24 Oct
1898
Justice of the Peace Dave Harris of
Pottsboro
He is buried in Georgetown Cemetery, Grayson
County
The Decatur News
Thursday, October 27, 1898
pg. 7
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE SHOT AT POTTSBORO
He Was Approached From Behind and Seriously
Wounded by Some Unknown Person
Sherman, Texas, October 25 - Justice of the Peace
Dave Harris of Pottsboro was shot 3 times last
night, twice in the shoulder and once in the
stomach, all 3 are serious wounds, and is now
lying in a critical condition.
The facts as obtained are as follows:
Harris had started from his office to his
residence, accompanied by his little boy, when
about a block west of the railroad station he
discovered that a man was approaching him from
behind in a manner to create apprehension.
Harris turned upon him to inquire what he wanted,
when the fellow applied a scurrilous epithet,
Harris struck at him with a small cane and the man
fired 4 shots, 3 of which took effect as stated.
Harris sank down and the man escaped in the
darkness. Harris can not give the slightest
clew to the identity of his assailant and can not
think of any one who would seek to thus waylay
him. Sheriff Hughes and
Deputy Davis have gone to Pottsboro.
Bryan Morning Eagle
Bryan, Texas
October 26, 1898
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE SHOT AT POTTSBORO
He Was Approached From Behind and Seriously
Wounded by Some Unknown Person
Sherman, Tex., Oct. 25 - Justice of the Peace
Dave Harris of Pottsboro was shot 3 times last
night, twice in the shoulder and once in the
stomach, all 3 are serious wounds, and is now
lying in a critical condition.
The facts as obtained are as follows:
Harris had started from his office to his
residence, accompanied by his little boy, when
about a block west of the railroad station he
discovered that a man was approaching him from
behind in a manner to create apprehension.
Harris turned upon him to inquire what
he wanted, when the fellow applied a
scurillous epithet, Harris struck at him with
a small cane and the man fired 4 shots, 3 of
which took effect as stated. Harris sank
down and the man escaped in the darkness.
Harris cannot give the slightest clew to the
identity of his assailant and can not think of
any one who would seek to thus waylay him.
Sheriff Hughes and Deputy Davis have
gone to Pottsboro.
Dallas Morning News
October 27, 1898
HUNTING FOR UNKNOWN MAN
The Slayer of Justice Harris at Pottsboro Has
Not Yet Been Identified
REWARDS OFFERED FOR CAPTURE
People Are aroused and Every Clew Is Being
Vigorously Run Down. Finding of the
Clothing.
Sherman, Tex., Oct. 25 - This morning Sheriff
Hughes was notified of the statement of a
lady, the wife of a farmer who lives near
Pottsboro. She came to town the
afternoon of the day (Monday) on the evening
of which the shooting of Justice Harris took
place. Having heard of description given
by Mr. Harris of his assailant and the fact
that certain articles of wearing apparel had
been found, she hurried this morning to inform
he local officers that Monday afternoon she
saw a young man answering the description.
He had a bundle of something on his
back.
About dusk, when she was returning home, this
was about 2 hours before the shooting, she saw
him near the same place - the eastern edge of
the village. This is considered
important as it more closely connects the
ownership of the clothes found in the culvert
and the coat found on the barbed wire fence
hard by and in the route of the tracks leading
from the scene of the assault, with the
identity of an unknown suspected of the crime.
The lady judged the man she saw to be
any where from 18 to 22 years of age.
Sheriff Hughes stated as to the status of the
investigation:
"It is a difficult case to give any
satisfactory statement about. I know the
people are aroused and very anxious that the
guilty man be brought to trial. I ask
for myself and the department and the local
officers of the precinct in which it occurred
a calm co-operation of the people and a
patient forbearance of what may seem slow
progress. I want to assure them that no
effort will be spared to clear up the
distressing mystery."
The deceased was about 54 years of age.
He leaves a wife and family, one son
being about grown. He was engaged in
business with his brother and kept his
official office in the business house.
He came to Grayson county 20 years ago
from Missouri. He was a life-long
democrat and a an ex-Confederate soldier.
At the late county primaries he was
nominated for re-election to the office of he
had so acceptably filled. The whole
community about Pottsboro is shadowed with
grief on account of his tragic and untimely
death. His burial to-day was the
occasion for the closing of every business
house in his home village. Civic
societies participated. The whole
community stood by the grave with tear-dimmed
eyes and saw him laid away.
The work of the officers has been careful, but
exceedingly rapid to-day.
At 2 p.m. R.B. Van Anthwerp of Pottsboro
appeared before the county attorney and lodged
information against a man whose name he did
not know, but whose description he gives,
charging him with the murder of David M.
Harris.
The complaint contains a description as given
by Mr. Van Anthwerp as an contained in the
sheriff column notice sent out by Sheriff
Hughes, and which appears in this issue of The News
under it classification.
Assistant County Attorney Adamson, who has
recently been attending justice court
proceedings at Pottsboro and Gordonville
courts, is of the impression that the cause
for the assault upon Justice Harris was a
desire to hold him up and commit robbery,
stating that attempts to rob and one and one
successful piece of highway robbery have taken
place between Pottsboro and Gordonville is
inclined to the belief that Harris' assailant
may be one of the gang.
Mr. Beard, a citizen of Pottsboro, said to-day
that he shared the opinion of Mr. Adamson, but
added that he rather thought the man who made
the assault and committed the murder had
mistaken Mr. Harris for one of the 3 or 4
merchants who live in the eastern part of
Pottsboro and who are often in the habit of
taking considerable sums of money and keeping
it at their residences over night.
The Daily Chieftain (Vinita,
Indian Territory)
Saturday, February 11, 1899
pg. 3
CHARGED WITH MURDER
Dave Petty Turns Up In Texas
Dave Petty is under arrest at Sherman, Texas,
charged with killing a Justice of the Peace
named D.M. Harris at Pottsboro on the 24th of
October last.
Petty will be remembered as the man who led
Dick Adams into the trap when E.B. Frayser's
cattle were stolen, and when the officers
waylaid the thieves at the end of Tom
Buffington's lane, and where young Elihu Lynn
was killed, 2 or 3 years ago. Petty was
the chief witness against Dick Adams in the
cow stealing cases against him in this court.
Petty killed a negro at Chelsea and
escaped from the marshals and left the country
and has not been heard of since till the Texas
killing. On preliminary hearing Thursday
of this week Petty was committed to jail
without bail, to await the action of the grand
jury. The
Denison Herald of yesterday contains
the following:
Half a dozen of the employees of the Katy at
the west Denison yards have been summoned as
witnesses in the case charging Petty with the
murder of D.M. Harris. They have all
identified Petty as the man they saw in the
yards on the night of October the 24th after
the murder was committed and their evidence
will have great weight in the trial. No
case has ever been tried in Grayson county
that has attracted as much attention as this
is destined to attract when it is put on its
final trial. The evidence has been
worked up with skill by the officers, and will
present some sensational features. This
added to the prominence of his death will all
add to the interest in the case at its final
trial. The witnesses wanted by the
officers have all been secured and the state
will be ready for trial when the case is
called.
The Sunday Gazetteer
February 12, 1899
pg. 3
LOCAL CONDENSATIONS
Tuesday, February 7 - The Sherman Democrat
gives the particulars of the arrest of Dave
Petty for the alleged murder of Judge Harris
at Pottsboro several months ago. Petty
was arrested at McKinney by the sheriff and is
now in jail at Sherman. It seems that
Petty had threatened the life of the judge who
intended to have him arrested for adultery.
Petty lived for a number of years on
Commissioner Ed Barnes farm about 8 miles
north of Pottsboro. He had a wife and 4
children. A widow woman moved into the
neighborhood and Petty became acquainted with
her daughter, who was about 18 years old.
The young woman finally went to the home
of Petty to live. Judge Harris and other
officers of the Pottsboro precinct threatened
to file complaint against him charging
adultery. The case was finally
investigated by the grand jury, but in the
meantime Petty and the young woman left.
The Weekly Chieftain
Vinita, Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
February 16, 1899
CHARGED WITH MURDER
Dave Petty Turns Up in Texas
Dave Petty is under arrest at Sherman, Texas,
charged with killing a Justice of the Peace
named D.M. Harris at Pottsboro on the 24th of
last October.
Petty will be remembered as the man who led Dick
Adams into the trap when E.B. Frayser's cattle
were stolen, and when the officers waylaid the
thieves at the end of Tom Buffington's lane, and
where young Elihu Lynn was killed, 2 or 3 years
ago. Petty was the chief witness against
Dick Adams in the cow-stealing cases against him
in this court. Petty killed a Negro at
Chelsea and escaped from the marshals and left
the country and has not been heard of since till
the Texas killing. On preliminary hearing
Thursday of this week Petty was committed to
jail without bond, to await the action of the
grand jury. The Denison Herald yesterday
contains the following:
Half a dozen of the employees of the Katy at the
West Denison yards have been summoned as
witnesses in the case charging Petty with the
murder of D.M. Harris. They have all
identified Petty as the man they saw in the
yards on the night of October the 24th after the
murder was committed and their evidence will
have great weight in the trial. No case
has ever been tried in Grayson county that has
attracted as much attention as this is destined
to attract when it is put in its final trial.
The evidence has been worked up with skill
by the officers, and will present some
sensational features. This added to the
prominence of the deceased and the manner of his
death will all add to the interest in the case
at its final trial. The witnesses wanted
by the officers have all been secured and the
state will be ready for trial when the case is
called.
Houston Daily Post
April 23,
1899
BIG BATCH OF INDICTMENTS
Sherman, Texas, April 22 - The spring grand
jury, which has just adjourned until the
last Monday in May, returned 91 indictments,
63 for misdemeanors and 28 for felonies,
among which were bills charging Dave Petty
with the murder of Justice of the Peace
Harris at Pottsboro in November 1898, and
Bob Smith with the murder of Arria Taylor,
whose horribly mutilated body was discovered
in the heart of the city on the morning of
January 17.
The Van
Alstyne News
Friday, April 28, 1899
pg.3
The Grand Jury at Sherman found indictment
last week against Dave Petty, charging him
with the murder of Justice Harris at
Pottsboro.
Sherman Daily
Register
Monday
July 2, 1900
LOCAL
BREVITIES
S. B.
Cox, attorney for Dave Petty, charged with the
killing of Justice Harris at Pottsboro, states
that his client is ready to make
bond and be set at liberty as soon as Judge
Bliss returns.
Sherman Daily
Register
Tuesday,
September 25, 1900
pg 4
IMPORTANT
CASES
Set
for Trial in Criminal District Court
The
following cases of importance have been set for
in the criminal district court:
Dave
Petty, charge with murder of D. M. Harris, set
for November 19, venire of 180 men.
The
Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, November
25, 1900
pg. 4
PERSONALS
Dave Petty, the
alleged murderer of Mr. Harris at Pottsboro, was
for the third time place on trial in the
district court at Sherman Monday morning.
Shiner
Gazette
(Shiner, Texas)
Wednesday,
January 23, 1901
pg. 7
TEXANETTES
The case of the
state of Texas vs. Dave Petty, charged with the
murder of Justice of the Peace C.M. Harris at
Sherman, was continued until the district court
by agreement of both sides.
D C Petty
|
1900 United States Federal
Census
Grayson County, Texas
Precinct #1
June 25, 1900
Grayson County Jail
Name
|
D. C. Petty
|
Relation
|
Prisoner
|
Color or Race
|
W
|
Sex
|
M
|
Date of Birth
|
Dec 1862
|
Age at last birthday
|
37
|
Marital Status
|
M
|
Place of Birth
|
Texas
|
Birthplace of Father
|
Scotland
|
Birthplace of Mother
|
Germany
|
Occupation
|
Farmer
|
Can Read
|
Yes
|
Can Write
|
Yes
|
Can Speak English
|
Yes
|
Ownership of Home
|
County Jail |
|
|
