The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Sunday, March 27, 1886
pg 3

THROUGH THE HEART
One Boy Stabs Another to Death after a Trivial Dispute.

Special to The News
Whitewright, March 26. - About 4 o'clock this afternoon Frank Simmons and Sam T. Waltham engaged in a conflict at the baseball ground, in town, which proved fatal to the latter. A quarrel arose about the game, whereupon harsh words were passed, when Simmons drew his knife and stabbed Waltham in the heart. The latter attempted to fell when he received another stab in the left lung. Waltham died in about fifty minutes. A posse pursued the murderer and brought him to town, where he is in charge of Constable Hamilton, awaiting the verdict of the coroner's jury to-morrow. The deceased was 17 years old and always has had the reputation of being a quiet boy. Simmons is 18 years of age.



The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Sunday, March 28, 1886

WHITEWRIGHT

Simmons Held for the Murder of S.T. Waltham
Special to The News

Whitewright, March 27. - The coroner's jury returned the following verdict in the murder mentioned in yesterday's NEWS: "S. T. Waltham came to his death by two wounds, one in the heart, the other in the left lung, by an edged instrument in the hands of W. F. Simmons." The evidence was all of a sort, and the jury was only out long enough
to write the verdict. The difficulty arose about a game of base ball, Waltham and all the other players claiming that Simmons caught the ball when he had no right to touch it, he being on the striking side at the time. At this Simmons seized upon the golden opportunity to slay a boy, with whom, it is rumored, he had had a previous difficulty.

Rev. T. S. Miller preached the funeral at the Methodist church at 3 o'clock after which the remains were laid to rest
in the Whitewright Cemetery. The prisoner was sent to the Sherman jail to await the decision of the grand jury.



The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Wednesday, March 31, 1886

SHERMAN, March 30, - Frank Simmons, the slayer of William Waltham, will be taken to Whitewright for preliminary trial to-morrow.




Fort Worth Daily Gazette
May 15, 1887 Sunday
pg 1

Sherman Court Notes
Special to the Gazette
Sherman, Texas, May 14. - A motion was made in the District court for a new trial in the case of W. F. Simmons, the
schoolboy who killed his schoolmate, Sam Walthall, at Whitewright about two years ago, and who was given seven
and a half years in the penitentiary by a jury a few day ago. The motion for a new trail was overruled and
notice of appeal was given.



Sherman Daily Register
Thursday June 9, 1887
pg 4

District Clerk Thomas has been busy all day getting up transcripts in the appeal cases of Wash Humes, Frank Simmons, H. McNana and Alex Fields, which, when completed, will be forwarded to the attorney general. There are now 300 cases on the civil calender, and it is probable this number will be augmented fully 80 before the special term is called in August.