Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-15
vol XVII NO 1870

hind"
Taking this description along, young
MIR. Rogers, who scemcd to be acting In
corporation with the sheriff and other
officers. began dilligent search for tho
criminal; and In company with deputy
sheriff Ballard abort sunrise mnde the
arrest OF negro other than the de-
tendant, and promptly placed BIN In
jail. While on this point ! quote part
of Mr., Rogers Testimony while oil the
witness stand IN the case;
That about sunrise witness and
DEPUTY Sheriff Ballard saw norro
tnot dsfendalitl standing In the fr,nf door
Of an old dancing hall In Free Town
tin the edre OF liillshoro) and as
soon Ms The neayW saw witness aud said
Ballard he ran around the house. That
Witness and Ballard caught him behind
the house and arrestcd hln and the
said negro WIS wearing dark ptntS and
n white shirt, no vest, loug coat which
looked like an old overcoat, AMI had
On his head htile black crushcr hat
turned UP all around, His pants were
muddy and Wet nearly up 90 Ills knees,
aud he had OH his person pistol aud q
knife, That Witness thought the negro
when they arrested him lillgd the deaciip-
ton given him by suid lila and Ola
Slfvrrill"
Aflcr placing this negro who, according
20 Mr. Rogers opinion, suited tue de-
sNFNAlhltU given ny 'NAAN ANullk lANNt III
jnii, the testimony shows that large
crowd Of excited men gathored around
u determined 10 suminarily execute HIM.
The whole towh aud community We're
ia q great state of excitement at tho
tInc, A Sheriff Cox was passing from
the Jail TO the public Square he noticed
a negro quioth sitting on O horse with
out a saddle, hui on suck, In fn,nt
" feed storr. He asked the negro
what he was doing thcr', and he replied
Tint he had come ~ l-ct some corn with
which to feel his horse. Tho sheriff told
him 10 disn,ennt, that he wanwd him.
The negro did 10. The smirln placed hiln
IN chnrgo OF another negro HiaudinK BY,
and finally pm him IN jail. lt kecnia that
many arrests Of nerroes were nIadc that
day; and that as many ~ eight OF ten
We're Imprisoned on suspicion OF being
the guilty ono, The negro WHOM the
sheriff rnvt,rl and tool from the bare
buukcd horse was che dcimdAnL Isaac
Ne one Disputes that at The time the
hcfciuinut was arrested yNdlemcnt was
hlgh, aud The crowd Of men extended
from me jall 60 wifhin iltJ or 100 tcet
OF whVrc Rtuce wins quietly sitting when
arrested The nest morning Sheriff. md
H., two dNurhtcm view oarrlod TO thu
mil for the purpose of identifying thn
criminal The young Indy and her htue
sister Wrre admitted into the jul hfat.
An iha negroes wpra Standing Ia hne,
aud SHE wvis ,sllled upon 10 ilruiiiy The
guilty one In the prsscnce OF a number
OF reputable grnilcnlcn she selected tha
defendant, and was very positive that
he WIS thp one who had raped her, Her
little sister being pre-'ni probably saw
her nick ont this ncEru, and she also
was quite ~ positive that nv was tle
Que. Sheriff. himsclf was then. brought
INTO tho Jail uui looking over The crowd
Of ncer0es, stated IN the prcEentV OF Wit
noascss ihnt he could not tdenliiy me
ncgfo While on the stand No ule tflnb
hn,vver, DC positively swurc that tho
defendant, Bruce. was the one. lie eA-
plnlnel that reason why he did nus
idcutfy him az the laii was tlMi ne
MAS afraid be would he nNachnh he =
witness and imprisoned until The trlal
Tho Injured yir aud her little sister
olAo aworc positively on the trial tlM
Rftiro committed the crilno. AHlde lronl
tihp proof, lhOfe WIS 40 cirrWuHtnine
N tl,c allghtem way llnpl icatinS MN. iir
| aid not IN thu description HlNtn ny 'ie
| yonnp lady 10 the officers. H0 had no
| knlfe or nlatol on Ids person when ar
rested We won while and not u dark
vpst nh dny sunday AltllouRh q hard
min followed soon after tlie rape ana
the ground was very muddy tne An"rs
and clothes OF Bruce when awested NJ
about s o'clock Ia the morning Wsl"
Ug had no muatnchp or whlskers OF
any kind; aud thu proof showed " MN.
sclf aud Il was not contruyorlrll tn"t
he did not use tobacco at nll' lhuor
have examined closely to hnd Ahpis
feature 10 The whole ease that eoull
ciminlie him, hnd pave ihlpi, ~ IN
a. 10 hc positive, uucorroboraled lenll-
n.ony uf the three witnesses, 1he young
ltdy evidently believed without doubt
ihat hp was the offender. The Young
,rri may have boon led into thH nenel
~ tie positive declarations OF her oller
sister Tue father doubled KNOWING hInVI
WHOM he snw him In the jail lie ma
thp best opportunity Of knowing tie
,,.,..,n Mnt went with lilin 10 the camp
and evidently ripped his daughter that
Night, ..,..... ,,.a4tLx
of mention here. Shorrill awore hnI
while drinking IN town that morning 10
fnmul III way 20 the camp all right;
mi that ON his return TO the camp INIT
evening when he lost his why nnh could
mot 0ud the camp he VIVA ktficily SOUR
mud Ind not been drinking. HIS uuuEn-
Ter awore, however, tint When no "
turned 70 the camp win the n'fID y"
was drinking. Evidently he WIS drnnk
when he lost his way aud got Tue ncHi"
20 show him 20 the camp. Noihlng pe
Cured while The negro remained innt
fifteen minutes ~ The camp 70 indpllnN
Impress lis features upon tlthrr oi W.
girls. lie nte The beef aud bre9di aahei
Tor tnhneco. which WAS given hliu- his
wns about shutdown on Sunday evening.
rhe pirM swore ihht when the rape was
committed IL was very dark, but thvy
recognized The negro who committed The
deed by the flash VI tightening, They
wcra ali very much alarmed when they
discovered a man standing there with q
Knife md pistol drawn Their excite
ment did moi 0baie for several hours
N the defendant Is Ia be executed, II
will be upon the testimony OF These three
unonie who had no other opportunities
iban Inc ones described Of knowing him.
n tbsra was no other proof whatever
In thp ease. " II clear beyond reason.
able doubt 60 the mind Of any impartial
man that Bruce committed this rapef
SUN M the facts and Incidents that were
proven by the defense on the trial and
consider thein also
iThc defendant showed that be lived
NJ West Mcl.ennnn county. That on
Friday evening Ia June. two days before
tho crime was committed. he lrft his
home III company with a negro man and
wife 10 attend an emancipation cclebra-
lion al Ilillsl.orO on Saturday The next
day. That the three put W. with fheir
friend, A. Flournoy and VIE, about
milf mile south Of the courthouse il HIS
boro. where they remuined from Friday
,i.,,,f until Monday morning. He proved