Fort Worth Daily Gazette
Fort Worth, Texas
Wednesday,
February 17, 1892
pg. 2
Dallas Arrests
J. S. Beck was
arrested by Officer Pegues and taken to
Denison by Policeman Hackney, where he
stands charged with aggravated
assault and battery, having skipped his
bond.
The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Friday February
19, 1892
pg.6
GREEN-EYED
MONSTER
Got in Its Work
on a Dallasite and Landed Him in
Jail.
Denison, Tex.,
Feb 17. - Friday of last week J.S. Beck, a
young man residing in Dallas, was arrested
in this city on a charge of assault. Beck
was admitted to bail and instead of standing
his trial went back to Dallas, where he was
arrested yesterday by
Officer Hackney of this city and returned to
Denison. This morning his case was called in
the city court and he was found
guilty as charged originally and was then
given an extra fine for jumping his bond,
amounting in all to $96. In
default of payment, he was returned to jail.
When visited by The News correspondent he
stated: "I live in
Dallas, but my people are at Springfield,
Missouri. I very much regret my
position. I know it is disgraceful and I would much prefer
that the whole matter be kept out of the
newspapers. The lady states that I
threatened to take her life. It may be
true that I made the threat, but it was in
the heat of passion, engendered by jealousy,
and no person would be farther
from hurting a woman than myself. I do
not, as yet, know what I will do. It is very
humiliating and I never thought I
would come to this."
The Sunday Gazetteer
Denison, Texas
Sunday, February
21, 1892
pg 1
LOVE VS. HATRED
Several days ago
a young man giving the name of J.S. Beck
came up from Dallas, and while in a fit of
rage engendered by jealousy gave his lover a
flogging. The lady reported the matter to
the city authorities, and Beck was placed
under arrest and charged with assault. On
the following morning the case was not ready
for trial and Beck was admitted to bail.
Instead of appearing before the court as his
bond indicated, he returned to Dallas, and
Monday of this week, when the case was called, the judge
announced the forfeiture of the bond.
Tuesday evening
Officer Hackney went down to the forks of
the Trinity,
again took the young man into custody and
returned with him to Denison.
Wednesday morning the young lady appeared in the
city court and gave some damaging testimony
to the character of defendant. In fact,
according to her testimony, Beck
was a high-grade villain in real life, and
that life to her was but a continued horror
and dread of assassination. Love had been
turned to hate, and where joy and happiness
had once reigned, now it was
bitterness and
despair. From a lover's arms she was
endeavoring to escape the jealous fury of a
murderous tyrant.
Beck was found
guilty as charged, and his fines and cost
amounted to $96, in default of which he was
given a room
in the city jail.
Austin American-Statesman
Tuesday, April 5,
1892
pg1
THE WAGES OF
SIN - A DENISON GIRL
KILLED IN A DEN OF INFAMY
Shot by a
Dissolute Gambler on Account of Jealousy - A Sad Story of a
Bright Girl Taking the Broad Path to Ruin
Special to The Statesman
DENISON, Tex.,
April 4. - A little woman known as Lettie
Dehaven, who was born and reared in this
city and who has lead a checkered career for
several years, was shot and killed in
Oklahoma City early Saturday morning in a house of ill
repute of which she was an inmate, by a
gambler named Beck, whose mistress she had been for some
time.
Lettie Dehaven
was once a bright and attractive girl of
good character.
Her father was a
well-known miller in this city. In 1888 she
married D. Williams, a railroad brakeman on
the Choctaw
division. They lived together one year and a
half when she left him to live with another
man. She soon began to live a
very dissolute life in Dallas and other
cities. Four months ago she returned to
Denison with Beck, who became
infatuated with her. They had been here but
a few days when Beck beat her in a shameful
manner. He was arrested
and fined $96.
The young woman
then went to Oklahoma City and Beck followed
her. She has since been an inmate of a
dance and assignation
house. Late Friday night, Beck, who
had escorted her to a dance, returned with
her. The two then went into
the parlor, while Lettie was at the piano
Beck said: "So you are not going to live
with me any longer?" Lettie replied that she
was not and could not afford to.
Without saying another work Beck drew from his hip
pocket a 44-calibre pistol and fired three
shots at the unfortunate. The first one
entered the mouth, the other two in
the head. She fell to the floor dead, the
floor, piano and furniture drenched with her
blood.
Beck escaped but was captured about three
hours afterward in a barn near town.
Lynching is strongly talked of.
It is thought that the body will be brought
to Denison for interment. A brother,
Charles Dehaven, has gone to Oklahoma
City in response to a telegram.
The Sunday Gazetteer
Denison, Texas
Sunday, Aprl 10,
1892
pg.3
GREEN-EYED
MONSTER
Mrs. Williams,
nee Lottie DeHaven, formerly of this city,
was shot and instantly killed Saturday last
at Oklahoma, I.T.
Something near
two years ago the young lady married a
railroad man by the name of Williams.
Williams did work in the Choctaw division
and was away from home a good deal.
Marital ties were soon violated, so it is
said, and a suit for divorce was
filed. At any rate a gambler from
Dallas, who gave his name as Beck, met and
fell in love with Mrs. Williams, and to use a
vulgar phrase, he was soon "dead gone on
her." Just after Christmas he came up
to see her, and while the two were out
walking Sunday evening he gave the girl a
sound thrashing. In fact, he inflicted
some rather ugly wounds.
On the following
day he was arrested on a charge of assault
and battery. He was admitted to bond, but
when the case was called Beck
failed to answer to call. Hackney went down
to Dallas and on the following morning
brought up his man. He was fined for
contempt of court as well as for his unmanly
attack on the lady, both fines amounting to
something near $95.00. Not
having the "scads" to shell out he went to
jail. Last week his time was up and
Beck was again a free man, but the lady was far
from being a free woman. She was the mother
of a babe by Williams and was the victim of
an insane jealousy on the part of Beck.
About one month ago the woman went up to
Oklahoma City, and as quickly as Beck was given his
liberty he followed her up. Again he
pleaded with the woman to live with him, and
on being refused pulled out a 44-calibre
pistol and sent three deadly bullets into
the woman's head. She fell to the floor
dead. Beck escaped but was soon
arrested, and strong talk of Judge Lynch
holding a court was indulged in. He
was conveyed to Paris, however, and will
stand his trial in the federal court at that
place.
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