Grayson County TXGenWeb
 


Daily Kennebec Journal
Augusta, Maine
October 10, 1885

In 1863 the Rev. Newton Chance of Texas killed an editor in Sherman, and moved to Mississippi. At that time he was a lawyer, but afterwards he entered the ministry. Recently he returned to Texas, and while on a visit to Sherman was
arrested for the murder committed 22 years ago.



 Fort Worth Daily Gazette
Fort Worth, Texas
Sunday, November 29, 1885
p. 3

SHERMAN

A Long List of Indictments - The Native Population Not Answerable for so Much Crime.

The grand jury submitted their final report this morning and were discharged for the term. They have presented 365 indictments after a session of seven weeks, and say they were on the trace of still other crimes which could not be made out, because of the unwillingness of witnesses to tell what they knew. Of the number of true bills presented 111 are for felonies and 254 for misdemeanors.
They report that a large majority of the criminals dealt with are non-residents and migrating characters, and that the bona
fide citizens of Grayson county are notably law-abiding and exemplary in their conduct. They further say that three-fourths
of the crime investigated is chargeable to drunkenness and the liquor traffic.
They found the poor farm with thirty-one inmates, more than half of whom are not citizens of Texas, and one of them is a disabled United States soldier. The poor are well sheltered, well fed, and moderately well clothed, and the manager, Mr. Wells, is credited with humane and considerate treatment of all under him.
They report the jail well kept in regard to sanitary matters, and the prisoners are well fed on wholesome diet by the jailer,
M. O. Callahan, but they recommend the building of a new jail with capacity to hold one hundred inmates, as the present building is entirely too small to meet the requirements of the county with its present population. This is the same old suggestion that has been made by every grand jury for the past ten years, but one commissioner's court after another has been elected and served out its term without ever evincing a willingness to tax the county with the necessary expense to build. The present house could be readily sold to the city for a calaboose, and a part of the building be used as a council chamber, which would realize several thousand dollars towards a new jail, and enable us to keep our prisoners safely and comfortably. Every citizen and every liberal tax-payer would be glad to see the suggestion acted upon.
The month yet remaining of the term of the district court will be full of hard work and unless some of the cases set are continued his honor will be compelled to hold night sessions to get through the docket. Several capital cases remain to be tried.
The trial of Newton Chance for the murder of Junius Foster, in Sherman, in 1863, is set for Monday next and will possess great interest, in the fact that it revives the bloody incidents of war times, and will to some extent explain to our present population the unhappy condition of society here twenty-two years ago.



Galveston (TX) Daily News
Galveston, Texas
December 2, 1885
p. 2

Special to The News
Sherman, December 1 - The case of the State of Texas vs. Newton Chance, charged with the murder of E. Junius Foster, in this city, 23 years ago, was taken up in the District Court this afternoon and after some considerable time a jury was impaneled.
S.F. Young, of San Antonio, was the first witness placed on the stand and the substance of his testimony was that on the night of the 10th of October 1863, Newton Chance and James Young went with E. Junius Foster to the residence of Jas. Chiles, on North Travis street, and that in a short time he heard Foster call out that he believed they intended to murder him.  In a few minutes he heard the report of a gun and then saw 3 men ride off.  He identified the defendant as the man who fired the shot that killed.
J.H. Cummins, of Pottsboro, in this county, was next placed on the stand, and testified that about dusk on the 10th day of October 1863, he was walking up North Travis street when he heard what he thought to be gunshots in quick succession.  He hurried to the scene and found E. Junius Foster in a dying condition from gunshot wounds in his side.  He told him (Cummins) that Newton Chance was the man who did it.
Judge C.C. Binkley was next placed on the stand.  He testified to having helped carry Foster to the office of the Sherman Patriot, which he (Foster) was at that time editing.  He was District Judge at that time.  Cox and Young were tried for implication and found not guilty.
Several other witnesses were examined, and the case is still slowly dragging along, and the evidence will not be completed before tomorrow.
A strange coincidence in this trial is that the indictment was filed on December 1865, just 20 years ago.
The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Friday, December 4, 1885
pg 2

Newton Chance Acquitted
Special to The News
Sherman, December 3, - The principal theme of conversation, on the streets this afternoon, has been the verdict in the
case of the commonwealth vs. Newton Chance, charged with the murder of E. Junius Foster, on North Davis street, in this city, on October 10, 1883.
The following verdict was handed in about noon:
"We, the jury, find the defendant, Newton Chance, not guilty, as charged in the indictment."
W. P. Staples, Foreman
There was quite a dense throng in the courtroom when the verdict was rendered, and quite an affecting scene took place,
as the aged preacher shook hands with everybody he came to, while tears rolled down his cheeks.


The Sunday Gazetteer
Denison, Texas
Sunday, December 6, 1885
pg 1

The case of Newton Chance, on trial at Sherman for the murder of E. Junius Foster, in 1863, was terminated at an early
hour Thursday morning, by the jury returning a verdict of not guilty.


The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
Saturday, December 7, 1885
pg 4

The Denison News says:
Barbey has incubated, and through the Dallas end of The Galveston News given his views on the land question. The thermometer may be set down as registering zero where Mr. Gibbs fails to get up an interview:
"Hope to return and die at home at last" seems to be an instinct stronger than reason. Frequent mention has been made
in the column of men charged with murder, after having long been fugitives, returning to the scene of their alleged crimes and either voluntarily surrendering or being arrested and brought to trial. The Denison News reports another interesting case, as follows:
A case now on trail in the Grayson District Court, at Sherman, fully illustrates this proposition, and revives interest in the tragic episodes that followed fast upon the heels of each other during the dark days of civil strife. During the year 1863 partisan feeling was particularly bitter in Grayson county. There were a number of pronounced and outspoken Union men scattered through the county, the recognized leader of whom was E. Junius Foster, the publisher of a small weekly paper
at Sherman called the Patriot. Foster was a man of violent passions, and generally regarded as a dangerous man. He was originally from Marshall, whence he removed to Paris, and subsequently to  Sherman. He was bold, aggressive and daring, and did not fail, through passionate and incendiary utterances, both on the hastings and through his journal, to fan and keep alive the embers of hate. Prominent among those who opposed him, was Colonel Wm. H. Young, a gentleman of great personal popularity and undaunted courage. At the time of the secession of the State, Colonel Young was the United States marshal for the district, and was subsequently appointed to a similar position under the Confederacy. He resided near the line of Grayson and Cooke counties, making frequent visits to Sherman. While on one of these visits, in company with a
man named Bowlin, the couple were fired upon from ambush, and Young's body was riddled with bullets. Bowlin escaped without serious injury, and made his way to Sherman, where his story created the wildest excitement. Young's friend
openly threatened retaliation against all union men, who they claimed to be the instigators of the assassination, and numerous recounters took place with serious results. While excitement still remained at fever heat, Foster was a conspicuous figure. His friends warned him to beware, but, despite the warnings he continued to take an active part in the troubles, which finally culminated in his assassination while returning on evening from his office to his home. The crime
was charged upon Newton Chance, who immediately fled the country. Time passed on, the tragic affair had almost passed from remembrance, or was only referred to by the older inhabitants as one of those mysterious crimes that would forever
go unpunished.  Thus for twenty-two years justice slept, and a cruel crime went unpunished. But a few weeks ago and aged and broken man appeared upon the streets of Sherman. None appeared to know him, nor did he seek to form acquaintances. But accidentally he was recognized as Newton Chance, the alleged murderer of Foster. He was at once arrested and placed in jail to await his trial for life upon the indictment found twenty-two years ago.

Grayson County Law
Susan Hawkins
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