Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-11-05
MURDERED.
G. Taylor Was Slain by
His laborer,
VINO TURNS our TO DE THE SAME
WHO FIRED AT THE SHERIFF..
HIS HORSE, PURSE
AND RAZOR FOUND WITH JOHN
WILKINS AT cLEBuRNE THE
FOLLOWING DAY.
The Latter Tells Badly Mixed
story and Then Takes II
All Hack.
HIS HORSE, PURSE

Cleburne. Tex, Nov. 4.-(Speoial.)-
who lived alone on his place about ave
or six miles from Grandyiew. IN the
eastern part OF this county. was muir
dered last Tuesday night. ana the facts
as developed up to tho present time are
as follows: A man giving his name
as John wilkins went TO Taylor's
house ON Inst Tuesday or Wednesday
and hired to him as a farm hand. on
Thursday he was seen at his C'raylor's)
house. Friday morning about sunup
Wilkins appeared in Cleburne, twenty
two miles from Taylor's place. He sold
the horse he was riding to the highest
bidder. He aroused suspicion and Sher-
ifr Stewart arrested him and started TO
the jail with him. When he arrived
at the gate wilkins broke and ran,
with Sheriff Stewart after him. Will
kins stepped behind tree and began
shooting at Stewart. and came very
near killing him, an he shot n hole
through his hat. After he had emptied
his pistol he surrendered, but said he
would not surrender n he had more
cartridges. On his way to jail he said
It was not the horse he was afraid OF,
Il was something worse than than. On
Saturday mornlng one of Taylors rent
ers went over to his house to see him
on some business and found the doors
nailed up and n blanket over one OF
the windows, Az the renter had never
known Taylor to do this before he
thought something was wrong, and as
n. an "a Inn .. Ila.I l.A
and they went In and found Taylor
murdered. He was sitting At the table
as If he WINS eating his supper when
shot. He was shot twice in the head
with shotgun and once in the back
OF his neck with n pistol. The things
missing from Taylors house were as
follows. viz: One shotgun. purse. razor.
horse. bride and saddle. All these ex-
cept the shotgun were found on VIII
kins when he was searched Mt tho
jail. The things were identified by sew
eral OF Tayior's neighbors. The shot
gun was found yesterday in n field
three miles this side OF Tnylor's place
and on the road to Cleburne. The
tracks leading up to the fence where
the gun was thrown over correspond to
the tracks made by the horse which
Taylor rode. Wilkins eaid In reference
TO the horse and other things that he
got them from a man by the name OF
Bridges In Itnsca at about II o'clock
Thursday morning, but when Bridges
was brought before him. he said that
the statement was false. Mr.. Bridges
lives In the neighborhood where Tay-
Tor lived, and was respected by every
one as an honest and Industrious man.
He was not In Itasca on Thursday ut
all. Bridges knew Wilkins and his
family In Missouri. He Cwilkins) has
a wife. mother. sister and two brothers
living there now. The officers hero
think they have positive proof OF guilt.
and II found guilty, he will be punish
ed TO the full extent OF the law. Your
reporter went TO tho Jail and tried to
get him to make a statement, but he
would not say a word. He is small
man with dark hair and eyes. about 5
feet Q inches tall. and weighs about 100
pounds.