The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-01
TRAGEDY AT ROSENBERG
townsend. Reese feud Breaks Out Airesh
and Two Men Are Shot.
SHOOTING OCCURRED AT ROSENBERG DEPOT
James Coleman and Walter Reese
Both Wounded, the Former
Probably Fatally.

Rosenberg, Texas, July 31.-About C
..clock this afternoon while Southern Pa
oosc train No. stood at the depot
shooting ARRAY took place between Wal
TOR Reese, James Coleman and some
.,arties on the train. About a dozen shots
we're exchanged, both Coleman and Reese
we're wounded; Coleman, it is thought, Is
.,tailv hurt; Reese was shot in the thigh.
The parties in the car were from Colorado
countv and we're members of the Town
send faction. The affair was not unex
pected.
Messenger who was a witness to the
nreliminaries Just preceding the shooting
stated to Post reporter last night:
"Knowing that Mark Townsend, Frank
Burford. VIII Clements and his brother,
of the Townsend faction, were on the
train and also having been informed pre-
yiously that members of the Coleman
Reese faction were at Rosenberg and
likely TO be at the depot on the arrival
of trains, / naturally anticipated trouble
md was locking for my own security,
md accordingly went forward before
reaching Rosenberg. AS the tain pulled
in SAW Coleman standing just behind
the corner OF the passageway by the tee-
graph office with = Winchester and IN a
moment saw Reese in front OF the tele-
graph office in full view OF the tram armed
win "a Winchester, Coleman stepped
out and entered the forward coach lew
Steps, turned, went out and up to the cJn-
ouctor near the baggage car and asked l.:
the Townsend faction Was on the train.
j do not think he got reply, but walked
back toward Reese, who was approaching
tne car in which the Townsend faction
was seated and the shooting commenced.
the train Immediately pulled out and
did not learn the results nor did | see
the actual shooting. Both Coleman and
Reese were in full view of the Townsend
fscticu some time before the shooting
commenced. There were about fifteen
passengers in the coach and | understand
they dropped to the floor, probably saving
their lives thereby The window where
Messrs. Townsend and Burford were sit
ting was shattered to pieces and one win
dow on the other side of the car broken
One Of the bullets went through the back
of the seat IN which they were sitting.
Quite number of people we're on the
platform and l never saw people sprint
through the muddy prairie as they did. In
fact it would have been very laughable
were it not for he serious side OF the mat
ter"
The news of the shooting was tele-
phoned TO the police department of Hous-
ton after the departure of the train from
Rosenberg. The message also stated
that the party was en- route to Houston,
and Detectives Smith and Quin and Of
icer Kessler intercepted the train at
Chaneyville. The officers escorted W.
d. Clements and Frank Burford to the
police station. and the others of the party,
James Clements. A, B. Woodbridge aud Nj.
II. Townsend. registered at the Capitol
hotel.
A representative of The Post called at
the police station TO get a statement of
the occurrence from W. d. Clements and
Frank Burford. but they declined to make
any statement whatever, saying that they
old not consider that statement from
them would be proper.
The renorter also saw Messrs. M. H.
Townsend and A. B, Woodbridge at the Cap
itol hotel. The gentlemen did not deem
II wise to recite the history of events
which eliminated in the tragedy, but told
OF the occurrence at Rosenberg yester-
day, Mr.. Woodbridge said
II W ueu lub Tram stopped at hOSelDer X
W. D. Clements turned to me and said
that Walter Reese was standing on the
station platform with either shotgun
OF Winchester rife. | told Clements
that in order to avoid trouble he had
better get out Of sight. Clements OBJ
scured himself in the coach and | took a
seat at window and looked out. Bur-
iord was sitting at a window near me.
but the blinds had been pulled down.
When looked out the window | saw both
waiter Reese and James Coleman on the
depot platform. Each had Winchester
rlne and were coming alongside the train,
toward our coach. When they had aD-
proached to a point where they could
see Burford, | saw Coleman raise his
Winchester like he was going to shoot
and then the shooting commenced, the
4 Two men on the outside walking along
II ana shooting through the coach. | got
81 away from the window where / had taken
81 seat and went back TO where Clements
Ri was then standing in the door of the
81 eoach. told him to look out, as the
81 men were coming toward him shooting
81 Looking out of a window l saw Reese
& coming and told Clements. Reese came
RI on ana when he got opposite the door in
a. winch Clements was standing he turned
Ri ana hred in that direction. Clements
.nen commenced to Are his revolver, In
81 all there were nine or ten shots fired"
81 W D. Clements is deputy sheriff o.
En- Colorado county. residing at Columbus
81 and Frank Burford is a law student. Con-
I'd stable Walter Bass of Fort Bend county
"a N which the shooting occurred. came il
III last night from Richmond and Clements
W gnn Burford accompanied him back to
W Richmond
n TERRITORY Items.