Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-07
PECK'S STORY.
He Makes a Statement OF What he
Knows of the Murder of Leroy Beck. a
His Tale, if True One, is Rather Remark
able-Beek Shot by Two Men but Peck
Can't Tell Who They We're.
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
GOLDTHwAITE, TEX. Aug. G.-The
examining trial OF Fred Peck for the
murder of Mr.. Leroy Beck was begun to-
day. At the request of some of his
friends his statements are given in full
as follows:
con the lst day of August, 1899, left
my home in Big Valley and started to
Big Valley postoffce I think l left
about 9 o 'clock. went up and stopped
at the residence of Mr. Nelson, about
two miles from my home the way 1 had
to go. 1 stayed there an hour and a half
ana then 1 went on to the postoffice,
three and a half or four miles. Stayed
there fifteen or twenty minutes and in
| quired for my mail. The postmistress
told me one of the Ezell boys had gotten
it. 1 got some OF my neighbors mail and
started home. 1t was after II
O'Clock when I left the postoffice
l went to Mrs. Ezell s to get my mail,
and stopped there and took dinner. Mr.
Ezell lives about three miles from the
postOfhce. l got q postal card for my
father that had q proposition relative to
some grazing land above there. It must
have been l or l 80 when l ate dinner at
Mrs. EzeH's. I stayed there an hour or
an hour and a half, fed my poney and
read a newspaper, then went up on Pc
can creek TO look at this land 1t is a
mile or a mile and half to this land,
then l looked for fathers sheep he had
there I guess [ rode on the sheep range
an hour After l looked at the land
came back across the land and came into
the public road, riding down from the
valley to William s ranch: came into the
road when the sun was between a half
and an hour high; came into the road
about one hundred yards north Of the
corner of Wood Miller's field; followed
the road q short distance when | was
OveItaken by Mr.. Leroy Beck, who was
riding horseback and had his little girl
behind him. I was riding on the right
hand side of the road. He was on my
left going toward Big valley We had
ridden down the road nearly to WIN
Ezell 5 field. ] saw Mr.. Levi EzeH about
fifteen steps to the left of the road, and
spoke to him We rode on across a hol-
low about one hundred and fifty yards
from the corner of VIII Fzell IS field and
Just after crossing the hollow some one
ran up behind us. There were two or
three ran up behind Us and shot Mr..
Beck of his horse. Ny pony turned
when the shooting began and ran away
with me and went into the woods. l don t
know which way he went. ! was
scared so bad I did not know anything.
[ kept running where it was clear
enough, and when it was so bushy l went
at a slow gait The first place I Tecog-
niZed was when I came into the road near
Wash Mauldin' s place. Then l com
menced running again and ran down the
road. I saw some parties in the road
and took to the woods again and stayed
in the woods until I came into the road
near Steve Trowbridge's place. Then !
turned and went the road to Mr.. Mel
son 5. l was afraid to tell what | knew,
and when I was told the news [ feigned !
some surprise. My reason for going to |
Mr.. Nelson $ was that l had an en- |
gagement with a young lady there to |
take her to 9 party. When l heard the |
news l went home, got a fresh horse |
and some supper, then went back from |
there to the inquest. l hitched my |
horse back from the crowd and came !
up near enough to hear what was said. |
I heard my name mentioned suspic- |
iously, dom t know who by, but was |
afraid to show myself for fear l would |
be killed, as I knew Mr.. Beck had many |
friends. I got two boys Ketch EZell |
and Charley Trowbridge, to go with me |
for company and protection. l went |
to the residence of Mr.. J. d. Willis
that night, told him of Mr.. Beck 5 muir
der, and that my name had been men
toned. l asked his advice. My reason
for going to him was that I knew he
was my friend and an officer. He
advised me to stay around there until
he could go and see if had any just
cause to have any fears. He returned
that night and advised me TO come to
GOldthwaite The day I came with him
was not under arrest nor in his custody
at any time I acted voluntary. / was
arrested August 3 by Sheriff Cunning
ham and have been in jail since. That 5
all [ have to say. l wish TO further state
that, as near as I could tell, the parties
who did the shooting came from the left
side of the road. 1 did not recognize
any OF them, could not describe them
nor their horses
- Ei3e examining trial will be continued
to- n61EeW. There are several other
witnesses.