San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-01
MURDER AND ROBBERY.
KILLED IN HIS wIFE'S PRES
ENCE.
BOOkkeeper j. ID. Pauton's Brains,
Blown Out by a Desperate
Burglar, Who Escapes!

Y
Burglar, Who Escapes!
On awakening this morning San
Antonio WAS shocked, more go in fAes
than for years past, by the news that
most atrocious and bloody murder
had been committed while the city
| slept. Anxious to hear the partieu-
lars, men aud women were discussing
the occurrence, first at the Market
then later, groups Of men on the street {
talked it over, and 80 the. news
spread.
The murder was committed by D
| burglar, unknown. The victim was
Mr.. J. d. Patton, bookkeeper for Gold
frank, Frank Il 20. The place, Mr.. Pat
| toms bedroom in his residence on,
Warren street, in the Fourth ward
The time about ESQ o'clock this
morning.
From police officers, detectives and 4
| from Mrs. Patton herself the facts
were CLEANED as follows:
Mr.. Patton lived on the south side
| Of Warren street, midway between
North Flores street and San Pedro
Avenue, In a one-story cottage. He
was awak ened in the night by his
wife, who whispered TO him to IistenP
to rustlipg noise in the room. He
! listened and said in whisper, shat
| IL some one In the ROOM" He arose
and had not got very far from the
bed when she heard muff1ed cry. OF :
| gurgIe, followed by one pistol skosS
She did not hear her husband fall,
but did hear some one run out Of
the room and down the hslh
way. She followed until she ram
against door at the end of the hall
which she found locked. All was ,
then still aud she began calling for
her husband. Receiving no answer
she returned to the bed room, still.
calling. On striking o match, she
gazed upon the PROSTATE form Of her
husband, lying on the floor, in 3 pool
OF blood, and he was in his death
struggles, breathing and convulsive.
She raised the alarm, crying murder
aroused and came to her assistance
and the police were called.
Mr.. Patton was dead, and q bullet
hole In the left side of the forehead,
told where the murderer had given
him his death wound. The face an d
head were powder burned, showing
| that the pistol had been held very
| close to his head.
| On examination of the house 1t was
| found that the coat and vest OF MI.
Patton were gone They contained
some money and gold watch. The
sum OF IS cents belonging to one Of
| the children had also been taken
| from the child's clothing. Two win
| dows in the hall were found open,
| where the burglar made his ingress
and egress. On the arrival Of
the mounted police minute
! search of the premises was made and 4
| footprints leading to the fence on
| Warren street were found. These
were measured and were found to be
| 10 10 inches In length, or about the
size of number or number Sshoe.
| After the mounted men came Mar
shals Shardein, Coy, and the detee-
tives and the two blood hounds be-
| longing to the county were sent for
| They struck the scent and led to, the
fence. Being lifted over the fence
they were at fault and could not fol-
low the trail.
A neighbours wife, Mrs. Clark
son, living opposite to the house,
and looked out of the window. she
saw man leap over the fence of the
Patton house, cross the street run
ming, and she heard him crashing
through the mesquite brush Of an
open lot near her house.
Mr.. Patton was man Of about 81
years of age. He was of small
stature and not very strong. He had
been head bookkeeper Of the dry
goods department of Goldfrank,
Frank & Co, for over ten years, and
had been in San Antonio 20
longer than that He leaves n
| wife and two children and number
of step children. He was member
of several secret societies of this city, =
and in their endowment degrees had
life insurance amounting to over
$4,000. IT is thought he had In
suraDce also, in an independent life -
insurance company. Mrs. Patton and
her family are very much shocked at
the terrible death OF their protector.
and the lady is so unnerved that
fears OF her health being undermined
are entertained.
The funeral takes place tomorrow
morning from the residence, as GSs
o'clock.