The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-10-13
MURDER MOST FOUL.
A MEXICAN SHOT DOWN WHILE
GOING TO BED.
Hornsby's Bend the Scene Of Another Ter
rible Tragedy Whereby Joe Romero
Loses His Life by the Hand
Of an Assassin.

Governor Hogg says that under his
and rigid enforcement
Of the criminal laws, crime has been
reduced to minimum in Texas. Has
Il ? Let us see.
On the third of last September, Jim
Ramage ~ poor ranch hand at
work in the northern part OF
Travis county, was assassinated
in broad daylight. No reward was
offered by his excellency and his muir
derer or murderers are still at large.
On September 10 Sheriff John L.
Olive of Williamson county was also
shot down by the hand of an assassin
in Bell county. He was one OF the
best and most popular sheriffs in the
state Of Texas. Governor Hogg |
offered reward of $500. Private re-
wards aggregating nearly $4,000 were
offered and now six men, alleged to
be implicated in the crime, are in Jail
awaiting the action of the grand jury
of Williamson county.
On September "a our own popular
and dearly beloved ex-sheriff, M. M,
Hornsby, was killed while attempting
to quell disturbance at Mexican
tandango, which was being
held on his own place. BY the efforts
of our efficient sheriff, Emmett White,
aided by personal friends of the de-
ceased sheriff, the man who fired the
fatal shot is now in Jail.
On Oct. four men, two white and
two Mexicans, were killed in q fight
which originated among themselves
at a fandango near the Travis county
trail.
And now comes the news of the
eighth killing which has occurred
within tn asst five weeks within the
immediate vicinity of the great
granite capitol and the office
of his eXcellency, Governor
James S. Hogg, the
details of which are as follows:
Joe Romeo is the name of the last
victim. His home was at Hornsby's
Bend and he was one OF the main wit
nesses to the difficulties which lead
to the death of eX-Sheriff Hornsby
about two weeks age. In fact he is
the man with whom the two strange
Mexicans had been gambling and
with whom the dispute had arisen, to
uuell which Mr.. Hornsby had been
called in only to receive fatal shot in
his manly breast. The news of the
killing was brought to Austin yes
terday morning ABOUT III O'Clock and
Sheriff White at once proceeded to
the scene of the tragedy. He returned
last evening and was seen 10y The
STATESMAN reporter shortly after his
arrival, to whom he gave the follow
ing particulars:
Romero has been boarding with
and working for Mexican down at
the Bend named Materia Parez. The
| wife of the latter, according to her
own statement, the only witness to
the shooting, made the following
statement to Mr.. White.
She says that her husband had gone
to bed about 8 O'Clock on Friday
night in the back room, the house
being small, two room affair, and
that Romero was disrobing ia the
front room preparatory to retiring,
while she was out in the yard. Sud
denly she was accosted by white
man speaking English on the outside
of the wire fence, which runs about
fifty feet from the front door, who
asked her: "Where are your Next
cans?"
She told him that they were
there in the house and that if he
wanted to see them to come in, and
on his further saying he was afraid Of
the dogs she told him she would KEEP
them off. He then, so she says, slip,
ped under the fence and started
toward the house, calling: "Come Out
here, you Mexicans." In the
meantime Romero, IN go,
ing to bed, had gotten OF
o. Q shoe but hearing the call, started
for the door. BY the time he reached
the threshold the white man was a
the gallery. Then the woman says, HI
raised pistol and fired three shots
Romero falling in the doorway afte
which the assassin ran off. She say
she was so badly frightened that sh'
ran to the house of a neighbor ant
spent the night while her husband
Jumped out of bed and ran to tn
brush where he also spent the night
1 Yesterday morning they returned tt
, their home and gave the alarm
a Romero being found lying stone deaf
in the doorway.
Mr.. White says that only one of tn
three shots took effect. 1t entered tn
right breast above the nipple and Ii
cut it out of the body i'll the small G
d the back. The other two wen
through the board floor.
Mr.. White goes to the scene of tn
y tragedy this morning again and ful
: Their sensational developments are eS
d pected.
i And still Governor Hogg assert
that crime has been reduced to min
imum in Texas. If it has, TIL
g STATESMAN hopes with Judge Sheek
!. "that the maximum may never b
d reached.