El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-09
POLICE HELDFOR
KILLING PAINTER
Officers Thompson andYork
Forced to Shoot J. E. Wag-
ner, Crazed by Liquor.

J. z. Wagner. a painter. was shot
and almost instantly killed BY mounted
officers J. D. Thompson or Tom York.
Tuesday afternoon in an alley between
Kansas and Stanton streets. near Sec
Ond street, after he had fired a repeat
ing Winchester shotgun at two little
girls and several men The two Off
GERS were dispatched TO the scene TO
arrest Wagner and when they rode Up
to him he opened fire on them Armed
with -45 Colts, they returned the fire
and the man. crazed IL is presumed by
liquor. fell MORALLY wounded with a
bullet hole near his heart
The two mounted policemen were
held 20 the grand jury at a preliminary
hearing before justice Of the peace E B.
McCiintOck Wednesday morning under
$500 bond which was furnished The
story OF the shooting was told In a
graphic manner by D. n Barringer.
who was witness at the hearing. bis
testimony follows:
Eyewitness Describes Shooting.
I had been talking to Wagner 20
minutes before the shooting took place
He had been in a saloon ana appeared
very drunk, but not crazy later
the Winchester shotgun and thought he
was shooting at rats / heard four
shots and saw him fire two OF these.
When I walked into the alley Wag-
ner opened IRE on two little girls who
were several feet from him He missed
them and they ran He had a wild eL-
preston on his face and looked insane
called to him, but he pointed his gun
toward me in a threatening manner.
About this time two mounted police
dashed into the alley and before they
could stop their horses. had ridden past
Wagner The insane man then pointed.
his gun at Thompson and fired It was
so close I thought he had been hit The
two officers then opened fire with their
revOlTers and he fell MORALLY wounded
we picked his gun up and IL was
IL had len Tr~ r=7aa rnlr 1-
the officers a second time as the shell
he shot the first time had been thrown
out OF the gun He must have been
crazy. as / have known him for about a
, ear and a half and he was always very
quiet, but yesterday he tried to shoot
every body IN sight"
Travelling Salesman Tesfffie4
Ray Duncan. a travelling salesman.
was the only other witness examined at
the hearing He said.
I had left a corral near Third street
and was walking in the direction OF the
alley Tuesday afternoon at about ESQ.
when negro woman told me there was
a man in the alley acting queerly. I
entered the alley and saw Wagner with
q gun IN his hand 7 started walking
towards him and he said. Get out OF
mere or I viii Kill you stepped be-
mind building and he put his gun
over fence and fired. at whom I don't
Know Another man then started down
the alley. H F. Cameron is his name.
/ De4leVe- wagner pointed his gun
close TO him and pulled the trigger, but
"a Jailed to discharge The officers then
entered the alley and after Wagner. had
Ilreu once at them and tried TO pull the
trigger again they shot him He
seemed to have wanted 10 XIII ever
Dody and his eyes had a crazy stare
Il F. Cameron " d Sailor Paul
Heinmann and other witnesses were not
examined. but VIII testify at the trial
II the district court Cameron said that
~ aEner placed the muZZle OF the gun
against him and pulled the trfgEer. but
the gun failed TO 90 off
Refugla Felicia age nine. and her two
year old sister were the little girls
whom Wagner tried 70 kill They were
walking through the alley when he
opened fire on them
The body was removed TO a local IN
derraktng establishment. after being eT-
amined by coroner McC1intock- Chief
OF police Davis was informed BY
= Z Gruln. painter, Wednesday, that
me dead man has a sisto-. AIRS. Ella
Ben. wife OF a physician. residing at
Pueblo Colo. whom he has wired
wagner was a member OF the Fl Paso
union OF painters and has resided here
FOR nearly two years