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Fort Worth Daily Gazette
Sunday, November 29, 1885 p. 3 SHERMAN A Young Tennessean Seeks Surcease of Sorrow by the Old Morphine Method. A Long List of Indictments - The Native Population Not Answerable for so Much Crime. Special to The Gazette Sherman, Tex., Nov. 28 - Parties returning from Bell's this morning give some further facts in connection with the inquest held yesterday on the dead body found in Dugan's pasture. H. T. Rogers testified before the jury that he recognized the clothing as that of his nephew, George W. Gillam, who had been working for him and disappeared six weeks ago Sunday. Gillam had selected the most secluded place to be found, in the midst of a dense thicket, and there, as the jury believed, took a deadly potion of morphine to end his existence. He was a native of Milam County, Tenn., and twenty-three years of age. Mr. Rogers took charge of the remains, and told the justice he would bury them where they lay. MYSTERY SOLVED The headless Body Identified as that of G. W. Gillum Who in a Fit of Despondency Took His Own Life A DARK AND SECLUDED THICKET HIDES THE REMAINS FOR SIX WEEKS Synopsis of Testimony introduced - Other Suppositions, Etc. Justice Hinkle left the city last evening about 2:30 and arrived at Bells about 4 o'clock. As soon as his honor arrived he was notified by Constable Wright that a jury had been empaneled, and vehicles in readiness to carry the jury of the inquest to the scene of the horrific deed. The officers at once left for the thicket in which the body was found and began investigation. The following gentlemen, including Justice Hinkle and Constable Wright, completed the jury: W.P. Dugan, J.A. Jones, V.H. Montgomery, J.W. Hupper, J.P. Smith and A.C. Pickens. After preliminary arrangements, testimony was introduced and J.J. Garland sworn. J.J. GARLAND
being sworn, deposed and said: "It was on the morning of the 27th day of November, 1885, about 10 o'clock, as well as I can remember, when I discovered the body of the deceased. I was out rabbit hunting and was coming down the main road in Bells, when something caused me to vear to the right of the road. And in to find the thicket, which lies about 100 yards from the Bells and Kentuckytown road; I was pretty close to the brush when I first found the body of the deceased. I came to Bells and notified the officers at once. The body was in its present condition when found by me. After conclusion of Garland's testimony H.T. HOO--- was sworn. The witness deposed and said: I saw the body of deceased this evening in the field owned by D. D. Dugan about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Bells in the county of Grayson, State of Texas. It was in the thicket of the said field about one hundred yards west of the . . . Bells and Kentuckytown road in a most secluded and unfrequented place. The deceased's name was G. W. Gillam. The deceased came to my house in February of this year, 1885, and made my house his home until six weeks ago. last Sunday, when he left my house. "When the deceased left my house he seemed well and hearty. Prior to that time, however, for a day or two, he was very reticent, indeed, and did not have much to say to any one. The deceased, G. W. Gillum, left my house on Sunday morning about one or two hours after having eaten breakfast. We ate breakfast not later than 7 o'clock. I next saw the person of the deceased or that which I believe to be his, this evening. I am positive that the clothes that are now on the deceased body in the thicket are those that G. W. Gilliam had on the morning he left my house. I do not know that the deceased ever had . . ., or any character. Sometime after the deceased left my house, I heard that his mind was effected. I have . . . that the deceased G. W. Gillum had a brother who committed suicide. This was the deceased's oldest brother. I . . . deceased was twenty-three years of age. I am the deceased man's uncle by marriage. I married his father's sister, the deceased was from Putnam county, Tennessee. He removed to Wright County, Missouri, and remained there two years. From there he moved to Texas in the month of February 1885. I paid the deceased $8 the evening before he left my house on Sunday morning. I found a five dollar bill in his pocket back which was in his valise; after he left, I was handed $1.35 in sp . . . this evening, which was taken from the pocket of the deceased. After the introduction of the above two witnesses, the jury of inquest adjourned and brought in the following verdict: . . . being in the town of Bells on Nov. 29th, 1885, before God, Hinkle, Justice of the Peace for Precinct No. 1, I, of Grayson county, Texas, we the jury, sworn to inquire into the cause, manner and circumstances of the death of the person found on the farm of William Dugan, and that the name of the deceased is G. W. Gillum, came to this death from some cause unknown to the jury.
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