The Progress., 1892-12-24
4 HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A Brutal Murder in the Full
Light of Day.
SHREVEPORT THE SCENE OF ANOTHER
hffRAY, WHEREIN A MANS
LIFE is ENDED.


As a general thing The PROGRESS
eschews mentioning acts of sensa-
tional character, and in questions OF
crime, where wild lawlessness plays
u part, merely gives reportorial no
tice thereof. But there are times
and occasions when it would be Grim
inal to remain silent, and that time is
now, the occasion the murder OF
John McCort, on Tuesday afternoon
last.
This was unquestionsbly one of the
most deliberate, cold-blooded and
brutal murders that ever corroded
the annals of Shreveport's history.
As far as we have been able to
learn, the palllation for this deep
crime is so tiimsy that it cannot be
recognized as any at all; on the con
trary, the entire event presents on Its
face deliberately framed plot be-
tween at least two, to commit mur-
der. The program and execution
was so deliberately done as to make
its enactment revolving in the ex-
treme, and arouses tie honest indlg-
otion of every true man, while Its
e. causes tremor of appre
II the breast of al
boldnas. e law anC
hension to pervau.-
lovers and upholders U.
order.
When it is taken into consideration
that the tragedy took place On the
most prominent and freauented, by
men, women and children, thorough
fare in the city, at an hour of the day
and season when ladies would be out
in search of Christmas goods; that
adjoining the saloon where it occur
red, the Methodist ladies were hold
ing church bazaar, an innocent by
stander was shot III carrying
out the plot, the actors in the
drama displayed a reckless aban6 on
of moral restraint, and utter disre-
gard for the laws of God and man.
that should make society tremble for
the safety of Ter Kingdom.
The victim of this venomous attack |
was fakir. and formed 'o,.e o. the
texture which constitutes n GOOD |
moral government, but for al that |
he WIS human creature, entitled to |
the protection of the statutory laws
of our State, and IL current evidence |
be true, he was much superior to the
sayages who ruthlessly took his life.
There must bo u ces ,ation and de |
throning of the sentiment which now
has dominating influence in our
town. Twice within the period of |
four months have the main streets OF |
Shreveport been the scenes of muir
der il the broad light of day. The
Hudson homicide was bad enough,
goodness knows, but it was produc-
Uion of a stage drama III comparison
to this killing of McCort. In the
former affair there was at least a
fight, and the victim was at one mo-
meht on top of hi, opponent beating
him with bottle, but in Tuesdays
there was none of this, but
on the contrary, the murdered man
was, ia cowardly manner. set upon
by two h1man blood-hounds and shot
down like dog, without being gwen
a chance for his life. And worse, it
is currently believed that the last,
single shot, WAS fired by the brute
Nash, after his vici i'm was down, ut
terly detenseless and dying.
1be two main actors in this life
drama are William (Kid) Nash and
Kid Barnet, two fakrs, thieves and
robbers, who are pests to society and
a disgrace to the name OF men. There
may have been others implicated in
The crime; from the coroner's Jury
verdict there is strong presumptive
evidence that there was, but the third
was, if implicated at all, only a pas-
i've ald and abettor to while
Nash and Barnet were the act
Iye assassins.
The accused claim that McCort
tired first, and that he then had
pistol in each hand, but that is not
Dorno out by the evidence, which now
points conclusively to the fact that
Barnet and Nash were the ones who
Ind the first and perhaps all the fir
ng, the dead man having no oppor-
unity, and did not fire single shot.
Nash and McCort had been quar-
,eling for about two days, we are in
'ormed, over the division of spoils OBJ
aimed in one of their robbing ;
schemes, wherein they bad relieved I
country tenderfoot of his money.
Some lime daring Monday or Tues
lay, Jack Bergman, man who owes ,
much to the cnarity of the good citi- ,
.ens, sufficient to make him keep Sc ,
:luded from participating in viola (
ions of law, was heard to remark