Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-12-08
AFTER MANY YEARS
a. A. HOUSTON is ON TRIAL FOR
A MURDER
OF a Aosl Diabollcal Character Committed
lust Alter the War--He Says He Is Not
The Man Who Did II.

Waco, Tex, Dec 7.--(Special AFTER
the noon recess yesterday IN the district
court, the work of impnneling jury IN
the A, A. Houston murder case was re-
sumcd which was accomplished late IN
the afternoon, and after two special
ycnires had been exhausted.
The following gentlemen compose the |
jury, which is Il very intelligent body y. |
NJ johnson, o., j. Miller, j. ii. Appel, |
II, Goodnight, I. n, Bradley. George /. |
Lyons |, b. Moorehcad, ]. IL. leftwich,
y. II, Douglass, a. IL, Meredith, H. IL.
Hord, q. w. Denton.
County Attorney j. w. Taylor read
the indictment, as found by the grand
jury to the prisoner. charging him with
the murder OF Moses Ogden on Fehru-
airy IL, 1866. To the charge he responded
Not guilty"
The witnesses for both the state and
defense were sworn, and G. W. Ogden,
for the state, was placed on the stand.
He testified substantially as follows
On February IL, 1856, my father re-
sided near Old Perry, or Perry Hill. IN
this county, better known now as Moody
About twilight two men, dressed In
federal uniforms, and claiming TO be
| puroled soldiers arrived at our gate aud
| asked TO be allowed 10 spend the night
| father we thought they were robbers
| and protested against their being adj
| mitted by this time they hud come up
to the door, and complaining of being
very tired and weary my father told
them TO come In and, although he was
not prepared TO accommodate travellers,
he would do the best he could for them.
The names of the men were Hightower
| and Houston. After being IN the room
probably IN hour, HightOwcr asked for
glass Of water. My father went into
the adjoining room and returned Win
the water: as he handed II to High
tower the litter pushed pistol into
my fathers face and told him to hold ny
his hunds: my father grabbed the pistol
which was discharged, the bullet golnp
into the floor: my mother attempted Il
20 to my fathers assistance, hut lous
ION prevented her; then llightower ant
Houston both assaulted father, durini
which he escaped into the next room, ~
not until he had received shot IN NJ
| right lung from llightowers pistol
! from which death resulted nine day
afterwnrd; they then took u trunk, whicl
was in the room, and escaped; they cant
there for the purpose of robbery ant
. thought the money was in the trunk
my father having Just returned IRON
Mexico. where he had been with cotton
The witness further said that he mac
not seen ltlEnloNtI VI it"u9shvn ~.
, thp time of the tragedy until a rev
, months ago: had learned that High
tower Ind been killed many year ngo
, While on the witness stand he ldenulet
. Houston, the defendant, ny ih'
, companion Of Hightower on me, nlgn
, of the tragedy, aud who assisted MN u
, Tho murder aud robbery; he said h'
/ nnver thoucht Of his father without
seeing the faces of his mnnlerers qnC
, | tI,ot they were lust as fresh IN his mini
, ms al The time of the homicide.
, The cross examination, which was very
rigid, fniled TO weaken the testimony L
I any extent. -. ,,-;,ros,
and his testimony in the mann corropo
: rated that of his brother. ,,i
me court then took recess uull
. mis- morning at $3.50 o'clock.
! during the first part Of this year tl'
! Messrs. Ogdens learned tnat ni ,.'
. named A. A. Houston and ahsWeIlhl
thc description of the escaped murderer
s 10 living In Comanchc county. Inc!
1 went there and attended reunion a
neI con and identified Houston as benz
/ ana AZ The slnyers of their father, no
+ having seen him In twenty-sM year ils
= There Is defect in iious,on ~ M,
aad his shoulders are sala 10 pe aD''I hay
In peculiar manner. Inc oguel ~
o ~ tbcv remember his face, ana I'm
I these defects only substanulate tner w
d M tbnt he IL the man.
J, W Ionstnn was arrested August II an'
brought 10 Waco, where he rsnmnGd u
e Jail until August ", wleh ~ r nI
y hnbeas corpus hehrins ""u
: on cST1 ~ n. Lindsey Of DeLoon an
II Iobn /. Over of Waco represent the ne
D. fsndnnt. while County Attorney u, "
lravior Il assisted by Capt L. A. blal
!; in the prosecution. IT,. % Ga, An
u 70 w Ogden Is a resident OIL Shh az
d ,,oio Tom Green county, ana Johh
n n,,den lives at Sonora, sutton county,
2, '1Ionston Is said TO have good ihti
q. - mol aon. in COmauehe county, IN
,n he In comfortable circumstance. /,
/ 'The line Of defense being pursued y
n the defendants attorneys Is the 1919 ~
D. " ,be defendant with the real murlere
"a u i ~ abs,nce from the state at y
l. NM ~ lie tragedy. To prove TINS, y
irsonse hns witnesses here from Arkhl
4 i's IN show that Houston was a resldei
- n that state ut the time OF tiie hoiliiVio y
is THE taking Of the testimony "us -
4, sumed this morning q, IS 0oden
~ Is,tb and the mother Of z: w. an
~ NJ o,iaeu was placed on the stnh
u ~. ,.stified substantially the same
~ ~ Niessrs Ogden Her story OF u
III ,nnr,iar and robbery was ihtiilliis, nv nv
closed wish climax. oi Ies,5ds ~
Nuanr NJ a. - AA'AAfe ..rI
Hbs said. ale is one OF the men WI
killed my husband. "a ,.a dofen,
= Tho state then rested, ana me a desen
- ols" Tionston. on the stand. He said ih
- = v. lived Ia Bcll county in ls5l anu
"a he fall Of that year moved ~, 70 AZ; H5sA
10 rs ana was there 100 1871 nt ih' tlil'
IL ~, traeedr. lie returned 70 IeAas
iissI4, On cross examination BE- deq ~
iy being present at nc ns n, \ e,.o ~
u irsvior Wl,o went With the arieha.hlt
"a hr.ansas. But the most senFauoi,
S.@iire WIS his adnislo INT As
seTf..i the Confederate army anu JIM
IN Union forces. ..,,-.t,
THE defense then Introduced a NUM-
:. ~ Titnesses from Lano, Comanei
~ snd other western counties, 70 ~
lie ne general reputation End in.
or ecier OF tie defendant II was hno'
ic- haf he had been good citizen; We
Is ferner and stock raiser, hal IVY.
q. ,nerchnat and ut one time was ~
~ master In Conanehe county.