Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-14

door to listen. He heard something
foil into the water with dull thud,
judging II to be something Weighing
six or eight pounds from the SOUND.
Directly he heard another plunge IN
the water as II something had been
thrown in. He then went back to bed.
Not long after this man on small
pony. who appeared to be coming from
Denison, crossed the bridge. The bridge
was kept locked at night by chain
fastened across 1t. but the horseback
rider was enabled to go over the bridge
by dismounting and leading his pony
under the chain. When the horseback
rider had crossed to the Territory side
he found Key with wagon and team,
which afterwards proved TO have been
the property OF Mclaughlin. Key was
alone and spoke TO him and wanted
him 10 go up and ask the brldge-keeper
to let him over. The horseman refused
to do It. saying there would be no use.
as the brldge-keeper would not let any
body over at night, especially stran-
ger. Key then asked him to help turn
his wagon around. which was done, by
the side OF the hill. and said he would
try to cross the river somewhere else.
The horseback rider assisted him, and
they separated.
About. o'clock next morning two
II. -drle. 300 yards
below the bridge. They were qur1r7''
ard comforts, and on being unwrdpped
were found to be covered with blood
and b. aims. During the same forenoon
the remains of Mclaughlin were found.
He had been murdered In camp End
dragged or and hid in a brush pile.
When the bridge keeper learned Of the
finding of the quilts and The Export
was circulated that a murder had been
committed he Immediately sent word
TO a United States marshal at neni-
son and an Investigation was begun.
Key was seen In Deuison about 10
o'clock in the forenoon of July =. He
approached the auctloneer and wanted
him to sell at public sale his wagon
and team, but said he would rot take
less than $50 or 500. The auctlo iser
that mue IN Key fema ed in Denls s
until p. M. and wed back to lhe
auctloneer and told min 10 get what
he could. The team AM wagon were
disposed of for s55, and N giving a ~
OF sale Key signed his name &C. II.
Kerr"
After getting his morley he had Nc
Laughllu's trunk checked to sherman
| and bought ticket TO that loinL lie
was arrested before the train - on
suspicion and the city marshal talked
10 him about the case. He talked free
ly until questioned about his victim,
when he appeared to 20 crazy, rolled
his eyes talked about steamboats, aid
cannon ana blUtl lIiNitNblll lllil 10
The next morning he was asked about
his victim. and while he could talk
| nationally about everything else he
went crazy again apparently. He was
carried to the Sherman Jail and the
trunk that he had checked was re-
covered and contained the Bible, al
bum, clothing, etc, Of Mclaughlin.
He had AN examining trial before
Commissioner Grant and was COM
mitted to the Paris jail without bail.
The case was called at the November
term, but was continued at the in
stance of The defense. The case went
to trial at the following spring term
and resulted In conviction Keys own
statement was the only testimony in
his defense He claimed that Nc
Laughlin was murdered by John Cox. a
mythical stockman who had hired him
| ard Mclaughlin both to go to the
| Territory with him to remove herd
| of cattle that he had traded for to his
ranch in western Texas. But the evil
dence showed that Key had been seen
along the road every mile of the way
from Gainesville to Sherman, from
! there to Dcnison and from Denison to
where Mclaughlin was last seen alive,
and that Iohn Cox nor any other third
person wns ever seen with them.