A Motorman and Musician Wounded by Flying Missiles--
Ward in Jail on a Charge of Assault to Murder--
The City Thrown Into a Whirlwind of Excitement
Over the Fearful Affair and Happy Homes Made Sad.
At this writing, 9 o'clock, W. C. Brann, editor of Brann's
ICONOCLAST, and Tom E. Davis, a prominent real estate
man of this city, lie dangerously wounded with a likelihood
of their dying at any moment. William H. Ward, an
employee of W. C. Brann, is shot through the right hand.
Sigh Kennedy, a motorman on the street car line, is shot
in the right knee, and Kepler, a traveling musician, is shot
in the right foot. The three men last named are only
slightly wounded.
W. C. Brann is shot through the left groin, in the right
foot and through the middle of the back about the lower
part of the shoulder blade, ranged upward and outward,
coming out at the front side near the point where the
arm joins the body.
Tom E. Davis is shot twice in the right arm, the balls
going through the arm, leaving four holes, one in the upper
left arm near the shoulder on the outer part of the arm.
This ball ranged to the back and came out just a little
ways in the left shoulder. Another shot took effect in
the right breast, near the nipple, ranged outward and
backward, coming out of the back near the side. Another
shot took effect in the back, near the right side, about the
waistband, ranged outward and downward and lodged just
over the spine, just under the skin. Another shot took
effect just under the right arm, ranged backward, coming
out about six inches in the back. This made a total of
six shots that took effect in Davis' body.
From best information obtained, the cause of the trouble
dates back to the old Brann-Baylor affair. It was during
this trouble that Mr. Davis was an outspoken advocate for
Baylor and had made the same statement that scores of
other people in Waco are accredited with having made
that "Brann is a scoundrel and ought to be run out of
town." Mr. Davis was fearless and outspoken, and Mr.
Brann learned of the stand he took.
Yesterday it seems that Mr. Brann, in company with
Mr. W. H. Ward, an employee of his, made it convenient
to come in contact with Mr. Davis, and one of them,
supposed to be Mr. Brann, cursed Mr. Davis as he passed
them. Mr. Davis had been out on the street where he had
just been passed by the men a couple of times and returned
to his office on Fourth Street, between Franklin and Austin
Streets. He had been in his office only a minute or so
when Messrs. Brann and Ward passed, with Brann on the
inside. As the two men passed Mr. Davis says that one
of them remarked in a loud voice, "There is the damned
cowardly son of a ----. He will take anything," to which
Mr. Davis replied, "Are you scoundrels talking about me?"
The shooting followed immediately. When the shooting
ended Davis was taken into French's newsstand and several
physicians were called in, opiates were administered,
and it looked as if Davis would die at any moment. He
talked some to his friends, frequently saying, "They have
got me; I am bound to go."
County Clerk Joney Jones was present, and all being
fearful that Davis might die at any moment, Mr. Jones
took his ante mortem statement, which is given below.
Mr. Brann was taken to the city hall by Officers Sam
Hall and Durie, where he was laid upon a couch and other
physicians attended him until 7:20 o'clock, when he was
taken home, being accompanied by physicians and friends.
Ward, Kennedy and Kepler all repaired to the drug
stores and had their wounds dressed.
Something near an hour after the shooting Mrs. Davis
and her children came from their home in East Waco to
the side of the wounded husband and father. At dark
Davis was removed to the Pacific hotel, where Dr. J. C. J.
King attended him in his official capacity. Mrs. Davis
was with her husband and numerous friends were present
to administer every want.
Mr. Ward employed an attorney. Justice W. H. Davis
was called up by telephone and about 9 o'clock he opened
court in his courtroom. Mr. Ward, through his attorney,
waived all formalities, preliminaries and examination and
was granted bond in the sum of $4,000, which he failed
to give and went to jail.
From the moment the first shot was fired citizens rushed
to the scene from every part of the city, and in a moment
after the firing had ceased there were fully one thousand
persons on Fourth Street surging around French's newsstand,
while there were two-thirds that number at the city
hall where Mr. Brann was being attended to, and up until
after midnight the streets were filled with hundreds and
hundreds of citizens grouped here and there in all of the
hotels and on the street corners discussing the one absorbing
question--"The shooting."
At midnight both Mr. Davis and Mr. Brann were alive,
with the former resting much easier.