Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-01-17
Was TROUBLE
SEEKER when
INTOXICATED
Several Witnesses As
sert He Had Threat
ened to Take Life OF
Norris

Norris
COURTROOM. AUSTIN. Tex. Jan.
l7.-fPl--Witnesses testified today
that Dexter n. Chips who was killed
by Dr. u. Frank Norris i'm the pas
tors study AZ Fort Worth last July
was "a bad man. while drinking.
When sober. he was -polite, gentle
and kind the same witnesses testi-
fled.
The entire morning session was
taken up with an attack on Chips
character w an attempt by the de-
fense % show that the slain man was
dangerous when- intoxicated; that ~
drank heavily. and that All these
facts were known 10 DR. Norris
A Fort Worth city detective and
7 SIX Fort Worth businessmen. some
of whom had been members of
( Chips club. the Fort Worth club.
testified that the dead man was
violent and dangerous when under
the influence Of liquor. One man
testified Nv played carda with Chips
M the club and that sometimes
Chips rot 50 quarrelsome members
of the club rot up and left.
Detective Harry Conner testified
that chipps, the day before he was
I killed. had threatened ~ kill Norris.
and AZ the time of the threat he hor-
rowde q gun.
a. y. Harding, member or the
legislature from Fort Worth. said
Chips reputation ~ n violent
man when drinking was bad Howard
Highly We the Texas hotel said
N Chips was powerful man Of about
l75 pounds weight.
Chips Was Biz Man
w. E Young. house detective nc
4 the Texas Hotel, Fort Worth. was
called. re said ~ WEIGHED 230
pounds and that Chipps was just
about ms big as himself
~Did VOC ever have Az opportunity
to test Chinps' strength Attorney
Simpson asked.
II ala one night. and found Nv
was as strong as ! am" the witness
said.
w. ". Parks. Fort Worth barber.
testified Chips was under the in
Flrence ar Intoxicating liquor about
half the time" and that on the day
Chips was shot he saw him about
-fifty rcr cent drunk. +"
VI. m. Lee. another barber, said
Chirns was Y heavy drinker.
These BARRIERS had shaved ChippE
frequently. The state dismissed tho
last three witnesses w thout ques-
tioninr them.
X. F.. Hancock. another barber.
testified that Chips wnH I'm the bar
\ her shop where he worked between
II:30 and ~ o'clock on the day
Chips was shot and that the Iumber-
man was drunk.
LittTeIOn First Witness
Charles C. Littlet0n NJ Fort Worth
was the first witness as the defense
continued itE story of the killing a.
Dexter F.. Chips i'm the First Bap-
tist Church pas&r's study nc Fort
! Worth last July
Dr. Norris said Ne was going 70
! turn loose "A 22 inch gun in few
minutes referring 70 approaching
testimony. Hc heard Urn Austin
Methodist minister preach last night
On Morris troubles with the Fort
Worth city administration.
I Littleton said he had been a friend
of Chips. Dayton Moses. dcfense
counsel asked VI he was acquainted
with the reputation " Chipps when
the latter was intoxicated, -"nA t0
whether he was polite and inoffen-
sive Or dangerous and quarrelsomc- :"
His reputation was bad when In
t0xicated," Littleton said.
Attorney William Mclean for tine
state asked III the witness knew m
kinder or more polite man when SO
Der and Littlatun said Inv did not.
Detective Called.
City Detective Harry Conner 0E
Fort Worth testified Chipps~ repn-
tation - . drinker was bad.
Conner said Nv met Chips in
front VI the Texas Hotel in Fort
Worth July l6 last. that Chips had
n a gun. and was intoxicated.
Chips said Ne was going 20 XII
y N0Nrris,~ witness said. "I told him
! he would get into more trouble than
he could get cut WIZ in nine yearH-
Elr was quarrclAome and cursed Nor-
ris. I loaded him into an auto
I mobile and sent him t0 hill hotel"
\ -Did You turn q drunken man
" loose on the streets with "a gun wv
Mclean asked abruptly
4 'sYes."
stand asidcl" shouted Mclean.
Fred D. Holland. former Fost
Worth policeman, had testified SAT-
arday INV had heard the cnnverHn-
tion IN which Chips said he was
FoinR ~ Mil Norris. Holland said
/ he repeated the conversation "a
Norris the same day.
Says Chips Violent
A. Il. Hamm. livestock cOmmis-
sion man uf Fort Worth. testified
n Chips had m reputation ~ being
violent" when drunk and was W
heavy drinker.
Attorney Moses asked II witness
\ had met Chips WV front of the
'' ciEar stand i'm che Texas Hotel nn
en- occasion when Chips "threaten-
" IVA Fcrtrn Baker. hotel manager"
State objected - having nothing -