The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-05-03
A Citizen Commits O Horrible
Crime, and Then Attempts
Suicide,
But Escapes on Horseback, and is
Finally Killed Resisting
Arrest.

well-to-do citizen of this county, near
Smithfeld, last Sunday afternoon. But
Thrower has paid the penalty of his
fiendish act with his own life, having been
killed in Denton last night by men who
we're in pursuit of him. Near Smithield
there lives widow lady named Cunning
ham, and living with her was girl child
of her dead husband by a former wife.
The child was not over 10
years old and rather small. Sunday
Thrower and his wife and children took
dinner with Mrs. Cunningham. After din
ner Thrower went to sleep in the back
yard on lot of cotton seed.
He had slept some time when his own
children and the little Cunningham girl
came out to him and began to froltc with
him on the cotton seed. In the Frolic
Thrower lost 20 cents from his pocket, |
which was found by the little girl, who
claimed 5 cents for finding it. Thrower
said he would give her cents if she
would kiss him, and he did give the child
the money.
He then sent his children away, detain-
ing the little girl with him. The particu-
lars that followed are too disgusting for
publication, but suffice it, that afterward,
her step-mother discovered that she had |
five cents, and asked where she gotit. The
little one answered that Mr.. Thrower had
given it to her, but told her not tell what
he gave it for.
This. aroused the suspicious of Mrs.
Cunningham, who was not long in learn
ing the particulars of the outrage that
had been committed. Physicians were
called in next day, and they discovered
that the little girl was terribly bruised.
Constable Newton Stowall was informed
of the terrible. crime, and he lost
NO time, in arresting Thrower, who was
found al his home. Wednesday afternoon
he was taken before a justice of the peace,
and bond for his appearance in Fort
Worth was agreed on. His neighbors re-
fused to go lon his bond and the officer
was about to start with him for Jail, when
Thrower got hold of a pistol, which he put
in his pocket and then sat down and wrote
a note to his wife, giving her
instructions what to do with
horse he had recently purchased
from Joe Henderson, and telling her
he was tired of living and was going
away. Putting this note where his wife
could get it, he walked back into the kitch-
en-, theofficer, thinking he would nottry to
escape, did not follow him.
In about minute the crack of a re-
volver was heard, which caused the officer
and Mrs. Thrower to rush into the
kitchen, where they found Thrower lying
on the floor with pistol by his side and a
stream of blood running from bullet
hole between the eyes. Mrs. Thrower
thew herself on his body and
i'm plored the officer to run
for doctor. AS the officer saw that his
, prisoner was not dead, he mounted his
horse and started in search of medical
/, assistance, leaving no one with the
: wounded man but his wife and children,
and not once thinking that he would not
be there when he come back. This was
an error, however, as in the attempt to
take his own life to cheat the law, Thrower
had not held his pistol straight,Sand the
ball from it instead of penetrating the
brain glanced up and come out near the
top of the head, having run just under
/, the skin. Shortly after the Officer left,
5 Tbrower revived and withoutloss of time,
3 he saddled horse which he mounted and
2 dashed off toward the north. About two
7 miles from Smithfield he met Dr. j. Brown,
5 who dressed his wound, after which he
continued his flight toward Denton county.
When the officer and the doctor reached
) Thrower's house, of course Thrower was
not there, but was speeding away toward
the north. As soon as Constable Stowell
heard of this, he, with James Haverkamp
: and others, started in pursuit
and let no grass grow under
r their feet. They had no trouble in fo.-
lowing the fugitive's tracks, which led to-
' ward Denton. The particulars of pursuit
are not known, but all day yesterday the
} men were searching Denton county after
, him, as were the officers of that county.
= That he YVES run to the ground in the
town of Denton is certain, as telegram
was received at Keller, in this county,
this morning, from Constable Stowell,
which reads as follows:
) "DENToN, April 81.
3 rs. p. Thrower was killed here last
3 night, while resisting arrest Find out
/ what his people want done with his body.
"ISigned NEWTON STowELL."
| Other than this telegram, nothing has
3 been received here of the affair.
, PARTICULARS OF THE KILLING.
DENTON, April 27.-City Marshal W. S.
Fry killed s. p. Thrower last night, about
l O'Clock, while assisting constable and
deputy from Tarrant county to arrest him
under charge of attempt to rape the
nine-year-old daughter of widow lady, in
the western part of that county. He had
been arrested in Tarrant county under
the charge, and asked permission to
: go to his home before being taken to jail
3 in Fort Worth, which the officers granted
When he arrived at home he asked per-
mission to write note, which he handed
to the officer to read, and while he was 80
engaged, Thrower secured a pistol and
put it to his forehead and fred
falling apparently dead. At the earnest
solicitation of Thrower's, wife, the
officer went for a doctor, and on
his return found his man gone.
|, When he notified Stowell, the constable,
!, and Jim Haverksmp, deputy, who fol-
! lowed on his trail. Arriving last night
=. they found their man in the city, and, as
/; the sheriff of the county was absent, they
went to Marshal Fry's house about 1
O'Clock and told him they had papers for
= dangerous man and wanted assistance
r in making the arrest; that he was armed
n with 10 -caIibre pistol and would shoot
] before submitting to arrest.
The marshal went with the Tarrant county