El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-09
CHARLES WILLIS, 4
NEGRO, KILLED BY
POLICEMAN
Lon Garner Fires Fatal Shot
While Negro Was Over
powering Him.

Charles Willis a negro Al years OF
age and the father Of six children, was
shot and almost instantly killed at 6
o'clock p. m, Sunday in a scuffle with
policeman Lon Garner. who was at
tempting to arrest him.
Garner was given a preliminary hear
ing before justice E. H Watson Mon
day morning and bound over 10 the
grand Jury in the sum of sou on
charge of murder, the sureties On MS
bond being Volney NJ Brown, FRANK
Simmons, Frank Carr and Robert Lee.
Had Been Drinking TeQuila-
Policemen Garner and Finley were
summoned to the corner of Sixth and FL
Paso streets Sunday evening, 1t being
reported that negro there had beaten
his wife. driven her and their children
from the house, broken the china, FUR
niture and bedding and thrown all out
into the street The man had been
drinking tequila, according to evidence
Of a bottle found in his pocket after the
killing.
Wild Bullet Breaks Horses Leg.
When Garner attempted to arrest Will
lis, the negro tried to take the Officers
gun away from him, but Garner shot
tR ice, one bullet entering the mans
right arm, and passing through 1t,
SITlklQg Garner nurse III lAlC lCS an
breaking IT, which necessitated the kill
ing of the animal later. After injuring
the horse the bullet hit Leonardo Rue
da, of 713 South Oregon street, in the
right leg, but as il was almost spent,
did not injure him badly, simply cut
ting the skin. The negro's clothes were
ignited and Gamers left wrist was
burned by the powder.
Preliminary Hearing.
Garner testifying Monday said:
Sunday afternoon about 6:10. tele-
phone call was sent TO the police sta
ton to send an officer to Sixth and Ell
PaSo streets, where a negro was beat
ing his wife Policeman Finley and
answered the call
''On Sixth street, a little off FL Paso
street, the man had been whipping his
wife and everything from the house
was thrown out into the street, the
children wer squawling and the mans
wife was crying. The negro was stand
ing outside with Buck Taylor and an
other man whom / did not know Fin
ley and 1 arrested him and took him TO
the corner Finley going to telephone
for patrol when we had reached the
corner of Sixth and Ell Paso streets.
The prisoner was cursing and swear
ing and I told him there was no use of
that; he had better be quiet He acted
as though he wanted to jump on me
all the time and of sudden said:
would just as soon die now as anytime;
you have got TO kill me- He made a
jump for my six shooter and 1 grabbed
for it at the same time. We had quite
round and he slung me around; he
weighed 100 pounds, l guess. In the
Wrangle, he came near getting my gum
1 shot him once, the bullet going
through his right arm, but he never
turned loose until / shot the second
time. 7 was down on my knees then and
We were fighting for the revolver
shot him the second time in the left
side. The bullet came out at the back
lear the right shoulder He was not
quite dead when We put him In the pa
troll wagon, but died on the way to the
police station and from there We took
20 the undertaken"
Restaurant Man Testiffcs.
Buck Taylor of 81 South FL Paso
street, testified: Il was standing In