu from tho door. He entered and beg
shooting, too. After the first few sh'
ny the lights were eXtinguished. Witn'
vi did not enter the house while the sho
~ ing was proceeding, but heard SIEVE
~ shots after he 1T the room. Said Bonn
on had no firearms about the house. had
~ been seen lately hunting with one. WI
III asked II he could point out either OF
'as men who did the shooting he said
'an could not, as he was so excited ne
"a - not take particular notice.
VI The next witness called was colo
on rirl, who lived on an adjoining plaI
ent ton and had stopped there TO spend
ms evening on her way home. Her testil
on nv was exactly the same as the WITH
an who preceded her. When asked If
y VI, could point out the man who first ente
W. the door, after looking around the re
nc for some time, she identified Der
ga Sheriff Seely and said hewas the one
'eo first entered the door.
40 The next witness was the physl,
her who attended the wounds of the child
Nas and examined the wounds OF Bon
SCH Ills evidence consisted merely OF a
-, scrlption OF Bonner's wounds, DESERT
IN several flesh wounds and
.eu two principal wounds, one
inc which entered the abdoi
tie, and the other near the spinal colum
'he the small OF the back. II is the oplnio
49,, the witness that either one OF the two
teu described wounds would have pro
hey fatal. After this testimony the jury
% tired and brought in their verdict, vi
:Su Is as follows; ave, the jury appoiI