Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-31
WAS TO BE HANGED.
ron THE MURDER OF ROBERT
GREEN, TO WHOM HE GAVE
POISON.
After "a Long Trial and Several tie.
spite. the Case is at Length
settled.

Paris, Tex. Oct. 3o.-(SpeeiaD.-
Thomas Westmoreland. who was under
sentence Of death for the murder oil
Robert Green at Courtney Flats, /. II.
in July, 1888, has had his sentenoC
commuted by President Cleveland to
imprisonment for life. He was CON
vloted at the spring term OF the foder-
al court In 1884,. His case was appealed
to the supreme court Of the United
States and affirmed. He was sentenced
to be hung on the 18th Of last month,
but was respited until the 18th OF this
month until a special agreement OF
the department OF Justice could inquire
into statements made concerning the
testimony Of some OF the witnesses.
Pending this investigation, he was fur
ther respited until the sth OF next
month.
The crime charged against Thomas
4. WestmOreiand waE the murder OF
Robert Green. II blacksmith. by pois-
onlng at Courtney Flats, ]. r., on July
10, 1893 Westmorelnnd was quite n
reckless character aud has been
charged with robbery In the federal
court at Fort Smith. but beat the case.
shortly after he was charged with
cattle theft In the United States court
at Ardmore, Greene was a witness
against him in the cattle stealing case,
ana Westmorelnnd remarked TO dit
ferent parties that he would never
have Il chance to swear him away
from his wife and children. This wn9
two weeks before Greene died. anu
about this time Westmurclnnd also
stated TO other parties, that Green was
morphine eater ANA that he was a
fool for eating morphine, because
anybody could poison him ana that no
jury on earth could ever convict him
for IL, Greene was known to have
repeatedly asserted that he Intended
10 tell all he knew about the cattle.
stealing ca1v, ON account OF Will n act
be and Wes,morelaud had nothing to
10 with each other.
In the forenoon OF the day that Green
nie1 Westmorelnnd called at his black
smith shop and appeared to be very
friendly. IL was the first time he mad
been at the shop or had spoken ia
Green In many weeks. About 2 o'clock
IN the afternoon a woman who was
living n nelghbor To Wcstmoroland
called az his house ana found him en-
gagged Ia pouring whisky from one hot
Tie TO another, lie told her he was
gong to XIII a dog that after
nooh, and that II she ever mentioned
what she saw him doing he would
XIII her. Westmorelnnd In short
while left home and went directly to
NE blacksmith shop, but when he got
there he FOUND a man working In the
shop with Green and tried To induce
MN 90 90 to see "a game OF baseball
nearby Tho hired man declined the
Invitation and Wcatmore!aud went by
himself. In about an hhur tho man
VINO vas assisting Green leii the shop
LOT the baseball grounds. and when
Weetm0relnnd saw him there hs wenl
20 town alone to his house and from
ticfc went 70 the shop again. where
Green WAS At work. In a few nInutes
Two farmers called at the shop 10 have
helf plows sharpened. Thny saw n
noltie Of whisky lying In a drawer
near the bench whore Green was nj
Wnik, ana one OF them picked II IN.
showed II 20 the rest OF the crowd
anu started 10 take drink. Nest
nloreland grabbed his arm nnd s,id.
pont drink that, II Is poison end
would XIII you as dead az hplln liz
tnen Grew bottle from his pocket and
tnrp 70 me farmer TO drink. After
ihls the farmers left aud Westmore.
land and Green were alone. A nov
rear The shop saw Wealmorelnnd ,ivc
ufeen 4 bottle and saw the Inter tat,c
drink. The boy said thai botn
drank from the same bottle. As ,onn
as Green had drank Westmoroland ,ot
~ MS morse ana started for home.
Msrten went TO his home nifty Nards
distant and started TO the wooapIie to
out wood sat down ON the poreh in
httht agony. ais muscles contrac.tI |
anu strained and called for someb,iv |
,or Gods sake 10 30 for doctor ia |
neu one spasm after another nn5 |
VIII consciousness returned he lie. |
narkedi II wonder II IVestmnral,r,
could have poisoned meY' Ths nv
fortunate man died in half mn hour
hitcr drinking the whlsky. ana III
~ ms physicians agreed that death "a
'u,,ed from stryehnlne poison.
, neslfnoreland was arrested tho nav,
~, w uhi was carried to Ardmnre
rnre r nc nau an examining trial be.
Hon. Frank Lee. The " NO.
Instant United States attornnx ~,
,hnrRe OF the inspection OF ali nonnrs
a winch examining trials were ho,a L
' 'ilu ~ looking over the papers he do,
,nnl ,na, such a case had been deyel-
, a. ne examining trial as to de-
nanu an investigation by grand inrv
le nad process Issued for the Svitnssas.
~, . We're at the examining trial onI
Hon thelr testimony WestmorcianS
N,As promptly indicted. tried and canl
,'e'sa az t2e succeeding term Of eonrt
\ J., Ny I'm Mestmoreland took tho
he whlsky. but that Green ssld M l hn
p K, ,ooth9ehe and proposed TO put NOR.
In, t.nr W !, u case HE tooth. He snvs
.Ieen LOOK the bottle home ana ~
onletnlng In H. and that when The iwn
a, ~ started 10 drink he told them
49, 1asnh because Green had taken a
nat after they left Green toon a drinSu
ne ne evidence, I showed that Westmere-. a
,nd himself had slieht touch 81 nolscn
nd suffered contraction az he poasoh
ss' put se doctors testified that TIA
tn,p'9lna could have been feIgned or
'nid haye LseH produced by tak,nr
wing II. "t'Houe swat
, ,na.sr eeayiction ana sentence ths y
'ansinned man appealed to The ny ny
.o one court for a reversal on ,ha :
dletmsoot, supposed defect In The
. deoeas ss awn n.a A, did not allege that .
= LOOK a into hia Atasaash' ' xftss !,