M'DADE-SPRINGFIELD MURDER CASES.

The cases of the State of Texas against Jack McDade and R. T. Springfield, in which the defendants are charged with the killing of Steve Allchin at Hempstead, were set for trial before the criminal court to-day.  There were not less than 150 people who came down from Hempstead to be present at the trial.  Nearly a hundred of these were witnesses and the rest friends of the parties.  At 10 o'clock the prisoners were escorted from the jail into the court-room by Sheriff Ellis and deputies.  They looked pale, of course but seemed to be enjoying excellent health and wore a cheerful countenance.  The state was represented by District Attorney W. C. Oliver of Hempstead, and the defendants by Judge Gustave Cook, Captain J. C. Hutcheson and Mr. R. J. Thacker.  The court-room was crowded with visitors, mostly from Waller county.

Soon after the preparation for the trial was begun, it was discovered by the defense that two or three important witnesses were absent, one of them being Mr. Felker of Hempstead.  At once the counsel for the defendants asked time to prepare an application for continuance.  In order to give the necessary time, court adjourned to 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when it was reconvened.  The prisoners were in the dock, and by them sat the aged mother, the young wife, the fair sister and sweet children of defendant McDade.

Captain Hutcheson read the motion for a continuance on account of the absence of material testimony, which included proof of the threat said to have been made by Steve Allchin, to kill the defendants.  Judge Cleveland took the motion, and after reading it carefully granted the continuance and set the case for the 13th day of February.

"M'Dade-Springfield Murder Cases." Galveston Daily News, Dec. 14, 1888, p. 5, col. 1.