San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-07
LAREDO NEWS.
District Court Closed Improve
ments--Town Dots--Personals.
LAREDO, Angus S.

LAREDO, Angus S.
To the LIGHT.
The district court which has been
in session since the 18th of July was
brought to close this morning. The
court disposed of considerable bust
ness this term. There were twelve
criminal convictions;ten of Them will
be sent to the penitentary, and two
appealed.
The most important case tried was
Peter Hammond who murdered J. w.
Moldoony on the morning of August
Goth 1889. The state was rep
resented by District Attorney Hon.
d. Mcneil Turner of Corpus Christi
and Hammond was defended by
Messrs Atlee and Earnest, and A.
Winslow Esqr. Laredo, w. w. Bur-
nett ESQ. Kerrville, and II. M. Brown
Esqr. of Hampstead the home of
Hammond.
The attorneys for the defence took
advantage of all the technicalities
that the law allowed them; appealed
to the passions and prejudices of the
jury. They appealed to them on
behalf of the aged mother and sister
that were in the court room to reduce
the grade of murder to that of homi-
eide. They played thesympathy racket
| all the way through, in fact, they
carried that scheme of defence too far
AS the district attorney had the clos
ing speech, he went over all the evil
dence, exposed the argument Of de-
ndant's counsel and showed to the
satisfaction of the jury that it was
| -, a
one of the strongest arguments that
your correspondent ever heard by
any district attorney in the state.
The jury was only out short time
when they came into court with a
verdict of murder in the first degree,
as charged in the Indictment, and
assessed the punishment in the pen
item tiary for life. The case was ap-
pealed.
When it was known what the YER
dict of the jury was every one in the
city felt like going up to them ami CIV
ing them hearty shake of the hand.
That jury have given public notice
that marderers and revolutionists had
better keep away from Webb county
If they want to keep out of jail
Strangers coming to Laredo are sur
prised to see the amount of improve
ments that are going on here. There
is hardly block in the city but what
there are improvements going on.
There are several handsome residen-
ces going up on the Heights. The
wooden mill Is nearly finished; the
tannery is now ready to receive the
machinery.
Mrs. Peter Steffin, of San Antonio,
is putting up two-stOry brick store
fronting the market plaza. The Mil
mo building on corner OF the plaza
will soon be finished.
The Improvement company has just
finished one of the handsomest brick
buildings In the city opposite the
Jarvis plaza. Several new residences
are going up In the western and
northern division of the city.
There have been considerable ar
| rivals this week and the hotels are
full. San Antonio is we'll represented
this week.
Capt. H. A. Krempkau is on a visit
to his brother, Alderman A. E..
Krempkau, and will remain in the
city several days.
Yesterday c. X. Gravis received q
telegram from Frank Jones, captain
! of the state rangers, dated Maria,
Texas, August 4, that his son, j. F.
| Gravis, who was in Jones' command,
was killed by Mexican. The young
man was % years old. The body ar
rived this evening and will be buried
tomorrow at q. m.
The members of the Ward Manu-
featuring company have not been get
ting along smoothly lately, and two
of the firm Mcclure and Haywood
will draw out.
The Laredo Light Guard were out
drilling tonight. Tomorrow they will
attend the funeral of Ranger j. +.
Graves,
Mr.. Frank Frazier, who was killed
in Houston on the night of the first,
was well known In this city as he
worked In the Times and Gate City
offices last year.
The following are the hotel arrivals
| for last night:
At the Wilson House-Hon. Judge
8. 1. Golindo, G. Harkins, A. ]. Car
ter, D. Hassett, J. II. Stafford, James
| O'Connor, II. H. Verplancke, 81. G.
Hoist, Monterey; N. B. Metcalf, San
Luis Potosi; Jas. Murphy, J. T. Muir
ply, r. Varrios Daguerre, r. r. Sem
hart, E. Sloan, d. Brown, f. Under
wood, J. Brookman, w. M. Flournoy,
M. Holmes, ]. Y. Sanders, M. J. Fer
nandez, Texas; E. Il. Rogers, s. 81.
Duncan, J. Kramer, T. J. Levanton,
o. p McLendon, F. Field, San An
tonic; j. D. Ambrosia, Rodriguez,
Tex; "A. G. Attfield, l.. DeHam, Kiah
Minnick, Fred Brooks, d. w. Nc