Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-11-12
JURIST KEEPS
SILENT ABOUT
GIRL SLAYINC
Principals Involved In
Tragedy Refuse to
Give Any Light AS
To Story

AUSTIN, Nov. 12-tP)-Muffled
IN the silence which all principals
in the case have maintained, the
story behind the stabbing Of Miss
Lehlla Highsmith. 2s. by John W..
Brady, prominent jurist. remained
as much of a mystery today as u
was when the tragedy occurred
early Sunny.
Brady, once a justice Of the court
Of civil appeals here and one OF
the most widely acquainted and
respected men in the state, ap-
parently did not know exactly
what had happened. Sitting in a
cell. still suffering from shock,
Brady was unable to add anything
10 his statement to officers ne had
attended q drinking party after
the Bayor-Texas game and he
could recall he had had "a diff
ficulty with several persons"
Screams Heard
r. r. McNaughton, who lived at
the apartment house where Miss
Highsmith made her home, said
he heard screams, rushed to the
street and found Miss Highsmith,
who apparently had just left her
car, cut and bleeding. He took O
knife from Brady which officers
described as q twelve inch east
Dallas special" Frank Graham, Jr.,
University OF Teas student who
was making his way through
schoal by acting as a music sales
man. was thought to have seen
more OF the tragedy than anyone
else. He either accompanied MISS
Highsmith, or arrived at the scene
at almost the same moment she
did. He refused TO be interviewed,
but indicated he had made a state
ment to the county attorney.
Brady's many friends rallied to
his support yesterday. Prominent
attorneys fro n various parts nf
the state offered their services, and
his wife saved lin from the COM
mon Jail fare by preparing his
meals herself.
To Remain I'm jail
Indications were Brady would re-
main In Jail until the latter part
OF the week. and possibly until
January when the grand jury
meets. His examining trial was
postponed yesterday because OF
absence Of Mr.. and Mrs. II. F.
williams, who also lived at the
apartments where Miss Highsmith
made her home. williams Is un-
derstood to have been one of the
several persons with whom Brady
'had q difficulty
County attorney Roy Archer
held out no hope OF bond. even
after the examining trial. 1T
looks like a case in which the jury
would probably inflict the death
penalty" he said, and not a
bailable one"
II. II. Brooks, district attorney.
who once occupied a desk beside
Brady's in an office IN which they
both worked, said the case would
not reach the grand jury until
January.
Known Over State
Brady had engaged in many
activities that gave him statewide
prominence. He graduated at Tex
as In 1896 and always took a keen
interest in the University's welfare
and q leading part In activities OF
the ex-student's association. &c
served as c-unty attorney here at
one time and later as an assistant
attorney general. At one time he
was an attorney for the banking
department OF the state. At the
conclusion Of his service on the
curt Of civil appeals he continued
TO practice here, representing many
people who had business in the
capitol and everyone who vfSited
Il from other parts Of the state
frequently.
Miss Highsmitn knew everyone
IN the capitol building, as she had
worked there for -ome time and
in several departments before she
took her last position as a steno-
grapher for the supreme court COM
mission OF appeals. She was buried
here yesterday.