Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-22
LEON COUNTY KILLING.
A Detailed Account OF the Midnight
Assassination-Slain While Under
Protection of an Officer.
Four Arrests Mads-Two OF the Prisoners
Waive Examination, The Other Two Dis.
charEsd-Indicationso of Con,pirscy.
Sps ,isl TO the Gazette.

/
FAIRFIELD, TEX Mag 2l.-Jim Smith
E. B. Smith, c. q. Hughes and negro
Lewis Davis, hsd an examining tris
Saturday the 10 n at Buffalo, Leon coun
ty, before Justice r. M. Bryant, for tn,
killing Of R. T. Martin, s citizen of Free
stone county. Jim Smith and c. Il
Hughes waived examination and were
bond over In the sum Of $1,000 each fol
their appearance before the Distric. court
OF Leon county, which bond they failed
to give and we're committed to the Leon
| county ,il, with the instructions II the
Centreviile sill WAS q OF considered safe
| that they were TO bs brought here to the
Fairfield jail. E. B Smith and the ne
gro, Lewis Davis, were discharged, as
there wss not sufficient evidence sgsins.
them to bind them over.
THE KILLING OF MARTIN.
4. T. Martin, VINO res ded in the south
ern part Of this county near the line Of
Leon, WAS gathering his cattle with the
intention of driving them to Western
Texas. The negro, LsWis Davis, wss
told by some one that Mr.. Martin mad
one OF his yearlings IN his herd, and he
(the ne gro) WAS advised to make an I'll i.
oavit against Mr.. Martin for the thief. OF
said yearling. His brother told him not
to do 80, as he well knew that his year.
ling had died the winter before. He
then told his brother that he would
not make The affidavit. Mr.. Martin
hearing of this report told his neighbors
that he was going to drive mis- cattle off
on certain day, that ne had been &C.
sad rf OBJ
wanted them to come to mis- pen and see
If he had anyone else's cattles except his
own. Before the time for MIR. Martin to
start, it seems that the negro Lewis
Davis changed his mind, and
On the 7sh CT this month went
ever into Leon county and there
made sn affidavit before Justice r NJ.
Bryant at Buffalo against R. T. Martin
for the theft Of said yearling in Freestoue
county, and Constable W. T. Linson OF
Buffalo placed the warrant in the hands of
G. j. Dare, constable OF Freestone
county. Mr.. Dire executed the warrant
and turned his prisoner over to Constable
Linson who started with him to
Buffalo. About half-psst IL O'Clock
that night when shout one-half mile of
Buffalo Constable Linson told William
Martin to fall behind him and that they
would take the new
LEFT HAND ROAD
Ind 60 to his (Linson's) house and re-
main there the balance OF the night. |
lust st this time, wnen Martin got in his |
ear, ne WAS fred upon by parIies in am
,ush with double-barrel shotguns, the |
lrst shot taking effect in the left arm,
md the second shot striking him from the
mail Of his back IL the way up to his |
knocking him Of his horse,
.aviDg been struck with about twenty
,uckshot. He lived about one hour and
lelf and made dying statement to the
feet that at the second shot or fash of
he gun he was looking in that direction
nd saw and recognized the two Smith
'oys, and that it was them that did
he shooting. On investigation the
ext morning it was found that
he bushes had been trimmed out from
where the parties stood about Is feet to
his new left-hsnd road for the sole pur-
ose OF committing the coWardly deed.
was also ascertained that 1t was impos-
ible for them to co the shooting from
be other road, that is the one that went
D Buffalo, as the bushes were 80 very
hick that yot could not see q man five
tops from said road that night, as 1t was
EXCEEDINGLY DARK.
here were two hats found the next
forming near where the parties stood,
Thich were identified by Mr.. Pearlestone,
merchant at Buffalo, as being the same
mes that he sold few days before to
i'm Smith and Hughes. On this informa-
on there was an affidavit made against
i'm and e. B Smith, C. 81. Hughes and
le negro, Lewis Davis. Sheriff
:. j. Chi!ds having heard of
lie killing went down to investigate the !
fair and made the arrest and lodged the
arties in jail here until their examining
isl last Saturday at Buffalo with the
Dove result.
the Smiths and the deceased have not il.
cen on very friendly terms, as the Smiths
ere under Indictment in this county for /
lie stabblng Of Mr.. Martin last spring,
Iartin being the main states wit
sss against them. It is true that =
[r. Martin did not besr very good
,aracter in this county, as he WAS look !
upon oy some as thinking too much of j
yearlings, while by others he
IS borne good name. This affsir is r
,gretted very much by the good and
W abiding citizens Of cur county, and I
lost especially so il the way and manner :
| which 1t WAS done. It WAS bad enough
, be waylaid and shot in the
cad hours Of night without any
'arning whatever; but Thousand times
'orse when man is under arrest, and is
alpless and in the bands ard under
THE PROTECTION OF AN OFFICER.
Mr.. Martin and mis- father were way
i'd one night in the fall OF 1873, in But
10 bottom, near their home, on their
turn from Fsi.fald. The father wss
os! brutality murdered, and r T. Mar
MS horse having thrown him against
ee 1t WAS supposed that the ass sssins had
lied him also. The parties all live in
is county, and 1t is q strange thing why
q negro should go into Leon county to
axe an affidavit, when he said that the
ime or theft was committed in this
unity, ard still more so, why the Justice
the peace allowed him to make the aft
wit ii he knew the above facts,
all this transaction happened in this
un'y, and there is Justice of the peace,
o, living nearer than Buffalo. It Is II
ought that the state will endeavor to Is
{ q change of venue from Leon county. !
,ur correspondent writes from lnforma-
N given him by other parties.