Shot to Death

Two Young Men Indulge in a Shooting Scrape — Fatal Result.

Hempstead, Tex, February 22. — The particulars of the tragedy occurring on Reid's prairie, fifteen miles east of this city, on Tuesday night last, was related to The News correspondent to-day by a gentleman direct from that region.

The young men engaged in the tragedy were James Berry, about 18 years old, and James Mathis, about 22 years of age.  The parties had been enemies several months.  They and others were on their return from a dance and the two young men began quarreling on horseback.  The trouble was concerning an alleged slander by Berry of a young lady Mathis had been keeping company with.  Mathis told Berry that he had a mind to pull him from his horse and whip him.  Berry told him he would get off his horse and fight him.

Both men then jumped off their horses and Mathis immediately reached for his pistol, but Berry was too quick for him, and fired first, instantly killing Mathis.  Berry surrendered to the officers and had a preliminary examination before Justice of the Peace Farquhar, when the facts came out that when the men got off their horses it was only a questioin who fired first to save himself.  Mathis is said to have been overbearing and quarrelsome.  Public sentiment in the neighborhood of the killing favors Berry.

The defendant gave bond to appear before the grand jury at the March term of the district court.  Both men were unmarried.

The verdict of the jury in the McDade case, on trial at Houston, surprised everybody here, who are fully posted of all the facts in the death of S. W. Allchin in May last.  Public sentiment here is that McDade should be thankful to his jury for thier (sic) lenient verdict.

"Shot to Death", Galveston Daily News, Saturday, February 23, 1889, p. 1, col. 5.

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