A CHAPTER WRITTEN IN THE LIFE BLOOD OF W. C. BRANN AND
THOS. E. DAVIS
OTHER STATEMENTS
BRANN'S DEATH
DAVIS FOLLOWS BRANN
W. H. WARD
THE OBSEQUIES
THE LATEST TRAGEDY
BRANN AND BAYLOR
TERRIFIC DEADLY CONFLICT
THE LATE TRAGEDY
THE PASSING OF WILLIAM COWPER BRANN
REST--REST IN PEACE
A MEMORIAL TO W. C. BRANN
DEATH OF W. C. BRANN
A PEN PICTURE OF BRANN
SEMPER VIVATIM MEMORIAM
BRANN'S BRAVE BATTLE
BRANN IS NO MORE
BRAVE AND BRAINY BRANN
BRANN, OF THE ICONOCLAST
A MARTYR TO FREE SPEECH
EDITORIAL ETCHINGS
SIMPLE STATEMENT OF FACTS
LET THE PLAIN TRUTH BE TOLD
THE LAST LESSON
SALMAGUNDI
THE DEATH OF BRANN
PRIVATE VENGEANCE
BRANN, THE FOOL
WILLIAM COWPER BRANN
SPEAKING OF GALL
BLUE AND GRAY
HUMBUGS AND HUMBUGGERY
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BRANN'S REPLY TO SLATTERY
THE LOCAL OPTION LUNACY
OLD GLORY
THE LONE STAR
SLAVE OR SOVEREIGN
RAINBOW CHASERS
Extracts from The Waco "Weekly Tribune," Issue of
Saturday, April 2, 1898.
A CHAPTER WRITTEN IN THE LIFE
BLOOD OF W. C. BRANN AND
THOS. E. DAVIS.
THE STREET DUEL TO THE DEATH
IN WACO STREETS.
THERE ARE TWO MORE WIDOWS
AND EIGHT MORE ORPHANS.
The Full Recital of the Double Tragedy, the Deaths, the
Burials and Subsequent Events--Will This End It?
In God's Name Let Us Hope It Will.
Died--At 1.55 o'clock A.M., April 2nd, W. C. BRANN.
Died--At 2.30 o'clock P.M., T. E. DAVIS.
Friday afternoon, November 19, 1897, marked a
street duel and tragedy in which two men were killed,
one lost an arm, and an innocent by-stander was injured.
Friday afternoon, April 1st, 1898, within an hour of
the time of the first tragedy, and within a half block of
the locality of the other, W. C. Brann and Tom E.
Davis engaged in a street duel in which each of them was
mortally wounded, and three others received slight
wounds. Four fatalities within five months of each other
are bloody records in the history of the city of Waco,
all of which can be traced to the same source, all of which
were born of the same cause. The publication last
year in the ICONOCLAST and the incidents following the
publication are well known. They have been published
far and wide, the kidnaping of Brann, the assault upon
him by the Scarboroughs, the Gerald-Harris affair, and
the hurried departure of Brann on one occasion. During
all these incidents Tom E. Davis was an outspoken citizen
of Waco. He denounced the author of the ICONOCLAST
articles and said he should be run out of town
and had continued throughout it all to condemn the
"Apostle." This caused bad blood between them, and
although Davis had remained in the city all the time,
and Brann had been on the street constantly, there had
been no outbreak or conflict. Each knew the feeling of
the other in the matter. Such are incidents preceding
the shooting and leading up to it.
. . .
To trace the movements of the two men during Friday
afternoon appears easy at first, but as the investigator
proceeds in his search for information he meets conflicting
statements. Tom Davis left his office on South
Fourth Street, No. 111, about 5 o'clock or a few
minutes later. Brann, accompanied by W. H. Ward, his
business manager, is alleged to have been standing at
the corner of Fourth and Franklin Streets as Davis
passed to the postoffice corner, en route to the transfer
stables. In his ante mortem statement Davis says that
he heard Brann remark, "There is the s----of a b----
who caused my trouble." Davis didn't stop or resent the
insult, but passed on. Soon after he called on James I.
Moore at his office in the Pacific Hotel building and
together they were discussing the city campaign. According
to Mr. Moore's statement, he was standing with his
back to the south facing the door and was looking toward
Austin Avenue. Davis was facing him, his back to the
avenue, and in a position which prevented him seeing
anyone approaching from Austin Avenue. Brann and
his companion approached coming south, and as they
passed, Mr. Moore says, Brann halted, looked him
squarely in the face and passed on. Davis did not see
the editor and his manager, as he chanced to turn
just as they came up and as it happened he kept his back
to the "Apostle" and his companion. From Mr. Moore's
office, Davis passed into the Pacific Hotel bar and thence
to his office. Brann and Ward soon after returned to
the Pacific; there they met Joe Earp of Laco, from the
western part of the county, and the three walked together
to Geo. Laneri's saloon. Brann and Ward passed into
the saloon, Earp remaining on the outside. They passed
out within a short time and passed down Fourth Street to
the Cotton Belt ticket office. Thence on to the newsstand
of Jake French, and while there the shooting occurred.
. . .
As to the shooting there are conflicting statements.
As in every tragedy eye-witnesses differ and citizens of
equal reputation for veracity and conservatism tell
different stories. They are all honest in what they say,
they all believe they saw what they relate, but the
conflict in statements is yet there.
Messrs. W. W. Dugger, Joe Earp, M. C. Insley and
S. S. Hall agree as to the first shot. They say it was
fired by T. E. Davis at W. C. Brann, when Brann's back
was turned. Others say Ward participated in the shooting,
while numbers say that Ward did not. Here a conflict
occurs. At any rate, the first shot was fired by
Davis, and it was immediately returned by Brann. Ward
got between the two and in the firing he was shot in the
right hand. Davis fell at the first shot from Brann's
pistol and writhed in agony. He soon recovered presence
of mind and raising himself upon his elbow returned
the fire, Brann standing off shooting into the prostrate
form, while Davis with unsteady aim was returning the
fire. Every bullet from the "Apostle's" pistol found
lodgment in the form of the duelist engaged with him.
All was excitement. It was an hour, 6 P.M., when South
Fourth Street was crowded, and the rapid report of the
pistols caused a stampede of pedestrians, each of which
feared contact with a stray bullet. In it all there was
one who displayed his devotion to duty, his bravery and
coolness--Police Officer Sam S. Hall. Mr. Hall was
standing near the insurance office of George Willig, not
forty feet away. He turned at the first report, and
seeing the duel in progress, bravely made his way toward
the men. Brann was shooting from the north, and it
was toward the north the officer started. Davis was
facing north. At each fire of the gun Officer Hall would
screen himself in a doorway, dart out and rush to the
next, gradually nearing them. Officer Dave Durie was
across the street, and he started also, but Officer Hall
reached them first, but too late. Each man had finished
shooting, Davis had fallen back upon the pavement and
his pistol rolled from his hand. Brann was standing,
pistol in hand, its six chambers empty, looking upon the
lengthened form of his antagonist. He had not spoken.
Wounded in three places, blood was soiling his linen and
his clothes. He was yet upon his feet, and Officer Hall,
not knowing how serious were his wounds, started with
him to the city hall, being joined almost immediately
by Officer Durie.
Davis was wounded in many places. Bullets had
plowed their way through flesh and bone, and unable
himself to move, blood flowing freely from various wounds,
his friends lifted him tenderly and gave him comfort as
best they could, surgeons responding quickly to the call.
Ward had been in the midst of the fray, but received
but one wound, in the hand. He was between the two
men at one time and then sought safety against the wall.
When the smoke cleared away he went to the Old Corner
drug store to have his hand dressed. Here he was arrested
later by Deputy-Sheriff James Lockwood.
During the shooting Eugene Kempner, a musician of
Kansas City, was struck in the sole of the right foot by
a stray bullet, and a street car motorman, Kennedy by
name, was struck in the left leg by a bullet. Neither of
these injuries are serious.
While in the news stand, Mr. Davis became conscious
of approaching dissolution and desired to make an ante
mortem statement. Assistant County Attorney Sluder
was present, and County Clerk Joney Jones, and to them
he gave the following version of the affair: