Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-10-20
Hold INQUEST
over REMAINS
OF GONZALES
Prisoner Killed in Attempt to
Escape From Officers We'd
nesday Evening

Justice Of the Peace Howard Miller
was holding an inquest today over
the remains Of a man said To be
Eligio Gonzales of Lyford, killed i'm
West Brownsville late Wednesday
afternoon in attempting to escape
from Deputy Sheriff Craig of Will
lacy county and ConstabIe Mott
Thomas of Lyford who were bring
ing the man to Jail i'm Brownsville
pending trial on a charge Of bur-
gIary M Lyford.
Thomas, who was wounded when
Gonzales fired shot from Craig's
pistol which had been left in the
automobile when the officers got
out To make repair to their car.
is i'm the Divine Providence hospital
suffering from q painful but not Sc
rious injury in the right shoulder.
Craig believes he saved the lives Of
both Officers when he succeeded in
taking the pistol away from Gonga-
les before another shot was fired.
Justice Miller said this afternoon
that there are several more witness
es to be examined before he renders
verdict in thee ase. No complaint
n expected 70 be filed In connection
with the case, officers said
The body Of the dead man II being
held at the Cara undertaking es-
tablishment pending advices from
relatives.
When Craig and Thomas reached
the west side of the West Browns
willie lake on their way into Browns
vile, something went wrong with
their automobile, and they stopped 70
repair IL.
Craig and Thomas got out and in-
structed the prisoner TO get out. He
did 20. standing on the side opposite
to Craig and Thomas.
Craig went across the road for "a
piece of timber, telling Thomas that
he had left his pistol under the seat,
and 10 "a watch Gonzales. Apparent
ly Thomas did not hear him, giving
his attention to the trouble with the
car.
When Craig returned TO the car he
missed the pistol. Thomas was stand
ING on the running board. Craig ask
ell for the pistol. Gonzales said:
"Aqui esta" (here IL is,) pointing
the pistol at the men.
Craig lodged down behind the car,
reaching up 70 pull Thomas with him.
As he did SO, according 10 the mems
story, Gonzales fired, the bullet
striking Thomas and powder burning
Craig's hand.
Gonzales ran toward the residence
or ". u. Green, across the street
Craig grabbed Thomas pistol
from him. but found the trigger diff
ficult 70 pull Gonzales was struck
once in the right side as he was going
through the Green yard, but contin-
ued running. Mrs. Green came out,
shouting Don't kill him in my yard"
and Craig refrained from firing, con-
tinuing the chase of Gonzales He
did not know at the time, he said,
how badly Thomas had been wound
ed
III the rear of the Green residence
Gonzales ran into some underground
AS he stopped to pass under low
hanging limb another bullet struck
him. entering about the middle of the
back. ranging upward and coming out
through the bridge of the nose he
died almost instantly.
Thomas was brought TO the city and
taken IN the office OF DIR. H- N. Locw,
where the wound was examined. At
was found that the bullet had lodged
IN the fleshy part Of the shoulder but
the physicians decided not to operate
until this morning, and Thomas was
taken to the Divine Providence hosp
ital. where the bullet was removed
this morning.
Gonzales was arrested at Lyfcrd
early Wednesday by Chief Deputy
Sheriff Howard Craig W Willacy
county i'm connection with the burg
larizing sometime after midnight
Tuesday OF the Magic Valley Mer-
camille Companys establishment. he
was being brought u Brownsville be
cause Willacy county IL still without
Jail.