The border vidette., 1932-12-31
NEGRO SOLDIER KILLS FOUR
S-HURTS ONE

Death, dealt by maniac, sped
through the 25th y S. Infantry
headquarters streets today, to
transform this historic western
army camp into G. sham bles.
Two white officers and their
wives died before a sudden Graz
ed, onslaught OF a Negro private.
and a third white officer was
seriously wounded before the
military guard silenced splitting
calibre .32 pistol with q hail of
bullets which riddled the assail-
ants body.
THE DEAD
Captain Joseph r. Wassely Of
San Antonio, Texas. 46. years
old, graduate of the motor tran.
port school of the quartermas
ter's service. an officer who ad
vanced from the ranks and reach
ed bis majority rating as an
emergency officer during the
World War.
Mrs. Wessely, bis wife. of
Cedar Rapids. Iowa.
Captain David A. Palmer, Of
Beverly, Mass, 43 years old,
graduate of the command and
staff, infantry and signal CORPS
service schools, who also reach
ed the grade of major as an em
ergency officer OF the World
War.
Mrs. Palmer, his wife former
ly Mary Lowden of Dedham,
Mass.
Private James Abernathy, Ne
gro the assailant, Of Houston,
Texas.
WOUNDED
First Lieutenant Harvie r.
Matthews of Texas. 33 years old;
honor graduate of the Texas
Agricultural and Mechanical col.
lege. Matthews is not seriously
Injured.
So rapidly did the death. deal
ing Negro move after the blood
lust apparently fastened upon
him and be shot down Captain
Wessely by scarcely word Of
warning. the military guard turn
ed out on the rup, brought bin
under effective fire of its pistols
and rifles only after two captains
and their wives were dead and
Lieutenant Matthews bad been
knocked to the ground by Aber
nathy's weapon.
Captain ard Mrs. Palmer leave
two children, David, IL years
old and Polly, 10. Neither was
Injured. David hid his sister in
a closet and had run out of
the house to spread tho alarm
when his parents were killed.
James Fl. Aberpathy, Negro
private OF the qaartermaster's
corps. the slayer, enlisted at
Houston, Texas.
Officers under direction of
Lieutenant Colonel M. G. Thorn
linson, post commander, strove
to piece together the details of
the swiftlymoving tragedy and
6nd a motive for the Negro's
deadly outburst.
They worked on the theory
that unless for reasons unknown
he became suddenly mentally
deranged be labored under some
fancied urge for revenge upon
the officer who commanded.
Colonel E S. Knox, command.
ing officer of the 25th infantry
regiment, sections of which
are stationed at Nogales and
Douglas, Arizona, started for
Fort Huachuca Immediately
after be had been informed of
the staying 0y army radio. his
headquarters has been at No
gales.
As tentatively pieced together
the investigating officers evid
ence indicated Avernathy delib
erately had singled out his vic
tins after Captain Wesley was
killed, regardless of whether the
first victim fell before sudden
gust of anger or was the victim
of premeditatec murder.
Captain Wesley, it was be)iev
ed, scare had time 10 suspect at
tack before the Neero's first bul
let toppled him from his automo
bile at the post gasoline station,
where be had halted to have his
car serviced.
Abernsthy in charge Of the
stot;on soized tho Anad officnr's