Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-01
BEASON Dying.
The Man Who Acknowledges Himself
the Murderer of Miss Genie Wat
kins at Deaths Door,
He Jumps From the Train st MIlheim
While IL is Going Forty Niles
an Hour
What Oficsr Ben Evans and Marshal Far.
mer Have 20 say-The ohain
OF Evidence.

Naturally the publication In yesterday
mornings GAZETTE in regard to the ar
rest at Meridian, Miss, OF william L.
Besson, and his connection with the fear
full trsgedy enacted in Gainesville in July
of last year created sensation in this
city. City Marshal Farmer returned on
the morning south bound Santa Fe train
from Gainesville, and expressed himself
as confident that the murderer Of Miss
Genie Watkins and the man who had at
tempted to murder Miss Mamie Bostick
was in the hands Of Officer Evans and
that W. L. Beason wss the man.
During the day Marshal Farmer re-
ceived the following telegram:
MCGREGoR, TEN, Feb, %, 1855.
Meet me at the train tonight. Beason
Is badly hurt. BEN G. EVANS. e
Marshal Farmer at once telegraphed to
| Officer Evans inquiring as 40 the nature
OF Beasen's injuries snd how they had
come about and late In the evening re-
ceived the following:
MORGAN, TEX, Feb. %, 1885.
Sam Farmer:
Beason tried to escape by jumping OF
train and is seriously injured.
B. C. EVANS.
| When this became known there was
general speculation as to whether the at
tempt at escape WAS confession of guilt
or not. AS early as O'Clock Marshal
Farmer, with seven or eight Of the police
force and several deputy sherifi5, had as
sembled at the depot to meet the north
bound Santa Fe, due st 7:40, on which
Evans and his prisoner were. Near the
platform an express wagon was in walt
ing to carry the wounded man to jail.
Reporters and number of people inter-
ested in the developments of the case
stood near.
THE TRAIN COMES
Promptly on time the train pulled in
and the first man seen WAS Officer Evans
standing on the steps of the baggage car.
AS the train stopped Evans jumped on
and ia 8 second was surrounded by OIL
GERS and bystsnders. The whereabouts
of the prisoner were made known and
then dozen officers and reporters went
into the baggage car to see Beason.
is nearly dead, said Evans and
this was found to be the case.
! LYING ON A MATTRESS
with his head hanging back, his lower jaw
| uIOpUSUt huu Lie SOuHu VI BOOICu UlCokA-
ing coming from his throat lay the man
who had been arrested on q charge of
crime against property, but who was also
accused of the most terrible crime ever
recorded in Texas. His hands were
crossed on his breast and the face, badly
discolored en- the right side by the bruises
received in coming in contact with the
ground, bore no expression OF any kind.
Neither pain or remorse we're recorded
there, no expression of fear or anger, the
face was blank.
Officers and reporters lifted the mat
tress bearing the man TO the wagon and
with FIVE o. six men on either side the
party were driven slowly to the all.
Carefully the men bore their burden up
the iron stairs and through the doors to
the j.il. The gates we're closed, the mat
tress was lsid on the floor, & step-ladder
was placed under the head end Of the
mattress to raise it, and the req1isition
Of Governor Rose, granted on February
8, 1888, to Ben G. Evans, as agent OF the
state Of Texas, was fulfilled to the letter.
DR.. J. B. Mclean had been sent for to
administer to Beason and soon came in.
i THE ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE
The first questions put to Officer Evans
were in regard to the attempted escape OF
Beeson. Picking up the low crowned
soft black hat worn by Beason, the officer
showed where the head of the prisoner
had struck the ground tho brim was bent
and bore evidence OF the fearful fall. .Bes
sons right eye was black and the right
, side of the face WAS considerably discol-
ored The left leg about the knee was
severely lacerated. Said Officer Evans:
4 "It vas about 10 O'Clock this morning
|
the rate Of about forty miles an hour that
Be ,son rushed out the back door OF the
car to the platform and wi hout
slsecond's .hesitstion:sprang to the ground.
The train was stopped and backed and
Beason was taken on board. DR.. A. B.
( Gardner Of BelleVille was telegrsphed to
2 and when the train reached there got on
/ board and dressed Beason's wounds.
All this time the prisoner was IN
, conscious and so remained at the hour
he was placed in jsil. II was fearful
( Jump he made for freedom and we sill
! expected to find him dead when the train
: was backed up"
'Let me get the story in detail and If
you have the requisition papers let me
[ see them, please" said THE GA
, ZETTE reporter. Officer Evans
took the papers from his
pocket and banded them over for inspec-
, ton. Governor Ross requisition was
! under date of February Gland set forth
? that William L. Beason had
UTTERKD FORGED PAPER,
was 8 fugitive from justice and asked the
| Governor of Mississippi to deliver said
/ Besson to Ben c. Evans, appointed an
/ agent of the state of Texas, TO convey
i him to the jail of Tarrsnt county. The
, order granting the requisition was under
} date OF February 20 and was signed by
! Robert Lowry, Governor of Mississippi.
4 THE FORGERY CASE.
On December 26, 1887, Beason passed
. check on jeweler IN Luling whose
name is Nance. This check was on the
Fort Worth National Bank for $500, and
O was signed 81. 81. Brown" It soon be-
came known that it was 8 forgery and
. due complaint WAS made and warrant
!. issued for the arrest Of Beason. Before
q this, about year ago, Beas0n
| Continued nm Fifth P11e