Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-27
A STRUGGLE, A SHOT.
A Terrible Tragedy Enacted on Street
OF Galveston.
A Policeman Ends the Life of His Prisoner
With Shot From His Revolver-A Re-
voting Scene-The Cause

Special to the Gazette.
GALVESTON, TEX, Dec. ga
struggle, shot, and the lifeless form of
young Robert Crawford lay dead in front
of the New Orleans grocery on Market
street, between Twentieth and Twenty
first streets, while Night Policeman Ed
ward Geibel stood over his PROSTATE vic
tim with a smoking revolver.
Geibel was instantly arrested and
hurried to jail to save him from the ex-
! cited populace that was rapidly gather
| ing from all quarters until the street was
| packed, which for time interrupted
! traffic.
The tragedy occurred about 8 o'clock,
| and from facts gathered from eye-wit-
ness and testimony at the inquest the
circumstance leading up to the tragic
affair are as follows:
THE PARTICULARS.
Both men while somewhat intoxicated
met at Marcus Hammers about 8 'clock
in the morning. They had some words
| and Geibel attempted to strike Crawford
with bottle of whisky but was prevented
by a couple of policemen, when ne made
an effort To draw revolver, but was
foiled in this, while Crawford was
gesticulating with an oyster knife. They
were both demonstrated with and agreed
to let the matter drop. Later on they
met again, when the difficulty was re-
newed, but resulted in nothing
serious. Just prior to the
tragi affair Officer Geible came across
Crawford, who was sitting in the alcove
of window of Goggin's music store,
corner Twenty-second and Market, ap-
parently asleep. Geibel approached him
and roughly shook him, applying
APPRoBIOUS EPITHET
to, him. Crawford looked up to see who
had hold of him, and as he did so Geibel
struck him several blows in the face and
jerlled him to his feet.
Crawford exclaimed, "What do you
mean?''
"Come along with me and 1 will show
you,' replied Geible, as he roughly
pushed Crawford ahead of him down
Market in the direction of the police
station. While taking Crawford down
the street, Geibel handled him so roughly
and once or twice drew his pistol as if he
was going to shoot, that it attracted gen.
eral attention. Crawford repeatedly
crossed his hands over his head to protect
it from Geibel s blows, all the time say
ing: "Don t strike me, will go with
you When they got in front of Bake IS
cigar store, between Market and Tween
tieth streets, Geibel again began beating
his victim over the head, when the latter
said: ''Stop beating me. This has
gone far enough and wheeled upon
Geibel. A struggle ensuGd. when Geibel
caught Crawford by the throat, showed
him from him, drew his rev0lveF,t and
while holding him
SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD,
half way between the ear and the vertex
The bail went crashing through poor
Crawford IS brain, lodging in the cranial
cavity. He exclaimed, "Oh, you have
killed me, - and fell a corpse on the
sidewalk. Officer Henderson hearing the
shot fastened to the scene, took Geibel
into custody, and as he did so Geibel
said, ''Bob, done it in self-defense. -
This, however, is not cOrrOborated by Il
dozen eye-witnesses or any testimony yet
adduced before the coroner.
Crawford s body was Immediately re-
moved to Stoner's undertaking estab-
lishment, where it was viewed by Coro-
ner Spann, who Immediately thereafter
began inquisitiou into the
CAUSES LEADING TO THE TRAGEDY.
Crawford, was about twenty years old,
and resided with his parents OH Avenue
NJ, near Eighteenth street, where his re-
mains were removed after being prepared
for interment.
Officer Geibel is a native OF Germany,
a nephew of the late Christopher Jordan,
former sheriff of this county, and has
been night policeman for nine months.
He had previously acted as deputy sheriff
for about eight years.
In an interview with him in jail he said
the killing was done in self-defense; that
Crawford was carrying brand new
oyster knife and had threatened to finish
him before night. His statement, how
ever, was cOntradicted and did not ac-
cord with the facts.
When asked if he had Crawford under
arrest at the time OF the tragedy he re-
piled: "No, did not. -
"Why, then, did you use your re-
volver?'
I've had scuffle in front of Balke's,
and he threw me up against the show
case, and l struck him, when he threw
his hand behind him as if to draw
weapon, when 1 shot him. 1 knew he
was hard customer and dangerous, and
believing my life in danger done what
did and would do it again.
By those who saw it, it is pronounced
an unprovoked murder. The preliminary
hearing Will be held tomorrow. The
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