DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED,
EX-SHERIFF HORNSBY SHOT THROUGH THE
BREAST BY A
MEXICAN.
The Wound Received While Attempting
to Quell a Disturbance Down at Hornsby’s Bend
His Oldest Son, Make, Also Painfully
Cut on the Hand.
Yesterday
morning about 4 o’clock Mr. Smith Hornsby rode into the city at break neck
speed and reported to Sheriff White that just before he had left his home at
Hornsby’s Bend about ten miles down the river that his eldest brother
ex-Sheriff Hornsby, had been shot through the breast and that his nephew Make
Hornsby Jr., had been cut in the hand by two Mexicans. It took Mr. White a very
short time to make his arrangements, and in a few minutes, with Deputy Sheriff
Thorp, he was driving for the Bend with his blood hounds in the buggy.
All during
the morning, and for some time into the afternoon no definite particulars of
the shooting could be learned in the city, and as a natural result the most
startling rumors were soon afloat, causing many people to go down to the scene.
Towards evening they began to return, and the following details were gathered:
Mr. Hornsby
had been in the city nearly all day Saturday, and was at the court house that
night until about 10 o’clock, when he started for home. He was on horseback and
reached there about midnight. In that section of the country there are a great
many Mexicans and on Saturday night it is their custom to congregate and pass
the time in gambling, filling up on booze and dancing the fandango. Such a
gathering was on hand when Mr. Hornsby reached home, and hearing the noise with
his oldest son, familiarly known as “Little Make,” he proceeded to the scene of
their festivities, which was some distance from his home.
In the crowd were three strange
Mexicans, who were endeavoring to run things to suit themselves, and to bluff
and hurrah the home people in every way conceivable. Finally they became so
obnoxious that some of the men employed by Mr. Hornsby went to him and asked
him to interfere in their behalf. At that time the three men were
in one of the tents, and going to the door Mr. Hornsby entered with the remark,
“You men can’t run over my Mexicans.”
As he finished speaking the biggest one
of the intruders, a long, tall rawboned fellow, drew a pistol and before Mr.
Hornsby could ward off the blow hit him a whack over the head with the butt of
the weapon. The latter then grabbed a chair and swinging it around brought his
assailant to the floor, but in an instant almost he raised himself and fired,
the bullet taking effect in Mr. Hornsby’s right breast. He didn’t fall however,
but continued to wield the chair, hitting the Mexican continually over the head
as he crawled towards the door, the Mexican firing two more shots as he went,
neither of which took effect. In the meantime “Little Make” was having a
pretty hard time of it. As soon as the first Mexican fell one of his companions
made a rush for the big ex-sheriff with a murderous looking knife in his hand.
Seeing the double danger his father was in, the son sprang for and grappled
with the second assailant and in the scuffle that ensued had his hand terribly
cut, the Mexican making good his escape, as did his tall companion. The third
man was caught by the other Mexicans and held, and is now in the hands of the
officers.
A LATER ACCOUNT
Sheriff White returned to the city about 7 o’clock last
evening, bringing with him the Mexican who did the shooting. He was seen by the
reporter soon after his arrival and made the following statement of the
shooting, which differs from the above only as to the minor details:
The two stray Mexicans who caused all the trouble have been
in the neighborhood only about a week. A few days ago in a card game they lost
$40 between them, since which time they have been making all manner of threats
and causing considerable strife. The fandango Saturday night was given by a
Mexican who has been working for Mr. Hornsby for a number of years and to which
an invitation was extended to him and his son, which they accepted. His having
been summoned to quell the disturbance is correct, as above stated, but it was
the big man who made the first break, starting towards him with the knife, and
who was stopped by young Make. The little Mexican then got in his work with the
pistol and was repeatedly felled by the chair in Mr. Hornsby’s hands. Both of
them succeeded in getting away, avoiding in some way the numerous shots that
were sent after them by the Mexican friends of the Hornsbys.
THE CHASE
Mr. White reached the scene with his dogs about 5 o’clock
and gave chase, the dogs working splendidly. The whole country had been alarmed
and owing to the great popularity of Mr. Hornsby. Men and boys were swarming in from all sections, and
immediately an organized search was commenced, the Mexicans joining in with all
the fervor and earnestness of their excitable nature. No trace was seen of the
fugitives until about 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, when both were sighted and
one captured. At that time Mr. White with quite a large posse was in
Randerson’s pasture, the thoroughly exhausted dogs panting along a doubled
trail. The country was covered with a rank undergrowth, weeds growing ten feet
high. The men forming the posse were scattered around searching every nook and
corner of the thick brake, when suddenly Mr. Jack Smith spied the two Mexicans
in the trail ahead of him. One he was almost on, while the other was fifty or
sixty feet ahead. Throwing his winchester down on the nearest man he ordered
him to throw his hands up. The Mexican threw one hand on his belt as he hissed
“Me shootee,” but the ominous click of Mr. Smith’s gun caused him to change his
mind, and up went his hands. In the meantime the other Mexican had disappeared
in the brake. By hallowing Mr. Smith attracted his companions and the prisoner
was turned over to Sheriff White.
The dogs were completely worn out and incapable of doing any
more work and were called off, but the posse continued the search for the
remaining fugitive, while Mr. White started for the Bend to have his man
identified. When he reached there Mr. Hornsby was suffering the most
excruciating agony, but stated to his brother that while he wouldn’t be able to
identify the man, still the man that shot him was the man that started the
disturbance. The prisoner was, however, identified by a number of Mexicans as
the man who did the shooting, and placing him in his buggy Mr. White started to
town with him. He says his name is Francisco Reano and admits he was one of two
men, but denies having done the shooting, saying he was the one that had the knife.
MR. HORNSBY’S CONDITION
Mr. White says that when he left the Bend the wounded man
was in the greatest agony. The bullet entered the right breast just above the
nipple, passed clear through his body, penetrating the lung in its passage, and
lodged under the shoulder blade close to the skin, from which position it was
easily cut out. The doctors agree that while the wound is not necessarily fatal
there is still room for the greatest doubt.
When Sheriff White left for Austin the country was still
being scoured for the other fugitive, who is described as a tall, black headed
man, with a. badly pock-marked face. He wears a black slouch hat.
The numerous
volunteers have been divided up into squads and are under the command of Deputy
Sheriff Fred Peck, Constable Jim Davis and officers Sam and Jake Platt and
Drake Bell, and there is no doubt but that he will soon be captured and brought
in.
AUSTIN DAILY STATESMAN
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 1892