San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-05
AUSTIN LETTER.

10 the San Antonio LIGHT.
| About one o'clock Thursday afternoon
the whole town was thrown into excite
ment by the rumor that DIR. Reeves, the
superintendent of the state lunatic asy-
charged inmate. The report was soon
| confirmed and distressing tragedy re-
| vealed. The murderer, Henry PurnelI,
! was once an inmate of the asylum, but
some time ago was discharged as cured.
| and left Austin. where his father and
| brothers reside, but returned some time
ago and for a time was looking around
for work. As he could get nothing to do
| in the city he west to the asylum and
proffered his services for his hoard
| and has up to Tuesday last been rational
enough.
There can, however, be no doubt of his
| insanity, for his plans for the murder
were very Shrewd and most characters
| tic of madman. First he borrowed a
| gun from gentleman In town saying he
wished to go hunting, and as he had once
been champion shot, having in times
| past won several medals, the gun was lent
him. His next move was to get an i'm
provised hunting sack from the cook,at
the asylum, and thus equipped, he started
| in the direction of DR.. Reeves Office He
| met the doctor as he was on his way from
dinner, and without word of warning,
shot heavy load of buckshot into his
breast, killing him instantly. The muir
derer then calmly took an electric car for
town and gave himself up to the author
| tiles. When interviewed at the Jail he
gave no reason for his crime and was to
| all appearances perfectly rational, re-
| fuSing to say but little, though composed
| to wonderful degree. The remains of
the unfortunate superintendent were car
| ried to the old home in north Texas. I'M
| der theescort of the Knights of Pythas,
| of which society the deceased was a mem
| Der.
Since the Xmas sales are over business
| is necessarily a little dull, though mer-
| chants are not complaining. Money is
more plentiful since the repeal of the
| alien land law and real estate men look
| for property to go up. The electric cars
| run smoothly under the new manage
| ment and the public are well satisfied
| On the whole Austin fares well enough at
present.
A group of negroes collected at the cor
| ner Congress avenue and 6th.Street the day
after Christmas and were discussing the
faults and virtues of various nationalities.
Some preferred one people and others an
other, and each of course stood mp for his
choice "Er EngliSman s mighty sharp,
| remarked grave senior.
No sharpener Dutch man." came a
reader answer
eyes dey is; Dutchman live and die an
never talk plain, but before desc English
mems been here one week dey talks United
States good as we does"
Back alleys are generally quite uninter-
esting, but sometimes there is much to see
! in them il we look about us. There is an
alley behind the store of Harrell & Wilcox
! the fashionable haber d iShers, and Mon
a. lnlt 10
4 band boxes all mixed and tumbled up with
| hats Of various styles, sizes, shapes and
hines, some of them more or less damaged,
but the majority in toto, though most
| out OF style. Around this confused heap
was gathered crowd of negroes; old and
young, each with more hats than he
could manage but all scrambling and
exchanged his greasy slauch for jaunty
sawed off derby and seemed very proud
| OF his changed appearance. On
the whole it was a hideouS sight and
one to be laughed at.
The Mansion will not be open on New
! Year, on account of the death of
DR.. Reeves, the late asylum superinten-
dant.
| Vernona Jarbeau was at Millett's on
| Tuesday in starlight" The cast was
net so good as last season, but the audi
| ence, a large and fashionable one, SEEM
ed pleased with the performance.
"a Cold Day" was the attraction We'd
nesday. A fair audience turned out to
greet this and the majority like it.
Ed. Morris, lately an Austin society
man, but now merchant In Tyler, is In
the city greeting his old friends and de-
lighting all the ladies as usual.
Miss Franklin, of Houston, is visiting
Miss Withers Of this city.
| Mic, EIIoo
a four months visit north.