Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-12-09
E. NJ. DUBOSE IS
ACQUITTED OF
MURDER CHARGE
Upon Request Of District Attorney and In
struction by District Judge Jury Returns
Verdict Freeing Him in Connection With
S%ch0enbOhm Killing.
TESTIMONY PROVES DEFENDANTS
CLAIM OF SELF DEFENSE
Only Four Witnesses Are Examined, Serv-
ing to Bring Out Evidence That Defend
ant Was Called TO Hotel Where Tragedy
Occurred That Ended Two Lives.

Upon the request Of Distinct Attorney
District Judge ". h. Hopkins. a jury in
the district court today freed I'd NJ. Du-
bose, a United States customs Inspector, OF
guilt in connection with tho shooting and
killing of q. j. Schoenbohm Of Alice. IN
the Valley hotel in this city last August ~.
in the tragedy in which II. a.. Dubo~e.
brother Of the defendant and United States
immigration chief here. was an innocent
victim. The jury returned it, verdict with
out leaving the jury box.
The testimony brought out during the
trial proved the plea of self defence. wit
nesses testitying that Dubo~c was called
10 the hotel by a note signed by one Elm
NETT Burgess" who atterward turned ont
To be &. J. Schocnbohm. for twenty YEAR
the Texas-Mexican railroad station agent
AT Alice. Only four witnesses were placed
on the stand. the defendant not tc-tifying.
They included 7. j. S~hanahan. the only
living eye witness 10 the tragedy. other
than the defendant. DIR. William NJ. Spohn.
who was the first man from the street to
reach the scene: Victor Zamora. q hack
driver who delivered the note calling Du-
bose To the hotel and j. A. Maltby. deputy
United States collector ui customs Al this
port. Mr.. Malthy'- testimony only referred
to the note. the hack driver having brought
II To the customs house. and being directed
by Mr.. Maltby where to find Mr.. Dubo>c.
ILL.,. fr,r.. .r.lnl.I Il Nr,l -.
j. Fox. w. X. Dawson. q. w. Mccain, II.
III. Burchard. q. w. Luca-. Stanley Nor
ton, q. a. Demcr>, John r.. Peavey. Ben
=. Johnson, Charlie, Wedegartner and 4
70. Trent.
Tn defendant wa> represented by At
tprncy 4. B. Cole.
This tragedy wa~ the most shocking Of
recent wears and created a sensation
Schoenbohm arrived ~ Brownsville Ill noon
on the day Of the killing aud went 10 the
Valley hotel. where he registered a- "Em-
nett Bnrge~." Soon after taking a room
u the hotel he dispatched q note to Du-
bose, and spent the balance Of the after
nocn IN the lobby, in the company only
Of Manager Shanahan of the hotel.
About 4 o'clock Shanahan who wa writ
rng q letter. felt rather than saw 'Buree~"
step lycr from the lobby toward the head
at the stairway. al 4 point iu~t ont Ut eye
rang" 1T any one coming up the stairs. Al
most immediately firing started. and then
there wa> n iu>illadc. When the smoke
cleared away "Burgc>," who later was
Idratiiicd ~ Schocnbohm. lay on the floor
dead. and on the stairway II. &. DuboSe
was breathing hi> last. +. VI. Dubosc. who
was cleared ~ the jury today. was
wounded IN the Lex.
Schocnhohm wa~ partly disguised. He
wore smoked glasses. and II wa~ found
that hi~ neck and hands had been stained
liz hair had also been dyed. and hair dive
was found IN hi> room. A mou~iachr
which he had affected had been shaved III.
II. g.. Duhn~e was an innocent victim If
the shooting. and II. NJ. Dubo,c has been
81 the opinion that II VA, not the lnten-
ti"n originally VT Schocnbuhm u shoot
him. I'll. NJ. Dubo-e had suspected some
thing unusual with the receipt ~ the note.
and had asked MI, brother ~ accompany
him a. the hotel III answer ~ II. m. a.. Du-
bose led the way up the stairs, and II was
when he reached about half way up from
the sidewalk that the shooting started from
the hr~t floor. without \ word having
been spoken ~ >chocnbohm. II. 4. nu-
bose Wa> struck almost Instantly. but IN,
action ~ drawing hi pistol was % quick
that h. had cmptiod il NJ S~choenhohm be-
Tore h. lost consciousness. Ordinarily hr
carried ~ pistol. and tho one hc had Wa
4 very old Colts revolver.