The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-18
THE HOT SPRINGS FIGHT
While Excitement Is Intense There Have
Been No More Killings.
the Town N 4 FtRMfST OF EXCITEMENT
Report In Circulation that Four ncn
Arc Narked-Grnphic Description
Of the Array

Hot Springs, Ark. March 1.-THE day
AFTER The battle has been one o. great ak
ciiemcnf at Hot Springs A DARK. threat
ening cloud Of war mas hung over the
city all day. WHEN night came on there
I hsd no; baen any sign Of the approach OF
the white-winEed messenger Of peace
While there has been no renewal OF
the bloody scenes Of yesterday, and while
strong effort Is being made 10 prevent
/ further slaughter. there is an undereur-
] REM OF anxiety and excitement and dark
/ forsbodings OF tr5Uaic ahead Many per
so1s who knew she inca Involved in the
I seud ave lesrs0i thai permanent peace
i wiz NOS be restored until al the leaders
/ Of the Two fsSsioDs have shed their blood.
A report has been persinSeHtly ia car
csiAiion all Gay 70 tae effect that the
/ Williams fac1ipr has sworn vengeance icr
7 the Milling OK young John Williams and
has named four Otner men whom they
( have sworn shall bic the dust. The rir-
icNiatien Of itis report has Kept the town
ID feruieut Of excitement all day long.
PEOPLE expecting 70 hear The crack OF
pistol zt any moment
one hundTed and Fifty special policemen,
heavily armed, have patrplled the streets
aG day, ann with ire excitement az its
present heat one pistol sho; would %
enough 20 precipitste another riot which
in TIC oninien OF those welt posted on con
ditions existing here would ovsrshadow
iu results the awful tragedy Of yesterday
afternoon,
The better element Of the citizens, how
ever are very determined that no more
T5pting shall cceur. and they are well pre-
- T4sS FAR any emergency
Governor Jones was here today. and hi8
presence has bad A good effect The mem
trrs OF the legislature from this city came
Over this afternoon at the earnest solicit
tztiens Of the citizens. VINO felt that their
intiuenes aud presence here we're impera-
lively demanded a. this crisis.
Il is estimated that there were fully ten
Thousand visitors mere when the riot o.
cnrree yesterday. Thousands were out
Or the street. and many Witnessed tie
tragedy.
huadreds uegsu packing their trunks
and rushed 10 the ticket Offices hotel bills
were hastily settled and Others rushed
about the streets hunting express wagons
@ move their baggage to the railroad sta
ton large number have gone away
today
From the best information obtainsble II
appears that the riot grew cut OF politics
hot campaign for municipal offices Is
on, the aght eenteriDg on the mayorslty
nominally. but many differences existing
as 10 The chief OF police
The regular democratic nominee for
mayor had promised to retain Thomas
Toler as chief OF police, and Tolsr's friends
Nere supporting him with that under
standing The Williams faction was zeal :
ously supporting Frye. the opposition rs,,-
didate. and II was the general under
standing that in case OF the success q,
either faction Coffee Williams brother
Of Sheriff Williams. would be appointed
chief,
While me bloody ARRAY was the out
growth OF this factional political fight. II
seems That tho actual killing was the df-
rect result OF "A Misunderstanding A
hloodless combat had lust previously ne
! CURED between Sheriff Williams and Ton,
Gosiee. but they had declared truce. and
thaI trouble WAS thought TO he settled
hnt the bad blood stirred no BY the m.
htles' Interest was still existing. and The
| opposing forces clashed 10 the death. The
faction me, on the street. They w4r,
waking facing each other Young Jobn
Williams and Tom Gosiee had but a sew
moments before met and declared peace
Williams aud Ed Spears we're walking
down the street Together, and when b
\ front Of Lemp's Liquor Depot, HiRkl,
rushed out and accused Spears OF heinz
uniriendly TO Halter. captain OF police
The two men soon became involved In an
alteration, in which Hinlde slashed Smear,
/ IN the neck with a knife. Spears Their
turned and shot Hinkle. killing him in
| stantly Young Williams turned TO ses
| what The shooting was about. reaching
| for his gun as be turned At this junc.
| ture Goslee and Coffee Williams happened
4 10 appear on the scene. As Young viii.
Jams turned Goslec drew his weapon and
nred. the bullet taking effect Ia John
| Williams head, lust back OF the ear
Young Williams fell, mortaily wounded
/ and as he did so Cofiee Williams. his uncle
opened fire on Tom Goslse and shot rim
dead Toler then came up aud opened
hre on Coffee Williams. A hot duel be,
tween these two resulted In Williams
shooting Toler, the chief OF police, dying
instantly.
Shortly after this stage OF the murder
| Gus ARRAY had boon reached. sheriff VIII.
Jams came upon the scene with his i've
nephe~s. sam aud win Watt and nav,
hoAns About twenty minutes afterwara
another shooting scrape occurred. and 4
was al this time that detective Jim Bar,
was Killed. II Is said that the shot
which resulted In Harris death was hree
by shetin Williams. Young John Will.
Jams died at o'clock last night.
warrants were sworn out Tor Sheriff
miili@ms ana Conee Williams, Spears AMI
John Young. charging them all with mar.
Der IN the hrst degree. sheriff Williams
hearing that warrant was out Tor him
sent word TO the coroner that he woulf
submit 70 arrest, and he was placed undel
guard.
The bodies OF all the dead men are Al
Gross undertaking establishment. Tn,
yorohers Jury convened at ~ 30 today
Il is expected that the investigated vii
consume four or ave days.
scVHyy AMONG utxuax