The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-26
two NEGROES KILLED.
Bodies Of Man and Woman Found In
Rear Of KAN Residence.
THEORY IS THAT BOTH WERE MURDERED
No CIew Has Yet Been Discovered
and No Arrests Mndc--Doth Me-
Eroes Had Good Regulations.


At an early hour yesterday morning Mr..
Alex Kiam discovered the bodies of Lot
tie Edwards and Lee Homer West, both
colored, in the servants quarters in the
rear of the Kiam residence on the corner
OF Austin street and Capitol avenue. An
investigation developed the fact that both
negroes had been shot to death and that,
apparently, the crime had been committed
between IL and IL o'clock Thursday night.
so far no arrests have been made and the
officers who are working on the case have
discovered no clew to the perpetrator of
the deed.
The Edwards woman had been employed
in the kitchen OF the kiam household and
it was when he went to awaken her to
prepare breakfast yesterday morning that
MIR. Kiam made the CHASTITY discovery. The
body of West was lying at the foot Of the
stairway leading up TO the second story
OF the servants house. which faces the
rear OF the residence. and the woman 8
body was on the floor OF her room at the
top of the stairway, with her feet in the
doorway.
Mr.. Kiam Immediately notified the au-
thorites of the discovery and several po-
lice officers, including Chief Blackburn,
Detectives Thompson and Quinn, were soon
on the scene, Justice of the Peace Masch
came in answer to message and began
an inquest which however, has not thrown
any light on the matter up to date. Sew
eral bullet holes we're found in the walls
and the door iamb OF the womans room,
indicating that several shots had been
fired and 3S-caliber pistol with two
chambers empty was discovered lying near
the body of West, whose face was cut and
bruised, evidently as a result of fall
down the stairway.
After the remains of the two unfortun
ates had been viewed by the justice of the
peace they We're removd to the Undertaking
establishment of Ross & Wright where
they were examined by County Physician
clarendon and Or. w. N. Shaw of the ST.
Josephs infirmary staff, The woman was
found to have been shot in the left breast,
the bullet ranging downward to a point
between the seventh and eighth ribs from
which it was removed by the physicians.
1t had passed through the left lung just
over the heart and death had resulted from
hemorrhage.
Young West had been shot twice, one
bullet taking effect in the back beneath
the right shoulder blade and passing
through both lungs. The other ball
lodged against the ribs on the left side,
from which point 1t was re-
moved. The wounds in both
bodies indicated that the shooting
had been done at close range, and this
theory was further borne out by the fact
that the woman's dress was somewhat
powder burned.
The police agree that both negroes were
murdered, but no satisfactory theory as
to how the deed was done has yet been
advanced. Several persons who reside in
the neighborhood heard shots fired Thurs
day night and most of them agree that
the reports were six. in number Among
others who make this statement is Ross
Montgomery, who was only a block away
when the shooting occurred. and Mr.. B
r. Latham, whose residence is less than
two blocks from the scene OF the tragedy
Mr., Philip Hardcastle states that more
than two reports were heard, and 1t is
thus shown conclusively that all of the
bloody work was not done by the weapon
which was found near Vests body
About II O'Clock Thursday night DR.. "
S MacNider, while passing in the vicinity
of the KAN residence, saw light colored
negro running in the opposite direction,
The negro, on seeing DR.. MacNider said
something about there being "a terrible
fuss going on up there" and disappeared
in the darkness.
Passersby earlier in the evening saw
two persons sitting on the gallery of the
servants house, and later the woman
was noticed sitting inside. facing the door
and the man on the outside, facing her /
The two were known to have been out to-
gether during the earlier part of the night |
and to have returned about 1880
The generally accepted theory is that /
both the negroes We're murdered by third |
person as there was nothing whatever to /
Indicate that the man had killed the wo-
man and then committed suicide On tho
other hand tho position OF the bodies. to- /
gether with other circumstances, would
tend to lead to an opposite belief. Rela-
tlves or the dead woman state that a ne
gro who had been paying some ,N,ention
TO her recently had made threats against
her several times. having been probably
aetuated by jealousy, and as a result the
negro in question, who is known to the
police. is being looked after.
Both the dead negroes bore good repu-
tauons. The woman who had been en-
ployed by the Khan family for some six
weeks, was widow, and her three chill
dren are at present living with relatives
IN The Fourth ward. She was the daughter
OF prosperous farmer who lives about
twelve miles west of the city. The news
OF the tragedy was conveyed to him YES
terday morning and as a result he came
to town and conveyed the body of his
daughter In wagon to her old home.
whore the remains will be inferred today. 4
West, who was only about u years of
age, was nephew of Samuel Tate. with
whom he resided He came here from
Concord, Tenn, just prior to the begin
ming OF the present year. since which time
ne has been employed at the Dickson Car
Wheel company's plant where his uncle
also works. His remains have been emf {
balmed and will be shipped back TO Con- :
cord for burial.