Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-11-24
NEGRO WOMAN SHOT;
MAN Is KILLED
Crowd Of Negroes Pounded Tbou..
Spurrs Head to a Pulp After he
Had Shot jamie BurksL

After be had fred a load of bpcp.
snot into the head Of jamie Burks.
coir at an early hour Tuesday morn
ing, Thomas Spurs, a negro, was pnr.
sued by several who saw the attemnt.
ed killing and beaten to death WITH
focks' his head being reduced to a
pulp. The shooting occurred near the
home OF the Burks woman in south.
east Mexico, and is said to have been
caused by her refusal to return a pair
Of loaded dice which Spurs claim.
co belonged to him. After the shoot.
ing Spurs ran south and was caught
ana Killed two blocks from where he
nad shot the woman. jamie Bprsc
was practically an uncrowned queen
among the negroes whom she associat-
cd with. She has a police record.
Josh and John Burks, brothers of
the woman who was shot, and George
Bright and Enoch Mountjoy are being
neiu at the county Jail In connection
with the killing Of the negro man
Josh Burks is said to be the PRINCIPAL
subject 10 custody. He admits having
struck Spurs with a rock. Mountioy
has been released.
LITTLE ARGUMENT BEFORE CRIME
According to testimony given before
the coroner's jury at the inquest Tues
DAY afternoon, there had been negro
dance down town and JAMIE Burks, Geo.
Bright, John and Josh Burks and Fred
Brown, all colored, were returning
home, when they reached the front Of
Enoch Mountjoy's home they met Tom
Spurs, who accosted jamie Burks, ask.
ing her to give him his "craps''. The
Burks woman replied that by c.
she would return the dice when be
tSpurrsl gave her a dollar and a half,
which she claimed he owed her.
Spurs, according to a witness, level
ed his gup and shot her without more
parley. The Burks woman threw up
her hand as If to ward off the shot and
her wrist was nearly torn away, the
entire charge entering her forehead.
She walked a few steps and fell uncon.
scious. 1t Is thought that she cannot
live.
Directly after the shooting those
with JAMIE Burks set upon Spurs and
threw him to the street. He called TO
Enoch Mountjoy, a brother-in-law,
who had come out from his house, to
take them off, as they 'were killing"
him. Mountjoy pulled one Of the men
of and wrested a gun from bis hands.
Spurs, gained his liberty and ran
south, pursued by three men, supposed
ly the two Burks boys and another
negro. He was later found dying, ly.
ing on bis face In the middle OF the
road by Policeman Bob Kemp.
1t is understood that Josh Burks
admits having killed Spurs. The
weapon with which the killing was
done was found near the body. 1t was
a big rock, weighing several pounds,
and was covered with blood.
The inquest was held at the office OF
DR.. Baskett and a number OF wit
neSshs were examined. The coroner'S
Jury, composed Of the following: W. ].
Bolts, T. A. McIntire, Edgar Threl-
keld, d. P. Moore, B. A. Thornburg
and +. p. Carter, returned the follow
ing verdict:
ave, the jury, find that the body
which now lies before us Is the body
OF Tom Spurs, that be came to bis
death from the effect Of blows upon
his head with a rock In the hands OF
Josh Burks, and that John Burks,
Sam Burks and George Bright are ac-
cassorles tn the killing