Highway Robbery
A Farmer Robbed of $2800 – Telephoning for Dogs
Dallas Morning News
29 November 1892
An official at Forney last night telephoned Chief of Police Arnold informing him that J.K. Brooks, residing alone on his farm between Forney and Kaufman, had been robbed of $2800. The circumstances in so far as they could be learned were as follows: Brooks yesterday came to Dallas and drew $2800 out of a bank, after which he started home on the Texas Trunk. Shortly after nightfall, as he sat alone in his house, it was entered by two masked men who knocked him in the head with a pistol and then robbed him of his money.
As soon as Brooks recovered his senses he went to Forney and communicated with the chief of police and Sheriff Cabell, asking the latter to send his dogs. Sheriff Cabell did not have any dogs to send, Commodore Miller having wiped out all the jail dogs, but the sheriff of Kaufman county went to the rescue with his dogs. It is supposed that the robbers followed Brooks from Dallas.
Forney Robbery
Further Details of the Struggle with the Highwaymen
Dallas Morning News
30 November 1892
Terrell, Tex., Nov. 29 – Officers returned at noon today from the scene of a robbery in Forney precinct last night. A search for the robbers has been vigorously prosecuted since 2 o’clock this morning, but with no success. The track of the robbers was too cold for the bloodhounds to trail and they were of no service.
Two arrests were made, but Mr. Brooks, the victim, could not state positively that they were the parties who committed the robbery, so they were released.
Mr. Brooks’ wounds are serious. He was struck several blows over the head with a piece of a pitchfork handle. To the officers Mr. Brooks stated that at first he did not suspect the men to be real robbers, but thought them to be neighborhood boys attempting to play a prank on him. When finally apprised of the fact that they were genuine robbers he handed over his watch and a $50 bill and as he did so grabbed the revolver held by one of the robbers. A struggle ensued in which Mr. Brooks was knocked unconscious and relieved of the $2800 which he had on his person.
One Thousand Dollars Reward
J.K. Brooks Robbery
Dallas Morning News
14 December 1892
Terrell, Tex., Dec. 13 – The R.P. Rhea company of Forney have sent the following notice to the Terrell papers for publication:
Forney, Tex., Dec. 9 – The citizens of this place have raised $1000 and deposited same in the national bank of Forney as a reward for the capture and conviction of the guilty ones who on the night of Nov. 28 robbed J.K. Brooks of $2800. Please give this matter publicity through your paper.
The R.P. Rhea Co.
Brooks Robbery
Dallas Morning News
21 December 1892
Greenville, Tex., Dec. 20 – Ex-Sheriff S.J. Mason, who has been working on the Brooks robbery at Forney, received a telegram today informing him that Crosby, a man who has been implicated in the robbery, has been arrested in northern Arkansas. The telegram stated that the man had on his person a portion of the money taken from Brooks. Mason left this evening to bring the prisoner to Texas.
