
The Dallas Daily
Herald
Sunday,
August 2, 1885
pg
5
Sherman,
Aug. 1. - (Special) - The
colored Odd Fellows had a picnic yesterday,
and at night the colored folks had a ball
over the Merchants' restaurant, on
the northwest corner of the square. About
midnight a negro names Ed White informed
Policeman Melton that another negro named
Wash Humes had a weight, and he was afraid
he was going to have a difficulty with him.
Melton searched the suspected negro
and found no weight or other weapon. White
persisted that he did have one, and said he
wanted to get even with him, as he
(Humes) had informed on him as to a burglary
that had been committed. Melton advised them
to both go home or behave themselves,
and left them and went across the street to
the livery stable. In a short while a negro
came running down stairs, calling
police. Melton went to him and told him he
was a policeman and the negro, whom he
recognized as being Wash Humes, then
told he had cut a negro up stairs and wanted
to give himself up, but wanted Melton to go
with him to the livery stable,
as there was no one to drive the "bus" to
the depot (Humes drives the "bus" to the
depot at night.) Melton, from the manner
Humes acted, supposed that there was some
slight difficulty, and went with Humes to
the stable and released him on
bond. On returning to the dance he found Ed.
White dead from a cut in the neck. He at
once went back and arrested Humes
and locked him up.
From
the evidence it appears that White, after
being cut, either jumped or fell out of a
second-story window to the
sidewalk,
a distance of about 15 feet, and walked
around to the front of the building and
entered the saloon with a
barlow
knife sticking in his throat, and lay down
on the floor and died in a short while.
The
accused is a hard-working, sober negro, and
is well thought of in the community.
The
deceased was what is usually termed a "bad
negro," being continually in a broil of some
kind.

Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Tuesday,
November 10, 1885
pg
6
SHERMAN
Special
to the Gazette
Sherman,
Tex., Nov. 9 - Wash Humes - (colored),
murder of Ed White, December 11
Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Saturday,
April 10, 1886 Saturday
pg
4
George
Hartwell's trial is set for the 22d and Wash
Hume's for the 14th last.
Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Saturday,
November 27, 1886
pg
5
The
case of Wash Humes charged with murder, has
been on trial since yesterday in the
district court, and had not
been
given to the jury at a late hour.
Sherman Daily
Register
Monday,
April 4, 1887
pg
1
CRIMINAL
COURT
Wash
Humes, murder, set for 2nd week in May.

Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Thursday,
May 12, 1887
pg
6
Special
to the Gazette
Sherman,
Tex., May 11 - The attention of the District
court, Judge Williams of Waco, presiding,
has been occupied
to-day
in the case of Wash Humes, a negro charged
with the murder of another negro by the name
of Ed White, whome he
killed with a knife at a festival in this
city about a year ago. The case has been
tried on a previous occasion and
resulted in a hung jury, and it required
until 6 p.m. to-day to secure a jury with
which to try the case.
Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Saturday,
May 14, 1887
pg
3
Special
to the Gazette
Sherman,
Tex., May 14, 1887
The
case of Wash Humes, a negro who is charged
with murdering a negro at a dance in the
city in July, 1885, and which has been on
trial for the past three days in the
District court, was given to the jury
to-night and a verdict had not been rendered
at a late hour.
Fort Worth Daily
Gazette
Saturday,
May 15, 1887
pg
1
Sherman
Court Notes
Special
to the Gazette
Sherman,
Tex., May 14. - The jury in the case of Wash
Humes, a negro charged with the murder of a
negro by the name of Ed White in
1885, and which has been on trial in the
District court for several days, returned a
verdict this morning, finding Humes guilty
of murder in the first degree, and assessing
his punishment at fifteen years in the
penitentiary.
Sherman Daily
Register
Friday,
May 18, 1887
pg
1
HUMES
CASE
Progressing
in the District Court Today.
Evidence
was concluded in the trial of Wash Humes,
for the murder of Ed White, in the District
Court this morning, after a
long and tiresome examination. The States
holds that the offense was a cold and
calculated murder, after a due deliberation,
and that it was the outcome of a difficulty
which occurred on the street below. The
argument for the prosecution was
opened by County Attorney Randell, who made
a strong appeal in behalf of the State,
portraying the cruelty of
the murder as held by the State, and the
lack of justification on the part of the
defendant.
Nat
Gunter for the defense followed Mr. Randell,
and set forth the good standing of the
defendant in contrast to the
worthlessness
of the negro he killed; reviewed the fact
that Ed White had repeatedly threatened the
life of Wash
Humes,
and that the defendant had been told and
warned of the fact. He held that if Humes
had stabbed him and then threw
him out of the second story window he was
justified in it, and had to do it to save
his own life, which was in
danger, if the evidence of several witnesses
to the threats were to be taken as worth
anything. Taken altogether it was a
strong and clear appeal upon evidence as
adduced by the defense.
At
this hour Silas Hare is addressing the jury
in behalf of the defense, and it is probable
that all of the argument
will
be concluded and the charge given to the
jury this evening.
Convict Record, Texas State
Penitentiary, 1875 - 1945
at Rusk, Cherokee
County, Texas
Registered No.
|
2874
|
Name
|
Wash Humes
|
Age
|
28
|
Height
|
5' 5"
|
Weight |
160
|
Complexion
|
Black
|
Eyes
|
Black
|
Hair
|
Black
|
Marks on Person
|
Small scar across
forehead
Large scar left ___
Small scar left hand
Large brown scar on rump
|
Marital Relations
|
Yes
|
Use of Tobacco
|
No
|
Habits
|
Temp
|
Education
|
Lim
|
Occupation
|
Lab
|
Nativity
|
Texas
|
Time of
Conviction
|
sent. 5/14/87
appo. June 24
|
Offense
|
Murder 2nd Deg.
|
Term of
Imprisonment
|
15 years
|
County
|
Grayson
|
Residence
|
Grayson
|
Plea
|
not g
|
When Received
|
August 7, 1887
|
Expiration of
Sentence
|
June 24, 1902
|
Remarks
|
Pardoned December
19, 1887
|

|