Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-11-12
SIX OR Seven
IMPLICATED IN
RAID, CLAIMED
One Shot Down i'm
Door of Home; Two
Charred Bodies Are
Found i'm Ruins

HOUSTON. Nov. I2.-R-H. B.
iCrowder. Jr., son Of Katy farmer,
charged with murder In connection
with the fatal shooting Of one negro
and incineration Of two Others We'd
nesday night on the Blakely ranch,
20 miles from Houston, probably
will be given an examining trial IKE
week before Justice Of the Peace
Charles Solmans at Richmond, il
was announced Friday.
Crowder will not be allowed bond
until after the preliminary hearing,
according 70 County Attorney r. NJ.
o. Fem. who filed the complaint.
The murder charge. he said. incorpo
rates all three fatalities and not any
one specifically.
Crowder surrendered 10 Sheriff
Z. A. Hagsn at Richmond late
Thursday after the story had be-
come widespread Of the burning of
the ranch boss cottage. Crowder said
suspicion had been attached ~ him
because Scott Evans. negro ranch
boss, who was shot and killed, had
employed Tanner Evans, another me-
gro. now held in jail in connection
with the killing OF W. y. Crowder of
Katy last Saturday night Officers
said that II. B. Crowder, in surren-
dering, denied any implication IN The
Blakely fire.
While Crowder was being held in
the Fort Bend county jGil, Officers
Of three counties were expected to
make other arrests. Witnesses Of
the firing Of the cottage said there
were six or eight young white
men," in the raiding party
No new clues had been found FRI
day. The states case rests at pres
ent on the finding OF d gun rented
from q Houston sporting goods firm.
staten mt OF the manager OF that
firm, the statement or Leo Chitham,
youthful section gang boss. and Mex
lean members OF the gang who saw
the burning, and the story OF Fra
zier Holmes, slave-time darkey. and
the only occupant Of the cottage
who escaped.
The story they are to tell at Crow
der's examining trial Of the burning
Of the cottage and killing of hree
negroes was outlined Thursday aft
ernhcn 10 Justice Holmans az Rich
mond IN an inquest.
The cottage, surrounded ~
wooden picket fence. sat near the
San Antonio and Arkansas Pass Rail-
road at Castor. about a mile and a
half from the Blakely ranch house.
The highwav lies between the house
and the railrohd. Two chinaberry
trees crew in the front ward and be-
hind the house were chicken coops
and shanties for horses and stock.
Chitham and his squad Of ten or
twelve Mexican workers lived in !
car on the railroad siding.
In the cottage Wednesday night
were Scott Evans. 80. EMPLOYED or
the ranch for 20 years; Frarier
Holmes, negro. 90: Robert Browning,
negro cowboy. and his wife. Sylvia.
Scott Evans wife had zone to San
Antonio the day before. Down at the
main ranch house there was family
OF NEGROES but no white men. Cap
tain Blakely had been there earlier
in the day but had left.
About 80 p. M, Chitham said,
one or perhaps two automobiles
stopped on the roadside. Chitham
and the Mexican road gang heard
them 20 over TO the cottage and yell
Scott Evans. come out here" The
reply was: Soon as I get my boots
on"
The sound Of footsteps clumpinE
down the hall. volley or shots and
Evans scream: My God. they've
killed me =
Stilr other shouts were: "You Mig
gers come out Of there. We amt
going to hurt anybody that didn't
have ANYTHING TO do with this" Chit
ham said.
Frazier Holmes the old negro. came
out md was ordered to leave the
premises.
Soon the cottage was abIaze and
other shots. probably 100 were fired
Chitham said. An hour later the men
drove off in the direction OF Full
shear.
Last SUNDAY at Katy. a small sta
tion. nine miles from the Blakelv
ranch. Wallace Crowder. O white
man. was shot and killed. Tanner
Evans. neRro. was arrested in Hnus-
ton the next dav charged with mur-
der. Evans. while not " relative ot
Scot. Evans. was employed on the
ranch and, officers say. was close
friend Of the ranch foreman.
HOUSTON. Tex. Nov. 12.-tP---
Preliminary hearing Of Tanner Evans,
negro held on a murder charge i'm
connection with the killing OF Wal
lace Crowder last Sunday, was called
off Friday BY Campbell Overstreet
Houston justice of the peace.
The case waaS TO have been held nt
-
direct to the grand jury.
"Serious threats on the life OF
Evans have been made" Judge Over
street said.
RACK tn CAPITAL