The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-14
TOM WILLIAMS.
A Bullet Sent Crashing Through
His Brain While Resisting
Arrest.
A Desperate Struggle to Secure
the Officers Pistol-Testimony
Taken Yesterday Before
Coroner Calhoun.


Williams, noted colored character, met
his death at the hands of Policeman W. B.
Davis.
After the shooting Officer Davis gave
himself up and gave bond for his appear
ance.
Yesterday Coroner Calhoun held an in
quest, at which the following testimony
was had:
VIM. Smith, a colored man, testified
substantially as follows:
He and George Bell, Page Walker, Tom
Williams and another man, a stranger to
him, were going down East Sixth street
about $3.50 Sunday morning. They went
into Mr.. Mike Boland's saloon. Tom
Williams was pretty drunk and noisy and
Mr.. Boland refused to sell or give him any
whisky, and requested them to leave, say
ing: "Boys, you must get out now; I'm
going to close up" The party, with the
exception of Tom Williams, passed
out of the saloon and went
down the street in the direction
of Aft Johnson's pool and billiard hall.
When nearly there Tom Williams over
took them, and following behind him was
officer Davis. The party entered John
sons, and some of them proposed to play
q game of pool. johnson, however, see
ing that Williams was drunk and inclined
to be boisterous, asked them to leave, that
he was gong to close and no game could
be played, and all but Tom left. He
tarried and johnson, with pistol in his
hand, forcibly elected him. On the side
walk Tom halloaed to Officer Davis that
Johnson had drawn pistol on him. They
then went down to lunch stand and Tom
stopped at the door, and, placing his left
the room and asked for pie. just then
Officer Davis stepped up and placed the
nippers on his left wrist.
Tom tried to pull away and enter the
lunch room, but Officer Davis prevented
him. Tom then said: "What do you ar
rest me forP"
Officer Davis replied "No matter, you
come o."
Tom, however, refused, and with his
right caught Officer Davis left hand and,
holding on to it, sat down ON the door
steps, saying: 81 want to talk to you"
Officer Davis said GAIL right" and re"
quested Tom to release his hold on his
left hand.
This Tom refused to do, and Davis
drew his six-shooter and struck Tom
three or four times on the right wrist to
make him loose his grip, but was unsuc-
cessful.
Davis said: "Tom, don't want to beat
you up. Come and go along. I don't
want to hurt you"
He then dropped his pistol into his
overcoat pocket and drew his police whis-
| tie, telling Tom he would call for help.
He blew his whistle twice. Tom had got
up from the door, still holding Officer
Davis left hand. The two had moved
close to the edge of the sidewalk, Davis
back being toward the street.
| Tom suddenly threw up his hands, but
witness didn't know whether he struck
Davis or not. Davis fell over backwards
in the gutter and Tom fell on him.
AS he fell Davis pistol dropped from his
overcoat pocket onto the ground.
The two men scuffied some moments in
the gutter when Davis managed to reach
his pistol with his left hand and fred, the
ball crashing through Toms head.
Officer Davis got up and stepping on
the side walk said: "Boys, didn't want
to hurt him, but you see he made me do
it," He Davis then went and got Officer
Dornwell and they picked Tom up and
! conveyed him to the door of the Black
Elephant saloon and shortly after he was
| conveyed home where he died
about o'clock Sunday morning.
George Bell, a colored man, testified
substantially as follows:
He was with Tom Williams the morning
he was shot. He met Tom in Mr.. Be-
lands saloon, but Mr.. Boland would not
sell Tom any whisky, and Tom went back
into back room, and he (BelD and the
| Others left and went down to Johnson's
pool room, where they proposed to play a
game. Tom Williams then came in and
johnson said: 81 don't want any game
tonight, and I'm going to close up" Wit
ness and the Others of the party, except
Tom, then left. Tom had some words
with Johnson, and witness thought John
son pushed Tom out as he closed the door.
All of them went down to the lunch stand,
where Tom, with his left hand
resting on the facing, asked for
q pie. Officer Davis had followed
him from Johnson's and was speaking to
him, but witness did not hear what he
was saying.
! At the lunch stand door Officer Davis
slipped the nippers over Toms left wrist
and short struggle followed and Tom
sat down in the door. Officer Davis
pulled him up and Tom had hold of his
hand. Davis drew his pistol and struck
Tom on the wrist two or three times to
make him loose his hand. He did not
strike very hard, for if he had he would
have broke something as his pistol was a
large one. Mr.. Davis said to Tom, "Come
and go with me. 1 don't want to hurt
you"
After he said this two or three times
Mr.. Davis put his pistol in his overooat
pocket and said, "If you don't come along
I'll blow my whistle for help to take you"
He took out his'whistle and it wouldn't blow
lnud thu frat time The aecnnd TINA IL