Dallas Morning News
December 19, 1899

MURDER AT VAN ALSTYNE
Ben McComb Found Dead in His Carpenter Shop with Wound from a Chisel in His Body
Sherman, Tex., Dec. 18 - Meager information of a tragedy at Van Alstyne, Grayson County, has reached this city, and Deputy Sheriffs William Russell and Lawrence Etchison left at 9:15 p.m. for that place to assist the local officers in obtaining a clew.
The information at hand is in substance that Ben McComb, aged 43 years, a widower with 3 children, was found dead in his carpenter shop on Front street within a block of the Houston and Texas Central Railway depot, with 2 stabs in his breast, about 5 o'clock this afternoon.
He was found by his brother, Joe McComb, who saw no one about the shop, and can throw no light on the matter.  Just how long he had been dead no one seems to know.
It had been raining more or less during the latter part of the afternoon, and there had been very little passing to and from the shop.
 One stab is in the right breast and the other near the center of the breast.
At 9:30 o'clock tonight the local officers of Van Alstyne reported that the matter as much as mystery as ever, but there is no cessation of vigilant search.
The quiet little city is in a ferment of excitement, and every theory imaginable is heard, and every report is chased down as closely as practicable.
McComb had been a resident of Van Alstyne and vicinity nearly all his life.
The weapon with which Ben McComb was killed was a one-half inch chisel.  It was found on a work bench near where the dead man lay.
A more critical examination of the death wounds show that the stabs were not directly in, but appear to have been made by a side blow, and it is believed that the chisel cleft the heart.
At 10:30 p.m. the officers believe they have a clew.

Columbus (GA) Daily Enquirer
Wed., Dec. 20, 1899
p. 4

Houston, Texas : Dec. 19. - Intense excitement was today caused in the town of Van Alstyne where yesterday Ben McComb was murdered in his workshop by the arrest of the dead man's twin brother, Joe McComb, charged with the murder. The McComb brothers, Joe and Ben were prominent citizens of Van Alstyne. They were partners in contracting and building and at the time of the murder were both working in their shop. The man under arrest has made a statement in which he declares that he saw a man kill his brother. He said he was unable to prevent the killing, but can give no description of the criminal. Ben was stabbed to death with a chisel.

Dallas Morning News
December 20, 1899

VAN ALSTYNE MURDER
Complaint Lodged Charging a Brother of the Dead Man with the Crime Pending Full Investigation
Sherman, Tex., Dec. 19 - All night the local officers at Van Alstyne, assisted by Deputy Sheriffs Russell and Etchison, worked unceasingly to tear off the veil of mystery surrounding the death of Ben McCOmb, a meager account of whose tragic ending was given in The News this morning.  This morning found them as much mystified as ever.
Pending an investigation by Justice McDonald a complaint was lodged before Justice McDonald, charging Joe McComb with the murder of his brother, Ben McComb.  He was immediately placed under arrest and taken before Justice McDonald.  He waived examination and his bond was placed at $1,000.
The statement of Joe McComb, made to Justice McDonald, in writing, is in substance that he, Joe McCOmb, was in the rear of the shop mixing up a bucket of yellow paint when he heard his brother say: "Oh, Joe!"  He turned and as he did so, he says a man passed out the front door.  Previous to call of his brother he had heard no disturbance.  He has no very distinct recollection of what the man looked like, but thinks he had on a brown coat.  When he reached his brother, who was lying on the floor, he asked him what was the matter.  Receiving no reply and seeing that his brother was hurt, he hurried off to get a doctor, whom he brought back with him to the shop.
Joe Palmore testified that he was at the shop and saw the two McComb brothers there between 4:30 and 5 p.m.  He saw no one else there, and that no one else was about the place when he (Palmore) left.
Dr. Morrison testified that when he reached the body of the wounded man he saw only a few bruises on his face and that he asked Joe if there were any other hurts on Ben's body and that Joe replied he thought there were.  Dr. Morrison says he did not know of the stabs in Ben's breast until he ran his hand up under his vest and felt the warm blood streaming out.  He then made a more critical examination and found two deep stabs in the right breast, one reaching to the spine.  The heart was not touched.
There were a number of other witnesses placed on the stand and the inquest had not been completed when Justice McDonald held a phone conversation with the county attorney's office this evening.
The dead man and the brother charged with having inflicted the death wounds are twins.  They have been inseparable companions all their lives.  Their affection for each other has often been the cause of remark.
At a late hour this afternoon County Attorney Hare said: "I understand that the brother under arrest will have no trouble to make the bond set by Justice McDonald."
District Judge Bliss this morning filed with the district clerk a formal order convening the grand jury panel drawn for the midwinter term and fixing the day of their convening together to receive the charge of the court on Wednesday, January 3, 1900.  Judge Bliss stated shortly after me made the order that he did this on account of the necessity of having an immediate investigation of the Van Alstyne tragedy.



Dallas Morning News
December 21, 1899

The Van Alstyne Killing
Sherman, Tex., December 20 - having failed to make the required bon of $1,000 Joe McComb was brought to Sherman this afternoon and placed in the county jail by Constable Riddle on a committment out of Justice McDonald's court at Van Alstyen, charging him with the murder of his brother, Ben McComb, in that town on the evening of Monday, December 18.
Justice McDonald had not at a late hour this afternoon returned a formal finding on his investigation as coroner into caues, circumstances, manner, etc. of the death of Ben McComb.  The burial of the victim of the tragedy took place at Van Alstyne today.
The aged parents of the deceased are prostrated with grief.



The Sunday Gazeteer
Denison, Texas
Sunday, December 24. 1899
pg 5

Ben McComb, age 43 years, a widower, was murdered at Van Alstyne.



Dallas Morning News
January 5, 1900

SHERMAN SIFTINGS
Grand Jury Organized
Sherman, Tex., January 4 -  The Grand Jury for the midwinter term of the District Court is in session.  They were formally impaneled today and after being sworn in received the charge from Judge Bliss.
The court called their especial attention to the recent homicide at Van Alstyne in which Ben McComb was killed.
The statues require the court to charge each Grand Jury on local option and disorderly houses.
In the delivery of the charge on disorderly houses today Judge Bliss was very pointed and instructed the Grand Jury, if they found the law had not ben enforced in this matter, to incorporate in their report the reason for same.
The personnel of the Grand Jury is a follows:
Dan S. McMillin, Whitewright
J.J. Hammond, Sherman
T.B. Jernigan, Bells
W.W. Perkinson, Pilot Grove
J.T. Hurt, Denison
A.H. Leftwitch, Tioga
George Miller, Farmington
A.M. De Shields, Sherman
E.F.  Halsell, Sherman
J.M. Brooks, Whitesboro
I. Barnes, Southmayd
Joe Combs, Preston

Sherman, Tex. Feb. 14 - (Special) - Rev. Thomas B. McComb today received a message stating that Gov. Sayers had granted a pardon to Joseph McComb, whom a few days ago a jury found guilty of manslaughter, assessing his punishment at two years and returning with their verdict a recommendation that the Governor pardon the defendant. Jos. McComb was charged and convicted of the killing of his twin brother at Van Alstyne.



The Houston Daily Post
Houston, Texas
February 16, 1900
pg 5

Joseph McComb Released

Sherman, texas, February 15 - The pardon granted by Governor Sayers to Joseph McComb arrived today and was honored by the authorities at the jail. McComb was convicted of the murder of his twin brother, Ben McComb, at Van Alstyne.



The Southern Mercury
Thursday, June 9, 1904

Sherman, Tex., June 3 - News of the death of Joe McComb at Van Alstyne at 2 o'clock this morning was received.  His wife was awakened by a pistol shot and the husband was found dead on the front walk.  It is supposed that he shot himself accidentally.

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