The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-14
BUDGET FROM BEAUMONT
Mills May Build Tram Road Into The
Timber Territory.
JONES WAS GIVEN THE DEATH PENALTY.
Negro WINS Armed with n Dirk IN
the Court Room, hut Made No
Effort to Use IL.

Beaumont, Texas, July 13.--Ever since
the contention arose between the Gulf.
Beaumont and Kansas City railroad and
the Texas Tram and Lumber companies
regarding the freight rate on logs from
the woods to the mills at Beaumont the
mills have been devlsing ways and means
FOR cheaping the cost of logs, Without
reviewing the various phases of the con-
trovcrsy between tho mills and the Kay
see. 1t can be said that the various ad-
justments by the parties at issue, as well
as through the railroad commission, have
been far srom satisfactory the manufac-
turers contending that the prevailing
rates. together with conditions imposed
by the railroad commission, made 1t i'm
possible for them to operate their mills
profitably.
Among the various solutions suggested
was tram railroad to be built and OPP
Grated by the mills. This proposition was
never explained In detail TO The Post
correspondent, but IL is said the lumber
manufacturers figure that the cost of the
railroad can be earned on the saving in
log freight within two years.
few days ago 1t was rumored that the
their tram, but the rumor lacked verih-
cation. Yesterday. however Mr.. George
Carroll, vice president of the Beaumont
Lumber company, and Mr.. Il A. Fletcher.
vice president of the Texas Tram and
Lumber company. accompanied by Mr..
Jerry Smith, civil engineer spent con
siderable time In the woods. The pur-
pose of their getting together Is not deh-
nitely known, but It Is said that they
We're investigating preliminary to making
survey of the route for tho proposed
railroad. In fact II would create no SUR
prise IL a survey o, the road began within
"A very few days and construction gang
kept close behind the surveyors. for there
are those who insist that such movement
is the only solution of the log problem.
THE DEATH PENALTY.
At AGO O'Clock this afternoon the jury
in the case of Willie Jones. colored.
charged with numbering his wife. re-
turned verdict of guilty OF murder in
the first degree and assessed the death
penalty. Testimony In the case was con-
uluded late yesterday afternoon The de-
PENDANT when placed on the stand in sub
stance repeated the statement made I'M
mediately after he committed the crime,
He says he went to the house in which
his wife was staying and. finding her in
the room with another man, he cut her
throat with II razor. He also described
the artistic manner In which he chopped
her" and expressed no regrets for the
crime, explaining that he did 1t because
he loved her and was jealous.
Rosa Lee Thomas colored woman who
was In the room when the crime was com
mitted and the only eyewitness, testified
that while there was a man in the room
with the wife OF defendant, he was there
to see her tthe witness) and that the de-
fendant's wife was asleep in single bed
by herself, She also described the vicious
manner in which Jones slashed the woman
and said that when he entered the room
that he said he had como for the purpose
of killing his wife.
This morning attorneys for the State
and defense mado speeches. the latter
earnestly endeayoring 10 convince the Jury
that tho crime should not be regarded as
more serious than manslaughtN.
Judge West completed his charge Mt
o'clock this afternoon and In just one hour
and thirty minutes the jury returned a
verdict
When the verdict was read Jones jumped
up He was Immediately covered with a
revolver by Sheriff Langham and ms the
negro sank back in his chair he pulled
dirk from his pocket and threw 1t ON the
floor
Jones murdered his wife on the night
of May 3 by cutting her throat and other
wise slaghing her body with Il razor.