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Galveston County Newspaper Gleanings
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Dallas Morning News August 19, 1916 [submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer]
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| April 10, 1874 |
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Stage Robbery - A Horrible Triple Murder - The Perpetrator of the Deed Riddled with Bullets Galveson, April 9 - A special to the News, from Austin, dated yesterday, says that last night, about dark, the stage carrying the United States mail and eleven passengers, of whom three were ladies, was stopped about twenty-three miles from here, by three armed men, who cut the front horses out, took all the passengers' money and jewelry, broke open their trunks and sacked the mail bags, taking off one of them and two of the stage-horses. Among the passengers were Bishop Gregg and Mr. Breckenridge, president of the national bank of San Antonio, from whom they took one thousand dollars. They secured three thousand dollars from the passengers. The stage was the regular four-horse stage from San Antonio to Austin, and did not reach Austin until 4 o'clock this morning. A reward of seven thousand dollars has been offered for the arrest of the Austin stage-robbers. Ferera Ardazol, and Italian and captain of the sloop New Louisiana, entered the residence of a man named Jett, living three miles from Orange, Texas, during Jett's absence and murdered Mrs. Jett and two children. A daughter nearly grown escaped and gave the alarm, to a Mr. Lyons and other neighbors who hastened to the scene of the murder, where they found Ardazol trying to burn the bodies and thus conceal the evidence of his crime. He was at once arrested and committed to jail. Later - Last night, soon after the sheriff entered the jail to serve the prisoners with supper, a crowd of armed men rushed into the building, overpowered the officer and took Ardazol, the murderer of the Jett family, from the prison and literally riddled him with bullets. [submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer]
Galveston July 22, 1914 Girl Victim of Murder on Galveston Beach is Wife of Cleburne Man - Developments of the last few hours indicate that the young woman found murdered on Denver beach early yesterday morning was Mrs. George Hopper, whose husband is believed to be in Cleburne, Texas. Mrs. Hopper has been a resident of Galveston for several months and last winter she and her husband has occupied rooms at 913 Twenty-first street and also at 613 Twenty-first street. Mr. and Mrs. T. Keelen, who lived at the last address, at the same time the Hoppers did, are confident that the dead woman is Mrs. Hopper. The investigation on the theory the murder victim is Mrs. Hopper is being vigorously pushed. Ernest B. Hopper, a brother of George Hopper, is said to be living in Trinity, Texas. Ernest are being made to get from him definite information regarding the whereabouts of his brother.
Oak Cliff Woman Will Examine Corpse More Closely; Reports of Several Quarrels Received by Police are Discredited; Circumstances of Crime are Still Deep Mystery - Dallas relatives do not believe the body of the murdered woman found on the Galveston beach yesterday to be that of Mrs. Alma Johnston of this city. Mrs. George W. Hilltop of Oak Cliff late last night identified the body as that of Mrs. Johnston, the wife of Zone Johnston, a Dallas carpenter. Relatives of Mrs. Johnston today, however, declared that they were positive that that murdered woman was not Mrs. Johnston. There are several points in the identification that do not coincide and a post card received here today indicates Mrs. Hilltop possibly was mistaken in her identification. This card was stamped "Galveston at 1pm Monday". It read: "The fact that my daughter's eyes were brown, not blue or gray and that she was nearly 35 years of age, convince me they are mistaken", said Mrs. M. C. Kinchen, Mrs. Johnston's mother. "Besides this, I cannot find any motive for such a deed and connect her with it". "The description of her clothing does not in any way compare with Alma's though she did plan to make many purchases after reaching Galveston, and could have obtained there the things such as the murdered woman wore. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston had their two children with them" the mother declared. "They were traveling with Lewis Bollinger and his family and the father of Mr. Johnston. Nothing has been said of them. If Almas had been killed, they would never have left Galveston without some message to us," In reply to a query from the Dallas Times-Herald, W. H. Perrett, chief of police of Galveston, today gave the following description of the murdered woman found on the beach of that city Tuesday morning. It differs from the description of Mrs. Z. H. Johnston of Dallas: "Lady found on beach has no gold teeth in front, height about 5 feet 4 inches, weight about 110 pounds. Has four large teeth in front." Mrs. Johnston has one gold-filled tooth in front and weighed at least fifteen pounds more than the estimate of the police chief. She was also slightly taller, according to acquaintances here. Friends of Mrs. Alma Johnston here today said that Mrs. Johnston was not a Catholic and if it was her body found at Galveston, they are unable to account for the finding of the scapula with it. With an uncertain identification of the woman found murdered on Denver beach yesterday morning as Mrs. Alma Johnston of Dallas, search was begun between here and Dallas today for Zone Johnston, the husband and the family with who the Johnston's had been camping. Camp was broken up Monday and the campers are supposed to be on their way back to Dallas by automobile. The identification was made after midnight last night by Mrs. George Hillpost of Oak Cliff, Dallas; and she is to make a positive examination this afternoon. The police have not however, ceased their efforts on the strength of the identification, although it is now felt certain that the body is that of a woman visiting Galveston from some other city. Mrs. Hillpost fainted when she saw the dead woman and was in such a nervous state when restored to consciousness that she could not make a minute examination of the woman or her clothing. It has been learned that Mrs. Johnston and her family had been camping on the beach for several days and were supposed to have started for Dallas in an automobile some time Monday. Developments in the circumstances are awaited with a great deal of interest by the authorities. Investigations of officers city and count, conducted during yesterday and last night have developed no tangible clews as to the identity of the murderer of the young woman. Any number of stores of quarrels heard along the Gulf shore were received, and upon investigation found to have no bearing upon the case. From one resort well down the island comes the story of a man and woman who drove up in an automobile. The man made arrangements for accommodations and the woman refused to leave the car. A violent quarrel ensued, says this report and couple left the place. As the investigation proceeds the authorities are becoming convinced that the woman was murdered at some other place than where the body was discovered The body was found lying face down with the arms extended and the theory is that the murder occurred further down the beach and that the body was later thrown, either into the Gulf and was washed ashore or was tossed onto the beach. The police took one man into custody last night upon a report of his having been engaged in a quarrel with a woman Monday night. Investigation disclosed that this woman was at home and unharmed and the man was released. C. H. McTeren, a resident of this city and a brother of Mrs. Hillpost today told the police that he was convinced that his sister's identification of the dead woman was correct. He said that he had known Mrs. Johnston for many years and that with her husband and two small children she had spent several weeks here. Mrs. Johnston's husband is said to be Zone Johnston of Dallas. McTeren says that it was the understanding of friends here that the Johnston's had started for Dallas Monday and they have heard nothing further from them. Thus far efforts to locate the Johnston automobile party have been without success, though the search has been extended to other cities of the sate and especially in Houston.
QUITE YOUTHFUL - An Elopement Prevented by the Timely Interference of an Officer
- The Pair Prominently Connected at Galveston. Special to the Fort Worth Gazette [submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer] [submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer] submitted by Dena Whitesell Flake's Bulletin August 10 1870
Abilene Reporter News, April 19, 1937, transcribed by, Amanda Jowers Body of Aviator Recovered In Gulf The body of Lieutenant Arthur Erwin Livingston, 28, Barksdale field army flier, who crashed to his death in the Gulf of Mexico April 7 while engaged in target practice, was recovered here by a Fort Crockett soldier. The flier's head and left arm were missing, and both legs apparently had been shattered by the impact when his pursuit plane dived into the water a short distance offshore.
Dr. Thomas Heard. [Special to the Picayune,] Galveston, Tex. March 8. At 8:30
tonight Dr. Thomas J. Heard, an old and prominent physician died. He was born in Morgan county, Ga., in May1814,
and was of distinguished ancestry. He came to Texas In 1837, became prominent as a physician and lecturer on medical
science. He filled the chair of therapeutics in the Galveston Medical College and the New Orleans Medical College
(now Tulane). He espoused the cause of the south In the civil war, and was a surgeon In the confederate army..
He was the first president of the Texas Medical Association, and was part grand scribe or the Royal Arch Cbapters.
A widow and daughter survive him.The Daily Picayune,
(New Orleans, LA) Thursday, March 09, 1899; Issue 44; col F SEA MONSTERS A School of Monstrous Fish Create Excitement in Galveston Brief mention, says the Galveston News, has already made of a school of enormous and curious fish that were imprisoned off the gulf shore between the bars in front of the Beach hotel, and the attempt that was made to secure them by a detachment of Sealy rifles, doing their first active service with musketry. What effect the battery of the Sealys many have had upon the sea monsters in not known, save that it was not effectual in bringing the enemy to any terms of capitulation or capture. In defiance of the citizen soldiery the mammoth monsters of the deep were seen disporting themselves again in the gulf once more and another bombardment was commanded with every conceivable appliance of firearms, save that the artillery were not called out with their big guns. A party was organized by Mr. S. P. Blunt, of the quarantine station to carry the war into the enemy’s camp and fight them in their own element with harpoons. For this purpose a whaling yawl and several harpoons were secured, and Mr. Joe Williams an expert harpooner and an old whaler was introduced to make one of the party, owning to his experience in battling with such adversaries. The party had not been out long before they sighted one of the monsters about the foot of 29th street, and proceeded to give chase. The fish, to use Mr. Blunt’s description, had the appearance of the upper portion of a street car passing though the water, its superficial dimensions appearing to be sixteen by eighteen feet, or at least this much of the surface was shown above water. The party rowed within one hundred yards of the monster, and from its appearance at that distance, and from two horns protruding from the head about two and a half feet in length, Mr. Joe Williams, relying upon his long experience as a whaler, pronounced it at once to be what is commonly known as a devil fish. Only one, however of the several that were previously seen , was discovered by the harpooning party, and he was swimming in an easterly direction in about seven feet of water, the maximum depth inside the inner bar, where the monster had got by some unaccountable means and was unable to get out again, as in this depth he left a wake of much and sand behind him in swimming, and the water on the inner bar over which he would have to pass to get again into the water was only a depth of about four and a half or five feet with the then prevailing tide. It was swimming about two hundred yards from shore, and was sagacious enough to keep at the maximum depth between the bar and shore. Wile the party were giving these the squall came up, causing them to abandon the chase and look to their own safety in getting to shore, thus breaking into a fair prospect of capturing the sea monster, as he could not have gotten over the bar with the tide in the condition in which it them was. From a description of the cephalopter a vampyrus (devil fish) in the American Encyclopedia, which tallies very much with the description given by Mr. Blunt of what he saw, it appears that Mr. Williams may have been correct in naming the rare visitor. The devil fish, as described in the encyclopedia, has what is known as pectorals, making the transverse diameter fo the fish greater than the longitudinal thus accounting for the peculiar dimensions given – 16 by 18 feet. A specimen of this fish, caught in the Atlantic, near the entrance of Delaware bay, in 1823, weighted about five tons, and was 17 ½ feet long by 18 feet wide; the skin on the back was blackish brown, and on the belly black and white; the mouth was 2 ½ feet wide, the greatest breadth of the skull 5 feet, and the distance between the eyes 1 1-9 feet. The cranial appendages, or horns were 2 ¼ feet long and a foot wide. The description of the color and the size of the mouth above given also corresponds in detail with the description given of the monster, the subject of yesterday’s search. The same authority also states that the devil fish is occasionally seen on the coast of the southern states in summer and autumn and wonderful stories are told of its strength and ferocity, its extraordinary shape and size having transformed a powerful but inoffensive animal into a terrible monster. Other epodes are met with in the tropical parts, both in mid-ocean and on sandy coasts, which they approach to bring forth their young…….The truth appears to be that the devil fish, though powerful and hideous, is a timid and harmless creature, avoiding rather than attacking a man, but when attacked and defending itself is dangerous. From: The Lamar News, Lamar County, AL, Nov. 18, 1886 - Trancribed and submitted by Veneta McKinney GALVESTON, DEC. 2 A special to the News, from Waco, says: Last night, in the country near this place, where a dance was in progress, BUD WOOD invited Miss GRACE STANFIELD to dance, which she declined. Wood became angry and demanded that the dance cease, and following a man named WILL CURRIE into a back room, provoked a fight, and CURRIE knocked him down with a pair of tongs. The two men afterwards met outside and fought a duel with pistols, a dozen shots being exchanged. CURRIE was wounded in the hand, a bystander in the leg, and GEO. WOOD was shot in the thigh. BUD WOOD then went to where MISS STANFIELD was engaged in conversation with ALBERT CHOCH and made two attempts to shoot her. He than said to CHOCH “you are a friend of CURRIE’S” and shot him, CHOCH, dead, and then going up to CURRIE knocked him senseless with his pistol. WOOD then made good his escape. From Vernon Clipper, Lamar County, AL, Dec 12, 1879 - Transcribed and submitted by Veneta McKinney SHELTON MURDER CASE ON TRIAL YESTERDAY The case of Edmund Shelton. a negro, charged with the murder of Ephraim Bass, another negro, on Oct. 14 of last year, went on trial yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock in the Criminal District Court. Practically the entire day was spent in securing a Jury, the special venue of fifty men summoned being exhausted before 12 o'clock, and two sets of talesmen being called in, one of twenty-five and the other of twelve. In all sixty two- men were examined for jury service before a panel of twelve was secured. Judge Gillaspie adjourned the session shortly after 6 o'clock and announced that court would be reconvened this morning at 8 o'clock. The Jury was given into the custody of the sheriff and locked up for the night. From the line of questioning by Attorney J. W. Munson of Angleton it was inferred that Shelton's defense would be that of self defense. The case developed yesterday into an interesting one. District Attorney W. G. Love used up nine of the twenty challenges allowed, while Mr. Munson, counsel for the defendant, used thirteen. The attorney for Shelton was most cautious in the examination of proposed Jurors. All opposed to inflicting the death penalty as a punishment for crime were excused by the state. The attorney for Shelton questioned as to whether or not any race prejudice existed or as to whether or not the proposed Juror being questioned had ever had any serious trouble with Negroes. Challenges for cause were freely used by both sides The Jury The; following were chosen as Jurors, in the order named: Robert A. Stolz, A. J. Ressel. Smiley Bullock, Louis Schneider, Sinclair Cordua, Abraham Gallishaw, Thomas McHenry, P. J. Williamson, Steve Sgitcovich, W. D. Puelle. Ira B. Collins and T. H. Turner. Testimony of George Washington. George Washington, a negro, was the first witness placed upon the stand. He testified that on Oct. 14. 1907, between 6 and 7 o'clock, he was standing near the corner of Thirtieth street and Avenue N 1/2 when Shelton and Bass were engaged in an apparent altercation on Thirtieth street at the alleyway between Avenue N 1/2 and M. He saw Shelton shoot Bass, Bass falling to the ground near the curbing. Shelton had then fired several shots more at the prostrate figure of Bass He heard no words passed between the men. Testimony of Belle Kelley Belle Kelley, a Negress, stated that she was on her back gallery near Avenue N 1/2 when she heard a shot fired. She ran to the end of her gallery and saw Shelton shooting at the prostrate figure of Bass. Witness said she thought four shots were fired. She said that during the month of August Bass had caused Shelton to leave his. (Bass') house about 1-o'clock one afternoon very hurriedly She connected a woman with the affair. She testified that Baas had told her that he was going to kill Shelton for breaking into his home circle. She warned Shelton of what Baas had said. This was before the killing of Baas by Shelton. Testimony of William Thomas. Deputy Sheriff William Thomas was called. He stated that he was coming from a circus on horseback- when he heard pistol shots. Riding about six blocks he came upon the scene of Bass' killing. He met Shelton walking from the scene with a pistol In his hand. He asked Shelton If he had done the shooting. He arrested him and took the negro to the county Jail. As he arrested him, stated witness, he took from the negro a Colt's 41 caliber pistol in which there were four exploded shells and two unexploded shells. these were introduced in evidence. Testimony of "Gen." Murphy "Gen." Murphy, a negro, stated that he had met Shelton one day shortly before the killing, and that in course of conversation Shelton had remarked that he and Bass had been having trouble, and that if Bass interfered with his private affairs any more he was going to kill him. He said that a woman in the hospital at the time, stated witness, was the cause of the trouble. Witness stated that Shelton told him that if Bass Interfered with him and the woman after the woman came out of the hospital he would kill Bass. Testimony of Fred Williams Fred Williams stated that while driving from the circus grounds on the day of the killing, his horse became frightened, and lurching, broke a port of the harness. He recognized Shelton, whom he had previous acquaintance with, among the crowd, and requested him to hold his horse while he fixed the harness. Witness stated that Shelton did an requested, but stated that he had to go over to Thirtieth street, where he expected he would have to kill Bass. Shelton had then departed. Testimony of Richard Murphey Richard Murphey, an out-of-town witness, stated that he was with Shelton at the time Williams had called Shelton over, with the request, to assist him in fixing his harness. He said that he was by Shelton's aide all the time and that he did not hear Shelton say anything about killing anyone nor did he hear him mention Bass' name. He heard all the other conversation, but there was nothing said about that portion. No Night Session. Following the testimony of Murphey which was concluded shortly after 6 o'clock. Judge Gillaspie announced that adjournment would be had to 8 o'clock this morning. It was announced during the day that a night session would be held In the Tenth District Court room, owing to the fact that all lighting apparatus in the Criminal Court room has been removed by the electricians in the rewiring of the building. Judge Gillaspie stated that it would be impossible to conclude the case in the event a night session were held, and then decided to adjourn until this morning. The courtroom yesterday was packed with Negroes, Many being the friends or acquaintances of the dead man and many the friends of the accused. They followed closely every bit of evidence brought out. The Galveston Daily News Wednesday July 22, 1908 {Submitted by B. Z.}
Destruction of the Steamer Henry A. Jones The stern-wheel steamboat Henry A. Jones, Capt. C. Blakeman, from Houston for this port with four hundred bales of cotton and a barge laden with wood, caught fire about half past four o'clock this morning about three miles north of Redfish bay, it is thought from the boilers, and in a few minutes was enveloped to flames. A number of the officers and crew managed to get on board of the barge, which also took fire and drifted from the burning steamer, but, by herculean exertions, they managed to extinguish the fire on the barge and were picked up and brought to this oity by the steamboat Charles Fowler About half past ten o'clock today. Missing. The following persons are missing, and are supposed to be lost: J. J. Price, first clerk ; James Hogan, second clerk ; first engineer; Peter Peterson, cooper ; John Cummings, D. Turner, John Collahan, Christopher Shelby and James Brown, white deck hands; William Hughes and Hugh M. Artz; Charley, Bob Giles and William Bradley, fireman ; William McGuire, first cook ; W. Bishop, second do.; boy, name unknown: Alfred Gee, colored boy Alick Botts, colored. Saved The following persons were saved : C. Blakeman, captain, John Morrison, mate, W.L. Williams, first pilot, P. A. Speckernagle, second pilot, P. Ross, watchman, Dave Gordon, assistant pilot, John Robin carpenter, M. White, cabin boy, Wm. Crossman, second engineer, Sam Alerdise, third engineer, John King, Andrew Murphy, Thomas Duffet. Wm. Muran and Wm King, deck hands, ten colored deck hands, 1 fireman, two deck boys and four cooks. Galveston Tri-Weekly Civilian 1873-02-14 |
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