The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-07
A BUDGET FROM BEAUMONT.
Shooting of Captain Cottrsll Was
Not in Malice.
HORRIBLE DEATH IN A LUMBER MILL.
Man was Mashed to n Pulp by q
Heavy Decentralization at Port
Arthur-NOtcs.

Beaumont, Texas, May Captain J. w.
with headquarters at AUSTIN got into IA
shooting scrape Ia this city with Night
Policeman Brown between IL aud L. o'clock
last night. and Captain Cottroll received q
bullet through the ilpshy portion OF his
right side. just above the hip. making q
wound that is painful. but not dangerous.
The circumstances are euch as TO Indicate
the shooting WAS purely accidental.
The story OF the aitair az told by Cap
tain Cottrell to The Post correspondent is
as follows: Il arrived in beaumont at
O'Clock last night. having been in Orange
and Lake Charles, where professional work
called me for the past ton days. and my
intention WAS 10 20 to Port Arthur this
morning. When ! got OF the train In
Beaumont met a man named sullivan and
We strolled around the city. drinking an
occasional glass of beer until II o'clock.
when We loft saloon near the Southern
Pacific freight depot with the intention OF
going TO bed AS l stepped out of tn.
saloon door a derrineer that / had stuck
in my waist band slipped down my brooches
leg and fell on the sidewalk, | picked II
up and with the man sullivan proceeded
in search of bed. When we got behind
the railroad depot, where it was very dark.
TWO men WNlhtu from tNe slutNiik 10 Nne
street in front of MS. My work being Of Il
character that makes many and dangerous
enemies, | drew my pistol, and as the men
came forward l commanded them not TO
come nearer. At this command the man
who afterwards proved to be Policeman
Brown drew his pistol ard started toward
me, saying. Give me that gun backed
away. commanding him to stop. but he
continued to advance without informing
me he was an officer and 1t was so dark
| couldn't see his badge. Concluding that
l was about to bp made the victom OF a
robber or an assassin | fired. but missed.
Brown Arcd two shots, the second one
striking me In the right side, and as my
pistol was exhausted | ran into II saloon.
told the bartender my pistol was empty
and asked that he call an officer, as an
attemp, TO rob or murder me had been
made. moment later Brown, nCcumpa
MED by another officer. walked into the
saloon and discovered that | had been
exchanging shots with a policeman. and.
being ignorant of the fact. would have
| doubtless killed bin If tho pistol | usually
| carry had been about my person at The
| time
Captain Cottrell entertains no i'll feeling
| against Policeman Brown because of the
| injury. but says the officer made a mis-
| take in not saying that he was Il policeman
when he demanded his tCottrell'sl pistol
| l'ollctlhhn bToWu ShNs VIZ sHVobiHs ""o
| the result of mistaken identity. nut that
| he saw Cottrell's pistol when IT dropped
| to the sidewalk and considered that in ar
resting him he was doing hIs duty. lie
| says Cottrell fred the first shot and he
shot back III self defense.
Sheriff Langham placed Brown under ar
rest last night, but he was released on his
own recognizanee this morning. Both Cot
,rcll and Brown are pleased because the
| shooting was not more serious, as neither
had desire to injure the other.