The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-03
IS A MATTER OF IDENTITY
PRISONER HELD AT MOUNT VERNON
FOR CRIME COMMITTED IN 1879.
Was Arrested in Arkansas--No Positive
Identification So Far-Ssys
He Is Innocent.

Mount Vernon. Texas, July . There Is
| confined fr the jail at this place man
who was arrested by Sheriff f. P TEN.
pleton and C. c.. Dunree. ex-shorin OF this
county. few days ago near Mena Ark
as one who Is wanted for murder com
mltted here twenty-five years ago. the cir
cumstances Of which are about as follows;
In the spring Of 1879. white district court
was in session here, several prisoners were
convicted of burglary ard horse theft They
had several friends Of their kind and the
sheriff fearing an attack would be made
on the iall for the purpose Of lberatlng
the prisoners. kept the JAN guarded at
night One evening. after the adjournment
Of court a young man by the name OF
Bob Morgan was placed as guard at the
Jail while the sheriff and other guards
went to supper.
The sheriff had not reached his home
when he heard shooting near the jail, and.
rushing back. found the Jail surrounded by
q large number of men who were engaged
in promiscnous shooting, and urgiIg some
of their crowd to burst the door down
Some Of the citizens who were In town at
the time had procured guns and were firing
at the crowd, which caused II to abandon
the effort to break the jail and run on
After this the sheriff went Immediately to
see about the guard and found him lying
in front of the Jail pierced through, by two
gunshot wounds. He was found to be
alive but unable to speak aud was re
moved to a drug store near by. A few
minutes afterwards he died
This man. who was arrested a few days
ago, II he Is the right one, was indicted,
together with several others as being one
the sSTty 91 y @ds M Ses 1t Sa
arrested and placed In Jail. but made bis
escape soon after by knocking down the
tailor while the latter was giving the pris-
The officers have tried ever since to 10.
cate this man. but have failed until re-
Gently, when a woman who lives In Ar
kansas and knew the man whom ne made
the attempt to break the Jail, told the of.
| ficers of Arkansas that this man now held
was wanted here for the murder Of Bob
The prisoner denies that he is the man
wanted and states That he never was in
this county and never heard of the attempt
to break the jail here at the time Nor
gan was killed He says he has lived in
Arkansas. where ne was living al the time
Of his arrest. for the past twenty years.
having moved there from Wood county,
Texas
"A great many persons in this county and
TITUS county who know the man wanted
have been here for the purpose of Identify
ing the prisoner. hut only one SO far has
| positively identified him as being the man
wanted and that person Is the man who
was jailor Mt the time the escape was
made great many saw there Is some
resemblance, but are not willing TO say po
sitlVely that the prisoner Is the right man
The father. iil-law and brother.in law Of the
man wanted who live in Titus county were
here a day or two ago to see the prisoner
but conld not positively identify him Par
ties who were intimately acquainted with
the slayer Of MoreSn saw thls man strong
lively say that he \ the right man.
AT the time Of AhS raid on the Jail the
man who killed Morgan was about - wears
old and this man looks 20 he aboA so
years of age. He says he wants every one
who knew Morgan's slayer To come to see
him and say whether or not he is the man
There VIII he parties here from Wood com
~ soon TO see IL they eau recognize him
An account Of the arrest at Nfena an
peared liz The Post at the time It was