The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-31
FATAL SHOOTING.
n. j. nURNs SHOT tvD KILLED ny
JOHN MURPHY.
Meeting IN fhc Morning. Renew
III with Fntai Results.

There was fatal shooting about $3.50
1 O'clock yesterday morning at Msjorowitz'
saloon ut 100 Travis street, corner OF Prai-
rio avenue
| The vitiim was N j. BURNS young
man about 80 years Of age, pasterer and
| contractor by trade, and his slayer was
John Murphy, who has been recently en-
pioyed as a night clerk al the freigbt Of
flee OF the Houston and Texas Central
Railway company.
MIR Burns last important contract in
Houston was the Hotel Bristol growing
out Of which he now has sui pending in
the district court against Mr.. Henry House,
tho owner OF the property.
Burns and Murphy had quarrecd pre-
vIous to their meeting at Majorowit2 sa-
loon yesterday morning
The night before according to the tes-
timony OF II witness al the inquest, Burns
had applied very vulgar crithet to Muir
ply, and had drawn "a knife on him. Both
men were drinking al that time, and also
in the morning when the difficulty was
renewed.
The story Of the killing is best told by
Mr.. j. V. Fogle who rooms over the sa
loon aud VINO was an eyewitness to the
killing
AT tho inquest held by Justice Elite he
testified that about s o'clock in the morn
ing the deceased and John Murphy had
some words in Majorowita saloon when
tho harkeepor stopped them Witness heard
deceased say! you are not going to bill
me In the nose John Murphy then ran
around the bar and said: II want knife"
The deceased Had small penknife in his
band and handed it 10 Murphy saying;
Take that" Murphy took the Knife and
locked al 1t and threw it down behind the
bar. He then came from behind the bar,
passed by deceased and said he would be
back In few minutes and Went out and
up the street Lee Deason, the bartender,
then picked up the knife and banded it
back to Burns a few minutes later Mur-
ply returned as he said he would and
Burns said You went after knife and a
gun; could cut your head off II | wanted
to- Murphy replied II have no knife nor
gun" and pulled both his pockets out to
show him. Then Burns put his knife back
in his pocket. saying that he would not
have any trouble with anyone, and did NOT
want any. Murphy then went out of The
side door, and within five minutes came
back hrough the front door and ran up
to Burns, who was standing at the bar
Murphy had cooked pistol, and leveled It,
al Burns, saying: You s. of a b., | have
got you now, and shot Burns After Burns
Rad fallen he cooked his pistol again and
stood over him and fired again. He then
cooked the pistol again and snapped IT,
The deceased was apparently dead when
he fell.
G, NJ. Client. another witness, testified
to Burns and Murphy having had some
words in the saloon before the shooting
His testimony rs to the shooting was cor
rohoratiyc of that OF Mr., Fogle.
Conrad Beir. also roomcr over Maioro-
WITT was another eyewitness to the kill
ing and his testimony was corrohoratye
Of the evidence Of the preceding witnesses
He further testified that Burns and Muir
ply had some words the night before
when Burns useu some very ugly language
toward Murphy and pulled knife, when
Murphy said hc would get even with him
Deputy Sheriff o. J. Menard WAS on tho
scene Immediately after the killing He
saw Murphy standing over the dead body
of Burns endeavoring to fire the third shot
He placed him under arrest and took him
to mil
just over the right eye and penetrating his
brain killed him Instantly. The second
shot fired Ut Burns after he had fallen
missed its aim and went into the floor
Murphy was attempting to fire the third
shot when arrested by Deputy Sherif Me-
nard.
Justice Ftzc has fixed the preliminary
trial for o'clock this afternoon.