Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-08
MANY KILLED.
A Cyclone Visits johnson and
Hood Counties.
Five People Killed Outright at Robin
son Branch in johnson County.
Many Wounded,
Fall Creek, in Hood County, Reports Three
Killed Outright and Many others
Fatally Injured.
-Four People Reported Killed at Acton.
Many People HomeIess-The Names Of
Killed and wounded-Property
Loss Great
HARVEST OF DEATH.


Special to the Gazette.
CLEBURNE, TEX, May 5.-This morn
ing about o. CLOCK runner from the
Robinson baneh community arrived in
our city ard reported terrific tornado
leaving death and destruction in III
pathway between 8 and
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. The
Nolan river ran so rapidly
that it cut of communication
until this morning, which was the cause
OF the delay in getting the news to town
Sheriff Battle, Marshal Keith, Attorney
Plummer, DR.. Williamson, Phil Allen
Brazelton, Frank Martin and GAZETTE
reporter, got themselves on horse back
and started for the scene of the disaster.
When we reached the Nolan river il
was almost beyond swimming, and on
reaching the other bank the Wardville
scboolhouse we found to be blown fiat
down, and from there to Robinson
branch we could see
EVIDENCES OF THE WIND,
rain and hail in every direction. We
reached the Robinson Branch school IN
about one hour from the time we left
town, and there lying on the floor were
the bodies of three of Dock Griffin s
children and his sister, all dead.
We then went to the house of A.
F. johnson and we found 1t an over
crowded hospital Mr.. johnson and
family were all safe and sound. but the
house was filled with the dead and
Sounded as follows:
Mr.. D. c. Mccoy, badly bruised about
the body and limbs and bruised and cash
cut in the head.
Mrs. Mccoy was badly bruised about
her body, limbs and face cut, left arm
broken in several places.
Laying by her side was her two-year-
old baby girl with hole knocked in her
skull and the brains running out, still
alive, but in
A CRITICAL CONDITION.
DR.. W. January was sitting propped
up in chair with his head and shoulders
badly bruised and lacerated and crippled
in bis right leg.
His wife was badly bruised and hurt.
In the next room lay their four-year-
old boy dead with his skull mashed in.
The baby was unhurt.
In the same house were Bob Stevens
and his family. Bob was considerably
bruised and gashed up. His little girl
was hurt and bruised, but was up. His
about the head and face.
Dock Griffin and wife were carried to
the residence of Mr.. Block. Dock Griffin
is seriously injured all over, but the
principal hurts are his hip dislocated and
across the breast, and his legs badly
drawn. His wife is cut and bruised al
jured internally, also. It is
very doubtful in regard to either of
those recovering.
The following houses were all blown
down and the families we're more or less
injured: Old man L. Sells house, his
SON. house, and the houses of DR.. W.
January, D. c.. Mccoy, G. NJ. Gordon,
Kinnon, DR.. Griffin, Harry Bratcher,
Liger Bratcher, Esq. Gay, Mr.. Dockery,
Mr.. westbrook, Mr.. Elams, Frank Beal
and his father, A. D. Beal, j. H.
Baugh. the Widow Jones, Ben William
son. Mr.. Phillips, W. D. Hickman,
Billy Sparks, making in all
TwENTY-oNE HOUSES
as far as heard from q total loss. Not
even any of their crops are left.
Doctors Williamson, Alexander, Keat-
ing, Colby, Greenville and Osborn, from
Cleburne, went out to the scene of the
disaster, and were doing all In their
power to relieve the wounded suffering,
and the country people were loud in
their praise for the assistance given
through these gentlemanly physicians.
The tornado struck about eleven miles
northwest of the Robinson Branch
schoolhouse and left the earth about
three miles south of the schoolhouse. 1t
was about half mile wide and COM
pletely demolished everything in its
path. Provisions, bedding and other
necessaries began to arrive from Gle
burne by the wagon load before we left.
The following are the
NAMES OF THE DEAD:
JOHNNIE GRIFFIN,
WEssoN GRIFFIN,
CRAZY GRIFFIN and Miss MANDA GRIF-
FIN, q sister of DR.. Grifhn and
WALLACE JANUARY.
w. w. Collier and family moving from
franklin county to Coleman county,
were caught in the storm near the shool-
house and themselves and wagon and
team suffered considerably. All the
wire fences and other kinds of fences are
down and destroyed. The Postofice,
situated in store, and the stock OF
goods were considerably damaged from
the storm.
At clock this afternoon Mayor Fry
mier called q meeting of the citizens OF
Cleburne at the courthouse for the pur-
pose of organizing and providing proyis-
ions, etc., for the Robinson Branch suf-
ferers. The citizens responded promptly
and soon $1,000 was raised and commit
tees appointed to buy provisions, CLOTH
ing, bedding and other uecessaries 70 al
leviate
THE IMMEDIATE WANTS
of the sufferers. In q very short time
the city bad six wagon loads for the suf-
ferers which were Immediately started to
Robinson Branch This being the first
Monday and estray sale day, large
body OF people from the country were In
town. They were called together and
chairman appointed for each precinct
for the purpose Of raising
funds for the Robinson Branch
sufferers. The county treasury has
considerable funds on hand and the citi-
zens are making demand OF the county
for $1,000 to help take care Of the suf-
ferers.
LATER. S. Baugh, wife and two
children are leriously hurt and are in q
critical condition. They are at the house
OF Mr.. Bratcher.
Kinnon and wife are badly hurt and
are the house Of Mr. Bratcher.
GRAxBURx's rAEr OF WOE.
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