 National Law Enforcement Memorial Washington, D.C. Burial The Daily News Thursday, January 29, 1880 pg. 4 THE PISTOL Alf Johnson Shot Dead in the "Red Light" Johnson Shot and Killed by Marshall Ball in Self-Defense Marshall Sam Ball Receives Two Serious Wounds About half-past 11 o'clock last night. a party of roughs were at the Red Light in this city, on a general carousel, when Marshal Sam Ball entered and found the mistress of the house endeavoring to eject the crowd. Marshal Ball told the men that they should disperse, at least when demanded to do so by the proprietress. One of the gang stepped up the Marshal and defiantly asked what business it was of his, when the marshal laid his hands upon him and led him to the door, the balance of the rioters going out in advance. Just as Ball opened the door, a man by the name of Alf Johnson, who lives 9 miles this side of Bonham in Fannin County, placed a pistol to Ball's face and fired. The ball glanced and made an ugly wound near the eyes, but did not enter the head. Another shot struck Ball just below the right nipple passing through the lung. In the meantime Ball was firing on Johnson and shot him dead, all 3 of his shots taking effect near each other in Johnson's left breast. Only one arrest had, at last accounts, been made of the parties supposed to be implicated. The above is clipped from the Courier and is in the main correct. The brother of Johnson, who was one of the parties, has been arrested and lodged in jail and it is believed the entire gang will fall into the hands of the officers. At last accounts Marshal Ball was resting easy, and we hope will recover from his injuries. Parties who visited Sherman Wednesday morning and saw Sam Ball state that he is cheerful and hopeful of recovery. John B. McDougall, Marshal Hardwick, and Alex Reddick left for Sherman Wednesday morning to attend the bedside of Sam Ball.  The Daily News Saturday, January 31, 1880 pg, 4 THE SHERMAN TRAGEDY Testimony Elicited Before The Coroners' Inquest The following, which we take from the Courier, that paper says is the substance of the testimony regarding the affray at the Red Light Tuesday night, as presented to the jury of inquest: Dr. T.E. Williams I am a practicing physician; I made examination of the wound in the body of dec'd; it was to the left of the sternum, between the fourth and fifth ribs, and was evidently a gun shot or a pistol wound; I probed it to the depth of an inch; the ball had struck one rib and then gone inwards and downwards in a course that would strike the lung and important arteries and veins; I would say he died of hemorrhage produced by the wound; the ball struck him above and about 3 inches to the right of the left nipple and penetrated to the cavity of the lung. James McCowan I am a night watchman at the cotton compress; saw a crowd of young men enter the Red Light on the night of the shooting; one of them hesitated about going in, but was persuaded to enter by the others; they came out in a little while and immediately after a man rushed out to the door; a pistol was fired from the inside of the gate; the party who had gone in a few minutes previously, were outside as far as I could see; the next shot I heard was from the outside, and then one from the inside again; after this the firing became general; was not near enough to see who it was that fired the first shot; I saw no pistol; didn't observe any blood. Josie Belmont I am the mistress of the Red Light; on the night of the shooting Mr. Ball and a friend were at my house; they came in about 10 o'clock; shortly after a party of men with whom I am not acquainted came in; they were somewhat boisterous and intoxicated; after they had remained a few minutes, Mr. Ball said to me, "Josie, when you get tired just put them out;" in 2 or 3 minutes, I said, "Gentlemen, I wish to close up my house;" a crowd of men had entered before this one; and one of the second party said: "They came first - come on boys;' the crowd who came first then started to go; to those who remained I said, "Come on,' and took hold of the deceased; he pushed me away; then Mr. Ball remarked, "This is her house - she has ordered you out 4 or 5 times - go on;' one of them answers, 'We are not ready - we will go when we get ready,' and then Mr. Ball started to put deceased out; as they went out, I heard someone say, "You s--n of a b---h you can't put me out,' but don't know who it was; then the shooting began; I think the first shot was outside the fence; I heard 2 shots in quick succession and then, after a short interval, 5 or 6 more; I then went out doors and met Mr. Ball coming in from the road; leaning against the the fence and said, "Josie, I'm shot to pieces - I'm killed;" deceased was lying in the middle of the road opposite my cook's house; Mr. Ball laid 2 pistols on the wash-stand, remarking, "one of them is mine, the other belongs to the man I have shot;' it was some 2 or 3 minutes after the s-n of a b---h was passed before the shooting began; I don't know of anyone going out of the back window; I don't know how many men were engaged in the shooting; Jim Stowe took one of the pistols - what became of the other, I don't know; I don't know whether there was a pistol found near the body of the deceased; I didn't notice whether Mr. Ball's hand was power-burned or not. Dell Foster The first part of this witness' testimony was much the same as that of Josie Belmont. After the first shot I went to the door; as I opened it the one who was shooting was standing east from the gate; the crowd was west; couldn't tell whether Mr. Ball was shooting or not; the man fell southeast of the gate; Mr. Ball handed 2 revolvers to the man who was with him, saying that one belonged to him - the other to the man whom he had shot; he wanted to see where he was hurt; he then went into the house, while I went for a hack; am not sure that the party were all outside the gate when the firing began; Mr. B. was inside the gate when they called him a s-n of a b---h; the first time I saw Mr. Ball after the shooting he was outside the gate. George Bond Am a policeman; I am acquainted with Sam Ball's pistol; I have a pistol said to have been found near the body of the deceased, last night; (here the witness produced the weapon referred to) one chamber is empty; it does not belong to Sam Ball; I don't know whose it is; Mike Hannon handed it to me; I know nothing concerning the shooting; the pistol is just as I found it. Mike Hannon I didn't see the revolver last night; John Hess placed it in a box under the counter in my store; he asked my advice about it; I thought it would have something to do in this case; and told George Bond that it was in my store; don't know who it belongs to. John Hess I picked this revolver up last night about 10 steps from where deceased lay; don't know anything about the shooting; I didn't see Mr. Ball. A.W. Tedron I live 2 and a half miles northeast from Savoy; am not acquainted with the deceased, and don't know his occupation; I went from Point Breeze to the Red Light with him; was present at the shooting; we went into the house, and the lady ordered us out; some started; a tall man came and told them to get out, as the house belonged to the lady; he pushed some of the boys out; we all went out, and then the deceased turned and asked, "who in the h---l he was?" Then the tall man rushed out on the porch and the pistol fired right across the corner of the paling; deceased was standing just outside the fence, and the tall man on the platform inside; the tall man shot first; deceased wasn't doing anything when the tall man fired; I didn't see him have a pistol; am not acquainted with Ed Johnson. Tom Woodson, Jim Flowers, Charley Purcell, and Robert Crabb were in our party; there were several in the house when we got there; Mr. Ball came outside the gate during the shooting; don't know whether the Johnson boys had pistols or not; the boys had been drinking some. Jim Stowe Mr. Stowe presented the pistol which Sam Ball had given him the night before as the one belonging to the man he (Ball) had shot. Otherwise nothing new was gleaned from the testimony. R.H. Crabb I live 2 miles and a half north of Savoy; am acquainted with the deceased. I went to Sherman about 2 o'clock yesterday; don't know when Johnson came; I was at the Red Light when the shooting occurred. After giving the details of their ejection substantially as the preceding witness, Crabb, continued - when Johnson struck the ground he laid his hand on the gate post and said, "Who in the h--l are you;" then the tall man drew his pistol and shot him. Ball was standing on the walk that leads from the gate to the door. He shot down on Johnson. Johnson reeled, but I don't know whether he fell or not. I was afraid of being shot and slipped off pretty fast. I didn't see any more shooting, but heard 7 or 8 shots. I think the man who shot the first time, was a tall man, with light beard. It was the same one who caught hold of deceased in the inside of the house. I only saw one shot, and that was from inside the gate. I don't know of any of the boys having pistols. They had been drinking some. At this point Justice Raines adjourned for the proceedings until 8 clock this morning. R.A. Nisbet I examined the body of the deceased; saw only one wound; there were 5 or 6 bullet holes in his clothing; searched the clothing of deceased and found a gold watch, a pocket-book containing $75 in greenbacks, some kid gloves, a whiskey bottle and tooth brush. James Flowers I live about 2 miles east from Savoy, am not acquainted with deceased; met him at Schneider's corner the night of the shooting; went from there to Point Breeze and from there to the Red Light. As soon as we got in the woman said she did not want such a big crowd in the house; she opened the door and pushed Ed Johnson out, and he said, "Boys, shall we go or not?" When he got up, Ball said, we don't leave it to the boys; I then went towards the compress; Alf Johnson went out ahead of me; as I passed the gate he said: "Who in the h--l are you?" Just then a pistol was fired from the inside of the fence; I did not see Ball when the pistol was fired; I judge it was inside from the house; I walked towards the compress and turned down; was not looking for a difficulty, and did not see Johnson or Ball while the shooting was going on; after the shooting I saw Johnson lying in the road; do not know that of the Johnson boys had a pistol that night. Did not know how many shots were fired. The county attorney here informed the court that sufficient testimony had been laid before the jury, and the jury were then instructed to bring in a verdict as to the cause and time of Johnson's death. They retired at 9 minutes after 10 and brought in their verdict 25 minutes of 11. The verdict reads as follows: State of Texas: Grayson County: An inquisition taken this 29th day of January A.D., 1880 in said county of Grayson, before Judge J.G. Rainey, a justice of peace precinct No. 1. of said county upon the view of the dead body of Alf Johnson, by the oaths of W.M. Mullins, W.E. Sappington, G.W. Norwood, B.F. Steedman, Thos Scott and R.A. Nisbet, good and lawful jurors. being duly sworn in due form of law, say that the said Alf Johnson came to his death from the effect of a pistol shot wound in his left breast, about 10 o'clock on the night of the 27th of January, A.D. 1880, in the city of Sherman, in the aforesaid county and State. Said pistol shot was discharged by Marshal Sam Ball. In testimony whereof, as well as the coroner's. the said jurors have hereunto set their hands. the date and day first above written. Signed by Jurors. Denison Daily News Sunday, February 1, 1880 pg. 8 A well known citizen of Sherman expresses the belief that the recovery of Marshall Ball is very doubtful. The opinion is divided as to the shooting affair. The Marshall's friends claim, that under the circumstances, he was justified in killing Johnson; whereas a large number of citizens think that Ball acted hastily in the premises. Mr. Ball's statement has not as yet been taken. Parties who came over from Sherman last evening say that Marshall Sam Ball was reported dying. Hemorrhage had taken place. The Daily News Thursday, February 5, 1880 Pg. 2 Alf Johnson, killed by Marshal Ball at Sherman the other night, was the second correspondent of Bonham News that has been killed within the last 2 years. The Daily News February 8, 1880 pg. 8 It has never been determined as yet, who killed Marshall Sam Ball, of Sherman, the Coroner's jury elicited no fact of any importance. The Daily News Wednesday, February 11, 1880 pg. 4 Ed Johnson, who was held for an attempt to murder Sam Ball, in the unfortunate affair a week or so ago, was yesterday finally discharged. This is the end of one of the most deplorable cases that has happened in the country for years, and is another strong argument that we have so long insisted on - that public houses of prostitution should be abolished. The Daily News Wednesday, March 24, 1880 pg. 4 The Sherman Courier of Tuesday contains all the testimony given before the committee in relation to the charges made against the late city marshal of Sherman, Sam Ball. From the sworn testimony, it appears that Ball has collected, in some instances as far back as 1878, a regular monthly fine of from $15 to $30 from various members of the sporting fraternity. It further appears that these fines were not entered on the docket nor the amount turned over to the city treasury. How he could have done this, without being called to an account, passes our understanding, and we are forced to believe that things are not as they ought to be in Sherman. FELONY Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |