Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-26

Hanged for the Murder of Fireman
Frank Martin.


BY Associated Press.
San Antonio, Tex, May 25--A special
to the Express from Karnes city, Tex.
says Joe Guiies. alias John d. May,
who killed Fireman Frank Martin In
the attempted train robbery at Breok-
enridge station, was hanged at 4
o'clock this afternoon The drop failed
to break his neck and he struggled on
| the rope twenty-three minutes. He
was only ~ years old. but met death
| coolly, having profeased religion
History of the Crime.
on Wednesday afternoon. June 25.
! 1898. news reached this city that the
south bound san Antonio and Arkansas
| Pass train that left here NJ $40 had been
| held up ut Breckenridge aud in the
/ melee that cnsucd Frank Martin, the
fireman. had been killed. and enc OF the
| train robbers captured Immediately
| the news spread about town and dis
patches sent to Breckenridge soon con-
| frmed the news The dead fireman was
well known here and the excitement
WAS Intense. II was al first reported
that the captured bandit would be
| brought here on the train due that
! night, and AS a consequence II great
| crowd HFHcnbied at the depot await
| inR his coming and for time II was
thought that violence would have been
done. But contrary TO general eNpecta-
| tion the mnu WAS only taken to karucs
| CITY and there confined.
| However, the train brought definite
| news Of the aifalr, as well as the dead
body Of the hremun. From all Rc-
counts. Just us the train was pulling
out OF breckenridge. a small station
on the Arhnaaa Pass about forty-tive
miles youth OF this city. n young fell
| low Jumped on the tender and climbed
/ L. "a
| the same time ordering the engineer
to 10 slow lie looked democratic, ana
| Fireman Frank Mnrtir started to iump
| on ana probably give the alarm, As he
| did no. the man shot at him, hitting
| him below the right shoulder and lu-
] tllctlng u wound that cauHeh his denth,
! but flvc minutes latter. Tho robber then
ordered Engineer Mike Tearncy to run
| the train across the san Antonio river,
/ about half mile down the road and
stop there Tho engineer. however re-
| VerHed his engine and iumpcd down
| from the cab, The robher then threw
| the throttle wide upen. hut Conductor
| Steele had become cogui2nnt Of some
thing wrong and PROMPTLY applied the
| air brakes, thus bringing the train TO
! a HtandHtil
Capture Of the Hobhcr.
In the moyntlme tho noise OF tho
shots from the robber'a pietnl hpd
aroused the railroad mun, when tho
train stopped the man leaprd from
the cab and started 10 run down the
road In the direction Of the river, where
his confederHtes were In waiting The
conductor Section Foreman c. H.
Saith and Express Meascuger Butler
were after him, however. A running fire
was kept up during which many shots
wore fired, but no one was hurt Final
ly the man sought shelter behind II
tree, ana seeing himself surrounded he
Threw away his pistols and surrcn-
der7d. liz was then taken to Knrnrs
city and delivered into the custody OF
sheriff Scale. A letter was found upon
hls person Addressed 10 John D. May
and he said that that was his name
! II was addressed TO him at Cotulln
from lRccVillc, cvidencing the fact that
a confederate had been over the road
10 select "a place for the robbery.
Every effort was made To- induce May
To diNulge the names Of his cDnfcd-
crates, hut he stcadrastly refused \
man named Jim Prnulugnold who had
previously been seen in Mny's com.
pany. was arrested, but no evidence
could be brought To bear connecting
him with the 0Nair, so he was released
Convicted or Murder.
Al tho next scsslou Of the grand Jury
Of lNarncs county "a true bill WIS found
against him FOR murder IN the frat de-
grse. His trial occurred during the IAN
term Of the district court Hon. A. W.
Houston OF this city, assisted District
Attorney A. Il. Davidson In the prose-
cutlon, while the prisoners interests
wcrcaoly represented by Attorneys
H. Graves aud A.. j. Bell,
May did not deny the killing but rot
NJ Il plea OF accidental homicide The
jury, however. decided otherwise, nnd
a verdict ot murder Ia the FIRST degree
was returned, The case was appealed
TO the highor courts, but tho verdict
wRa affirmed. the justices IN their de-
clSion stating that HE punishment was
1uHtlS deserved. A motion wnH thou
made for reheRring, but this WAS
oNerruled, Accordingly during the
apring term OF court the death sem
occur ON Friday, May 90, 1884.
y his Ant.crdent-.
. He hHs steadily refused 20 talk OF hbi
! | former lie hut through different
SOURCES u few facts have come to light
which are believed TO be true. From
the meager Information received Il Ia
, believed that Guiles was born at Cedar
/ I'm, Dallas county, In 1879 lie lived
on a farm until about fourteen years. OF
Z age. when, tiring of rural life, he RIM
away lie soon fell In with bad COM
! puny and finally was arrested for st,,oi
/ ing q horse IN Tarrant county. lie was
+ tried. convicted and sentenced 20 M,
+ Nears In the pcnitentlary, IL IL Thought
I that some fellow eonVicts conaplrcd
4 with him while In Jail to rob a train
/ liA'A Nh'A Terms Nhu expired. and TINT
4 the plan was Iurty formulated before
/ his release. CegtalE It was that tho
. plan WAS not the work OF old hands
, ~ the business, Ills fathers name was
4 Bon Guiles. He Is said TO have bacn
, an honest man, ana he died shortly
4 after hie sons Imprisonment for hot,sp-
A stealing HE mother, Mira Lucy Guilcs.
4 IL stln living, She ~ now quito old
!, goes about on crutches aud sonne
/. months aip was at the BcNar county
, poor farf/
) duiicsIs very tail. thin young fell
! low, WiEhs about i3S pounds. He Il,
4 very s9llow completed and by no
! manner OF means could he DO cnucd
|, good looking. MS expression, however,
I. II not bad, and he certainly does NOT
1 iook the typical desperate. However,
l. he has borne up quite well under tho
i, severe ordeal and up To the last ex
(. pressed the hope that the Governor
n would surely commute his punishment
= to life imprisonment.
U. c, n. or A.
The Grand Court Desins Il. Annual