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THE FRACAS AT DAILEYVILLE
SAN ANTONIO DAILY EXPRESS
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1886
AN ELECTION RIOT
- - - Officers of Karnes County
Shot to Death - - -
Kenedy, Texas, Sept. 6 -- A riot between two Mexicans and two
white men on one side, and officers on the other, occurred at Daileyville, a
precinct three miles from here, during a local option election today, at 2 p.m.
in which sheriff Fate Elder, his brother, Deputy Sheriff Bud Elder, and a
Mr.Pullen were killed outright, and Deputy Sheriff Jack Bailey and a Mr.Pullen,
brother to the Pullen killed, were dangerously wounded.
County Attorney Graves, Deputy Sheriff Blair, Charles Dailey and W.G. Butler were slightly
injured.
The two Pullens were aged men and were not engaged in the shooting, but were hit by stray bullets.
The Mexicans engaged in the shooting escaped. County Attorney Graves has wired Gov. Ireland for four Rangers to aid in capturing the Mexicans and others who took part in the fray. The direct cause of the riot has not been ascertained here.
SAN ANTONIO LIGHT
SEPTEMBER 7, 1886
Dr. Amos Graves left last evening on a special train for Kenedy station
on the Aransas Pass railway. A telegram calling him to attend Deputy Sheriff
Jack Bailey and a man named Pullen who had been dangerously wounded in an
election row. Dr. Graves returned about noon today.
The affair occurred at Daileyville, three miles from Kenedy, and seems to have been a bad shooting riot between two Mexicans and two white men on one side, and the sheriff and his deputies on the other, and which grew out of a local option held there yesterday.
Sheriff Fayette Elder and his brother Bud Elder, Deputy, and a Mr. Pullen, were killed outright, and County Attorney Graves, Deputy Sheriff Blair, Charles Dailey, and W. G. Butler slightly wounded, while Mr. Pullen, brother to the killed, and Deputy Sheriff Jack Bailey were seriously wounded.
The two Pullens were old men and were hit by stray bullets, they not being engaged in the row.
The four murderers escaped, and Governor Ireland has been telegraphed for Rangers to assist in their capture, and has sent for them.
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Juan Coy, who was wanted for the murder of a Negro at Floresville, was one of the principal actors in a recent riot at Daileyville. He escaped and swears he will not be taken alive.
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BEEVILLE PICAYUNE
SEPT. 9, 1886:
On Monday the 6th, during a local option election two Mexicans, one Coy,
who is wanted in Wilson County for killing a Negro, and another Mexican, name unknown, came
riding up to the polls
armed with Winchester rifles. Someone said that it was a violation of the law.
Fate Elder, Sheriff, said he would go and tell them not to do that. After he had
advanced a few steps, the Mexicans began firing on him, killing him instantly.
His brother went to his assistance and was killed. He fired all his shots in his
pistol to no effect. Henry Pullin was killed by a stray bullet. Hiram Pullin was
shot in the left breast, the ball passing around the heart and coming out under
the left shoulder. Jack Bailey had one of his legs shattered so that it became
necessary to have it taken off. C.P. Dailey was wounded in the ankle. County
Clerk Graves was slightly wounded. Deputy Sheriff Blair and W.G. Butler received
slight wounds. After the shooting ceased the two Mexicans got down off their
horses and viewed the dead, then mounted their horses again and left for parts
unknown. The jury of inquest is now in session and the county is at a fever
heat. It cannot be ascertained what caused the affray.
SAN ANTONIO DAILY EXPRESS
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1886
THE DAILEYVILLE KILLING
Full Account of the Affair as Taken From the Evidence Before the Jury of the
Inquest
- - The Verdict - -
HELENA, TEX., September 13.
- - Editor Express: - -
At the request of our county attorney I furnish you with the following account of the killing at Daileyville last Monday as gathered from the evidence taken before the Jury of Inquest:
Somewhere about 12 o'clock on the 6th day of September, 1886, at Daileyville, Karnes County, Tex., where a local option election was being held for the Fourth precinct, two Mexicans, Epatallo
Garza (or Garcia), and Juan Coy, came riding up to a hack that was standing about 25 or 30 steps from the southeast corner of C. P. Dailey's store, in front, where they alighted, hitched their horses and pulled from their scabbard a long barreled Winchester gun each, and walked toward and up to the hack with their guns in hand.
Someone at this time remarked that "there were two men with the longest guns he had ever seen," and someone else remarked "there were two men who were violating the law."
At the time, Deputy Sheriff Jack Bailey stepped out of the front door of the store and walked towards the hack where the Mexicans were, and met Newton Butler, where the two, Bailey and Butler, stood in conversation.
Sheriff I. L. Elder was then seen walking rapidly towards the hack, whittling with his knife, which he had in his hand. When near the hack, one of the Mexicans threw up his gun and fired at Sheriff Elder, missing him.
Then Sheriff Elder drew his pistol and tried to fire, but it snapped. Another shot then came from the Mexicans, after which Sheriff Elder staggered. In the next instant Sykes Butler, who had advanced immediately to the rear and a little to the right of Elder, placed his pistol within about four or five inches of the right side of the back part of Sheriff Elder's head and fired, when he (Elder) instantly fell and expired.
The Mexicans and others then began firing rapidly towards the door of the store where J. J. Elder, Deputy Sheriff, is said to have come out. When J. J. Elder came to the door he saw Wm. G. Butler coming out of a gate towards the front of the store very near him, when he (Elder) opened fire on
Butler, shooting at him twice before Butler got in any shots; after which Elder and Butler advanced close upon each other and exchanged several shots between them.
Elder was killed and Butler was shot in one ear. Both had their faces powder burnt. Butler fired four or five shots, and Elder emptied his pistol.
Elder had six or eight balls to penetrate his person and two, which glanced his body, made deep furrows. It is the general supposition that Elder received a fatal wound from the volley fired on him from near the hack before he encountered Butler, as he was known to be a good shot with his pistol and in good practice; hence his bad shooting.
J. J. Elder fought to his death. After he was shot to his knees he still tried to work his pistol, although all the loads were gone, and he died with his pistol cocked and his finger on the trigger.
Poor Jack Bailey took no part in the shooting, for he at once saw that the officers were overpowered and had no earthly chance, as it is said at least 15 or 20 were shooting. He therefore retired to the yard, where some unknown person willfully and most cruelly shot him down, and, although he called out after being shot down, "Don't shoot me again. I don't want to hurt anyone," the murderer cruelly shot him again, from the effect of which wounds he died the next day.
Some have tried to create the impression that Jack Bailey was killed accidentally by a ball from J. J. Elder's pistol, but there is the most unimpeachable evidence that neither Jack Bailey nor Hiram Pullin were in range of Elder's pistol. Henry and Hiram Pullin are supposed to have been killed accidentally, but some persons question that fact.
The following is the verdict of the jury of inquest over the bodies of the three men shot dead:
"We, the jury empanelled and sworn to inquire into the cause, manner, etc., of the death of I. L. Elder, Bud Elder and Henry Pullin, find that Henry Pullin came to his death by gun shot fired by someone, striking him accidentally; that I. L. Elder came to his death by gun and pistol shot wounds fired by Epotatio Garza and John or Juan Coy, (called by some Beohola) and Sykes Butler; that Bud Elder came to his death by gun or pistol shot wounds inflicted by a gun or pistol fired by Wm. G. Butler."
(Signed) J. M. Choate, J. A. Martin, John S. Wycar, J. H. Little, J. W. Rutledge, C. A. Conway.
D. B. Butler, JP Precinct No. 1, Karnes County
And so ends another episode of crime in our county, in which the officers of the law and the conservators of the peace are foully dispatched.
When will such things cease?
End of the San Antonio Daily Express newspaper article dated September 16, 1886.
Justice of the Peace D. B. Butler was not related to the ranching family.
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