Camp Co TX - Killing of Miller Mitchell

Submitted By: "Don R Brownlee" <dbrownlee@csun.edu>

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9/18/1878  St. Louis (MO) Globe Democrat

DALLAS, TEX., September 15. - Winnsboro, a small village in Wood
County, has just been the scene of one of those uncalled for diabolical
murders that continue to disgrace Texas and give her people a bad name on
account of the doings of a few cut-throats and scoundrels, who ought by
rights all to be in the sulphurous regions of his Satanic Majesty. In
Winnsboro there is a drug store kept by a Mr. Skeen, who, having occasion
to be absent, instructed his clerk, a young man, not to sell to any
person whatever on a credit. During his absence two men named Davis, and
known as desperadoes, rode up, and entering the store called for whisky
on a credit. The clerk demurred, but they forced him to let them have
it. They got two bottles, and going off came back and demanded two more.
The boy refused, whereupon they fell to cursing him. At this juncture
also entered the store a merchant of Leesburg - Miller Mitchell - a
nice, good, honest man, who, seeing the boy imposed upon, took his part, and
told the desperadoes they were wrong. At this the villains drew their pistols.

"Are you sorry for what you have said?"
"I have said nothing to be sorry for," returned the merchant.
"Then I'll make you sorry," angrily retorted Brooks Davis.

With that the cut-throat slapped him in the face with one hand, and
with pistol in the other pulled trigger, shooting Mitchell through the
stomach fatally. Mitchell wrenched the pistol from the hands of the
murdered and fired at him as he ran out, but without effect. The victim died
a few hours afterwards.