Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-30
Review Of the Most important Murder
Trial Of the Season Before the
Fort Smith Court.
The Jury in the John Mclaughlin
Case Discharged, Having Failed
10 Agree on n Verdict.
whisky Causes Heinous Crime and
Money aud fuhuence save n Man's
Neck-A High. Toned Case.


discharged to-day, having failed to agree
on verdict. The case was given TO the
men Friday at noon. Ex-Gov. Burpey OF
the ChickAsaw nation and j. j, McAlister
Of the Choctaw nation, uncles Of Nc.
Laughlin, are here aud win endeavor TO |
get him released on bond, as his long
confinement 10 jail is telling on him,
REyIRw OF THE CASE.
This case Is one of more than ordinary
interest, owing TO the high standing Of
the prisoners relatives and the many
complicated circumstances surrounding
It, The murder OF Martin occurred In
November, 1881, near Harvey, Chicka-
saw nation. Martin was young man
about thirty years Of age, and at the time
OF his death was making his home with
widow lady named Brooks. On the day
Of the killing John Mclaughlin and
James WATSON came to the house of Mrs
Brooks late in the evening, both Of them
under the influence Of whisky. They dis
mountod and inquired for Martin, who
WAS NOT AT HoMR,
having gone TO store a short distance
away. They mounted their horses and
started OF in the direction OF the store,
and had only been gone short time when
several pistol shots were heard, and
presently the horse that Martin was rid
lug came trotiing up minus his rider.
Some Of the men In the neighborhood
went down in the direction the shots were
heard, ana about 200 yards from the
house found the dead body OF Martin
PERFORATED WITH SEVERAL BULLETS,
Circumstances pointed to Mclaughlin
and WATSON as the murderers, aud day
or so later they quietly left the
country and sought safety among the
cowboys of the Panhandle country of
! Texas. After an absence Of about two
years both returned TO the Chickasaw
country, but as they had many friends
there they managed TO eysde arrest. Thus
; the matter stood until July 2s, 1884,
: when WATSON and a man named Almirene
: Watkins became involved in a difficulty,
: which resulted In Watkins being killed.
} Mrs Watkins, being quite wealthy, paid
$1,000 for the arrest OF WATSON, who was
lodged IN Jail here Ia December, 1884. He
was placed on trial for
THE MURDER OF MARTIN,
and Mrs. Watkins used every effort
to convict him, spending about
: $1,000 in accomplishing her object,
and spared no pains TO gather up all the
: evidence In the country to make the case
sure. WATSON WAS proved guilty 10 the
satisfaction OF the Jury, and on January
! 30 last was sentenced to be hanged for
the crime.
Shortly after Wasson's conviction Nc
Laughlin was arrested at Denison, Tex,
while there on spree, and during the
early part Of April last was tried, and the
jury
FAILED TO AGREE,
Notwithstanding the same evidence that
hanged WATSON on the 28d Of April was
reproduced in his case.
At the trial Just closed some additional
testimony was produced by the govern
ment, and three OF the thirty witnesses
examined swore that Mclaughlin and
WATSON told them that they killed Mar
tin. One OF those new witnesses was
sister OF James WATSON, who testified
that Mclaughlin had seduced her just be-
fore the killing under promise OF mar
rage, which was frustrated by McLaush-
lin having to leave the country; that he
told her the morning after the murder
that he and Jim would have TO leave, as
they had killed Martin. And that during
his absence she gave birth to child OF
which
M'IAuGHLIN WAS THE FATHER,
The defense fought the case on the
ground that their client was not at the
place OF the killing at the time II oc-
CURED, and endeavored to show that
other men we're In the immediate vicinity
OF where the murder took place,wh were
lust as susceptible Of suspicion and even
more so than Mclaughlin. The relatives
OF the prisoner, who are among the most
prominent and wealthy people In the In.
dian country, were here at the trial ana
the best legal talent was employed In his
defense, his attorneys being Hon. Ben i.
Duval. Col. Thomas H. Barnes, Col. Will
liam NJ Crayens aud Col, James X
Barnes, The government was represent
ed by District Attorney M. II. Sandels
and his assistant Col. George A. Grace.
The argument began on "Wednesday after
noon. being opened by Col. Grace, who
was followed by James X. Barnes
ia powerful appeal 70 the jury. The
: ARGUMENTS for tue defense lasted eight
hours, and the case was closed Friday
morning BY Mr. Sandels. The court.
room was
CROWDED. WITH SPECTATORS
from the beginning OF the trial 70 the end.
The defendant Is u handsome young fell
low. but has Just recovered from severe
spell Of sickness, and Is looking rather
pale and haggard.
one Interesting feature Of the case Is
the fact that some Of the witnesses that
testIaed SO hard against Wasson
are friends or distant relatives
/ Of Mclaughlin, and would proba-
bly ike 70 see him come clear
and are 10th 70 tell as much in bis case as
thew were IA that OF WATSON, and yet
thew were compelled TO tell the same
story or place themselves In very en-
barrasslng attitude
The fact Is, II wassou bad no. killed
Watkins. neither he nor Mclaughlin would
iIkely have been brought TO Sgial, and
even If they had, might have both come
clcsr, q nlca d Tie eYidsnce secured BY