Forney Much Wrought Up
Two Killings in Two Days, One of the Victims Being a White Man and the Other a Negress
Dallas Morning News
September 9, 1902
WARNING: Some of the details in this article are very graphic.
Special to The News
Terrell, Tex., Sept. 8 – Forney is much excited over two killings which occurred at that place Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, brief mention of which appeared in today’s News. The first killing was that of Ella Garrett, colored, which occurred Saturday night about 9 o’clock. The second killing occurred Sunday afternoon about 1 o’clock, the victim being Jim Sea, a white man who had been picking cotton in that vicinity a short time.
Grant Garrett, colored, alias Frank Grant, was arrested on the J.C. McKellar farm, near Forney, Saturday night about 9 o’clock charged with having killed his wife, Ella Garrett, a few hours before on the roadside near McKellar’s house.
The first intimation of the killing was when the two children of the negress ran np [sic] to Mr. McKellar’s house, crying, “Ma is killed.” On going out to the place directed by the children the woman was found dead from a stab in the left breast, one under the arm, two between the shoulders and one over the kidneys. The wounds were of such a nature that she could not have survived long after they were inflicted. Garrett was arrested by Constable Strealy on McKellar’s place and taken to Forney, where he was held until this morning, when he was taken to Kaufman along with Tom Rodgers, the negro accused of killing J.M. Sea at Forney Sunday afternoon.
Deputy Marshal Woodall of this city received a call from Forney Saturday afternoon to come over by first train and bring his bloodhounds with him. The information was further conveyed that a dead man had been found in a thicket a short distance east of town, recently murdered, and that he was wanted to aid in tracing down the perpetrator. Officer Woodall left on the afternoon train with his hounds. Arriving on the scene, the dogs were put to work, but such was the great crowd assembled about the place that the hounds did not make much headway.
The dead man turned out to be J.M. Sea, a cotton picker, about 35 years old, who had lately come into the community. He has a wife and four children.
Sheriff Henderson arrived in Forney about 7 o’clock and in company with Constable Strealy and Officer Woodall continued to search. A little before 9 o’clock John McKellar Jr. came in from his father’s place, east of the city, with the information that there was a negro out there who was acting suspiciously. Acting on this clew [sic], the officers went to McKellar’s farm and arrested Tom Rodgers, a negro cotton picker, who had recently come into the community from Tarrant County.
Another important arrest was made at this place, that of Neal Chandler, who, however, seems to be wanted mostly as a witness.
Persons were attracted to the scene of the tragedy by the cries of Sea, who emerged from the thicket crying murder at the top of his voice. He ran about 175 yards from the thicket and fell dead. On the ground near where the tragedy occurred was found a deck of cards and 60c in money, the amount over which the dispute occurred. Sea’s neck was cut almost half in two, the jugular vein being severed and two small bits of the razor blade embedded in the gaping wound. His body was taken to Dr. Herrin’s office and prepared for burial. It is being held by the local undertaker to await advices from his relatives, if any of them can be found.
On the person of Rodgers when arrested was found 36 in money, the amount which Mrs. Sea alleges her husband had on his person when he left home Sunday morning. The razor with which the cutting was done was near Rodgers’ home, on the McKellar farm, with blood on the end of the blade and two gaps in it. Chandler, who had shaved with the razor in the morning, stated that there were no gaps in the blade when he shaved with it and that there was certainly no blood on it.
Great excitement was occasioned in Forney by the two tragedies and there was some talk of mob violence, which was promptly suppressed by wiser heads.
Officers Henderson and Strealy, having Rodgers, Garrett and Chandler in charge, arrived in the city from Forney this morning on the Cannon Ball. The negroes were all securely handcuffed.
Rodgers said to The News reporter: “I live at Fort Worth and have been at Forney for about three weeks picking cotton on the McKellar farm. I am 34 years old. I have no knowledge of the crime with which I am charged. I was arrested last night about 9 o’clock by Constable Strealy.”
Grant Garnett said: “I live at Dallas. I am 32 years old. I have been in Forney only a few weeks, where I have been at work. I don’t know anything about the killing of Ella Garrett, and knew nothing of it until after it occurred. Me and Tom Price were walking together on the road when I was arrested. Me and my wife had no trouble.”
Chandler said that he did not know anything about the Sea tragedy and that he was a mile and a half from the scene of the tragedy when it occurred. He further stated that he was arrested as a witness in the affair.
The officers left on the southbound Midland today for Kaufman, where they landed their prisoners in jail to await the action of the Grand Jury. This body adjourned Friday until Monday week, but it is understood that they will be reconvened to take action upon these cases.
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Houston Post
Wednesday, 10 September 1902, Page 3
Terrell, Tex., Sept. 8 – Officers passed through the city today with Grant Garrett, colored, charged with killing his wife near Forney yesterday, and Tom Rogers, colored, charged with killing a white man named J. M. Sea, near Forney yesterday.
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Both Indicted for Murder
Dallas Morning News
Friday, 12 September 1902
Special to the News
Terrell, Tex., Sept. 11 – Grant Garrett, colored, and Tom Rodgers, colored, negroes implicated in the Forney tragedies, were indicted by the Grand Jury of this county last evening, the former for the murder of his wife at Forney last Saturday night and the latter for killing Jim Sea at Forney last Sunday. Their trials are set for next Monday.
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Dallas Morning News
Tuesday, 16 September 1902
Tom Rogers, charged with killing Jim Sea at Forney on Sept. 7, is now on trial.
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Court of Criminal Appeals
Dallas Morning News
13 December 1902
Reversed and remanded: Tom Rogers, from Kaufman.
