The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-04-16


word was brought to Tucumcari Of the
killing of two men, John Sweazea and
w. NJ. Jones, near their homes, twenty
miles southwest of here.
Mcssrs. Sweazca and Jones had been
in Tucumeari Friday on business. 1t
Is said they left town about 400 in the
afternoon for their homes. Mr.. Swea.
zea had made arrangements to move
his family to Dimmitt, Ttxas, where
he had recently bought section of
land from his father, and had already
moved one load of implements aud
household goods, having returned only
few days ago to finish up his business
so he could leave Wednesday of this
week for his future home.
Mr.. Jones, neighbor, had n light
wagon and using n team belonging TO
.Sweazea the two men came to town to.
gether. They had returned to abou.
three miles Of home when the tragedy
occurred which cost both men their
lives.
In the testimony before the coroner 's
jury IL was etated by Mr.. Hunt, the
man who found the dead bodies, that
Mrs. Sweazca came to his house about
two o'clock In the afternoon and told
him her husband had gone to town and
had taken his revolver and she was
afraid something would happen to him.
rs he had never carried gun before.
She asked Mr.. Hunt to come later in
the evening and go out to look for her
husband IL he did not arrive before
dark. Mr.. Hunt said he went in search
Of the men at the request Of Mrs. Swea
yea and succeeded in finding them
about three miles from the Swcazea
home. He said they were both dead
and he reported TO T. l.. Reid, who
went TO the home Of 3. r.. Parker be.
tween ten and eleven clock and ask.
ed him 20 90 to Tucumcari and report
the murder TO the sheriff. Mr.. Parker
immediately started for town and ar.
rived here about one O'Clock Saturday
morning. The sheriff, Frank Ward,
Deputy Fred White and Justice s. II.
McElroy accompanied Mr.. Parker to
the scene of the tragedy. They found
the two men dead, Jones with two gun
shot wounds and Sweazea one. Mr..
Jones was lying face down near the
roadway; his chin was shot away by
a bullet which entered the top Of his
head taking a downward course pass.
ing cut through the chin, which gave
evidence of having been done after
he had fallen from the wagon to the
ground. The other shot entered the
back just under the left shoulder
blade.
Mr.. Sweazea was shot only once, the
ball entering just above the left eye,
taking n downward course and lodging
in the neck about three inches from
the right ear. This bullet was removed
by DR.. Nichols and founds 10 be n as.
calibre. A gun, using tho same sized
bullet was found under Sweazea's right
hand. II contained six shells, five were
empty and one loaded, which at FIRST
WIS taken as evidence that Sweazea
ha, shot Jones and then committed
sricide. He had Gnly slight powder
buns on his face and forehead, and
most all who viewed the body wer, pos
tive in their belief that the shot was
not fred by Swta.ea. The tw1 men
were considered good friends.
The bodies were found within twelve
feet of each other ON the left side of
the road and the tam was found in
field about q quarter of n mile away.
The gun found was said to belong to
Mr.. Sweazea, but the authorities are
SUR he did not do the shooting.
The sheriff summoned number of
men from neighborhood TO appear be-
fore the grandjury Monday afternoon,
J. f. sweazea of Dimmitt, Texas,
father Of one of the dead men, arrived
here Saturday afternoon. He had his
sons body embalmed and took IL to
Dimmitt Monday for burial. The faith.
er said this was the only son he had
left since another son was killed by
the postmaster at Ranger Lake down
in Chavez county, October 10 last year,
just six months previous to the death
Friday, April 10, Of John sweazea. He
also had daughter, wife of T. p. Hunt
who was killed some years ago near
Montoya when a roof fell In on her.