 The Whitewright Sun Thursday, January 7, 1926 pg. 1 CASE OF JIM SCOTT OF PINK HILL CONTINUED The case of Jim Scott, Pink Hill farmer, charged in the 15th District Court with the murder of Dr. W.C. Gould of Bells, was continued Tuesday morning to the next term of court on the first application of the defendant for continuance. The case was called for Tuesday morning and a special venire of 300 men from which to select a jury had been ordered. The application for continuance was granted by Judge F.E. Wilcox, of the 59th District Court, sitting in the 15th District Court at Sherman in the absence of Judge Silas Hare, who is ill. Veniremen were dismissed. Judge Wilcox suspended proceedings in the 59th District Court to hear the application for continuance. For causes of continuance the defendant set up in his application that 3 material witnesses, Faye Scott, daughter of the defendant; Nell Brown and Mrs. Engbald, were all ill and could not attend this term of court. Miss Scott, the application stated, is afflicted with pulmonary tuberculosis and is at Carlsbad, Tom Green Count, unable to attend court. Nell Brown is also a victim of tuberculosis and her condition at present will not permit attendance on the court, the application declares. Defendant expected to prove by Miss Brown that she sent a telegram to the deceased, Dr. W.C. Gould, over Miss Scott's signature, and that she (Miss Scott) had no knowledge of its contents, he set out in his application. Mrs. Engbald is at Galveston, has recently undergone an operation and is unable to attend court, the defendant informed the court through his formal application for continuance. She would testify, according to the application, that she had wired the defendant, Jim Scott, in effect that his daughter, Faye Scott, did not arrive at Sanatorium, Texas, where the witness was superintendent of nurses, until a day later than Faye Scott reported in writing to her father she did arrive. For the reasons set out in the application, the defendant stated that he could not safely go to trial on account of the absence of the witnesses named.  The Whitewright Sun January 8, 1925 pg. 1 Dr. W.C. GOULD OF BELLS SHOT TO DEATH Sherman, January 7 - Dr. W.C. Gould, 38, died of gunshot wounds inflicted at 8:15 o'clock Tuesday night at the farm of Jim Scott, three and one-half miles northwest of Bells. Scott came to Sherman immediately after the shooting and gave himself up to officers at the county jail, arriving before 9 o'clock. Officers left immediately for the scene of the shooting, arriving at 9:15, where they found the body of Dr. Gould lying on its back at the bottom of the hill on which the Scott house is located. The body was in a ditch by the roadside. The body was about 240 yards from the house where it was said the first shots were fired. NO EYE WITNESSES Gould, who was a physician practicing at Bells, received a telephone call shortly before 8 o'clock, it was said, and left without stating his destination. There were no eye witnesses, it was said, but members of the Scott family, who were in the house at the time of the shooting, left the impression that the firing began when Dr. Gould came up on the porch. Three pistol wounds, thought to have been inflicted at the house, were found on the body, two entering the right forearm and exiting above the right elbow. The third pistol wound was caused by a bullet entering the left breast about one inch to the left of center and one inch above the nipple line. The ball glanced on the ribs, under the flesh, and exited under the left arm, inflicting a flesh wound only. Neighbors heard the screams which evidently marked the doctor's trail from the house down the road. There was a large pool of blood about six yards from the body, at which place it was thought that the wounds from the shotgun were inflicted. One shot struck the left forearm from the rear of the elbow, tearing the muscle from the arm and touching the left thumb. The second, and probably the fatal round, entered the back about one inch below the left shoulder blade, leaving a hole about the size of an egg, according to the statement of the attending undertaker. The body was taken in charge by John C. Dannel and removed to Sherman about 11 o'clock. SCOTT MAKES NO STATEMENT Scott refused to make a statement at the jail when visited an hour after the shooting. He was very calm and did not seem to be perturbed to a great degree, discussing many subjects relating to himself and Dr. Gould, but would make no statement regarding the cause of the present trouble. He had known Dr. Gould since the doctor came to Texas from Witt Springs, Kentucky 14 years ago, he said. Scott is 54 years old. The following members of the Scott family were in the house at the time of the shooting: Mrs. Jim Scott, wife of the man who gave himself up to officers, his daughters, Mrs. Essie Jenkins, 24, wife of Carl Jenkins; Faye Scott, 23; Bennett Scott, 22 Weldon Scott, 17 Bertha Scott, 13 Claud L. Scott, 8 Madeline Scott. 10, and Mary Frances Scott 4. Carl Jenkins drove Scott to Sherman, he said. REFUSE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS J.H. Pennell, justice of the peace from Tom Bean, viewed the body and questioned the family. They refused to answer any questions or make any statement, Justice Pennell, stated. Dr. Gould is survived by his widow, Mrs. Pearl Gould; and two children, Glenden Gould, 10, and Mary Evelyn Gould, 2; his father, W.M. Gould, Witt Springs, Kentucky; his brother, F.H. Gould, Irving, Kentucky; and his cousin, Mrs. L.E. Matlock, Sherman. The couple married in Sherman in 1911. Dr. Gould was well known throughout the county, having spent the last 13 years at Bells as a practicing physician. The body will be shipped late this afternoon to Witt Springs, Kentucky, his former home, for burial. Editor's Note: Dr. William Clarence Gould is buried at Gould Cemetery, Irvine, Estill County, Kentucky The Bells Masonic Lodge of which deceased was a member, took part in the funeral services conducted by Rev. E.L. Price of the Methodist church at 4 o'clock this afternoon. Ft. Worth Star Telegram Wednesday, January 7, 1925 pg. 17 FARMER GIVES UP IN SLAYING OF DOCTOR Special to The Star-Telegram Sherman, January 7 - Dr. W.C. Gould, a physician of Bells, 20 miles east of Sherman, was shot and killed last night about 8:30 o'clock. The killing occurred in the front yard of Jim Scott's home, just west of Bells. Dr. Gould was shot five times, both a pistol and shotgun being used. His breast was pierced with five shots, but notwithstanding this, he ran down the road 200 yards before falling. He was dead when found. The body was brought to Sherman. Following the shooting, Scott, a farmer came to the county jail at Sherman and surrendered to Jailer Ross Stark. He made no statement further than to say it was caused by family trouble. Both Dr. Gould and Scott were prominent in the east part of Grayson County. Both have families. Dr. Gould had practiced medicine in Bells for about 10 years. Mr. Scott was found guilty on April 12, 1926 of Manslaughter, to which he had pleaded "not guilty" and sentenced to two years in prison.    FELONY Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |