Killing in Dallas County
Jim Peel Shot by W.P. Newton After Peel Had Wounded Him
Dallas Morning News
22 January 1898
Forney, Kaufman Co., Tex., Jan. 21 – In a difficulty about six miles southwest of town yesterday evening W.P. Newton shot and instantly killed Jim Peel. Immediately previous to the killing of Peel he (Peel) shot and seriously wounded George Hammond [Hamill] and slightly wounded Newton.
The scene of the tragedy was upon the land of W.P. Newton, and across the line in Dallas county. The inquest and examining trial will be held by Squire Woodson of Dallas county.
The difficulty originated between Jim Peel and George Hammond [Hamill]. It is claimed that Newton went along with Hammond at his (Hammond’s) request, and was taking no part in the affair until Peel began shooting at him (Newton) when Newton drew his pistol from his saddle-pockets and shot him dead.
Newton sustained a flesh wound in the left breast and left wrist. His bridle reins were also shot in two. Hammond was severely hurt, although doctors say that nothing serious will be likely to result. Hammond is a married man. Peel was a young man, and lived with Theo. Lindsey on Newton’s place.
Newton rode to town to-day. When seen by a News reporter he refused to discuss the matter previous to an examining trial. Hammond is confined to his bed several miles in the country, and can not be seen. Other witnesses to the tragedy refuse to make statements at present.
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James Peel’s Demise
Constable Bain of Garland Discusses the Daugherty Bridge Tragedy
Dallas Morning News
23 January 1898
A Forney special to The News yesterday morning gave the particulars of a shooting bee six miles southwest of that place and just over the line in Dallas county, on the 21st. The participants were James Peel, George Hammond [Hamill] and W.P. Newton. Peel was killed, Hammond was seriously and Newton slightly wounded.
Constable Pate Bain and Deputy Sheriff John Bolick were sent to the scene of the tragedy by Sheriff Cabell, and they returned on the late train last night from Seagoville. Constable Bain said to a News representative:
“The shooting took place in Dallas county, on the Daugherty bridge road, and about 400 yards from the Kaufman county line. Jim Peel was working for Theodore Lindsay cutting timber, and George Hammond [Hamill] was a renter on W.P. Newton’s place. Peel was 27 years old, unmarried and his mother lives about four miles north of Wylie, in Collin county. He was buried to-day. Geo. Hammond is about 30 years old and well known. The way the story goes Hammond and Peel were out over a certain matter and Hammond invited Newton to accompany him to Lindsay’s place, as he desired to interview Peel. They rode up to Lindsay’s and found Peel cutting wood in the field some distance from the road. Hammond rode over to where Peel was at work and, after a few words, the shooting match opened up. After the firing had ceased Peel was dead, having been shot four times; Hammond had two bullets in his body and Newton had a flesh wound in the left breast and left wrist and his bridle rein was shot in two. Justice Woodson of precinct No. 4, Seagoville, inquested the remains and Constable Potter of the same precinct arrested Newton. Well, Justice Woodson transferred the case to Kaufman county, to be exact, to ‘precinct No. 2, Kaufman county, at the request of the defendant.’ Justice Daugherty of precinct No. 2, Kaufman county, decided the case a bailable one fixed Newton’s bond at $4000. This he gave and was released. Hammond is in bed in the care of his physician, but will recover. A man named Clark was the only eye witness to the shooting affray outside of those engaged in the battle. Peel was armed with a long-barreled 45 and he emptied his gun before he died. Newton had a 45 and exploded every cartridge.”
The shooting took place in Dallas county, and Justice Woodson transferred the case to a Kaufman county justice when Newton was arraigned in his court. The question of jurisdiction has been raised and Sheriff Cabell and County Attorney Robert B. Allen held a conference last night after the return of Officers Bolic and Bain from Seagoville. Sheriff Cabell said to a representative of The News:
“Newton was admitted to bail by a Kaufman county justice of the peace, having been arrested on a warrant issued by Justice Daugherty of that county. He will be arrested on a warrant by a Dallas county justice also and he will be given a preliminary trial in this county. The case will be thoroughly investigated by the county attorney and myself.”
Constable Bain went to Garland, his home, on the late train last night. Mr. W.H. Butler, an attorney of Forney, was in the city last night, but he declined to discuss the tragedy with representatives of the press.
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Newton and Hamill
They Will Be Brought to Dallas from Kaufman for Trial
Dallas Morning News
27 January 1898
W.P. Newton and George Hammill of Kaufman county, who were participants in the shooting match in which James Peel lost his life, will be brought from forney to Dallas to-day and their preliminary trial will take place before a Dallas justice of the peace. Sheriff Cabell announced last night that Newton and Hamill will be sent ot trial in Dallas and not in Kaufman county.
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Local Courts
Dallas Morning News
1 February 1898
George Hamill, who was an active participant in the Jim Peel shooting bee down near the Kaufman county line, is an inmate of the hospital department of the county jail. W.P. Newton, who participated in the same contest, is also an inmate of the county jail. These men will be given a hearing by Justice J.M. Skelton one day this week.
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A Bailable Case
Justice Ed S. Lauderdale Fixes Newton’s Bond at $10,000
Dallas Morning News
2 February 1898
W.P. Newton, charged by warrant with the murder of James Peel, on the Daugherty bridge road, near the Kaufman county line two weeks ago, was given a preliminary hearing by Justice Edward S. Lauderdale yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. William A. Clark, who live near the scene of the tragedy, were the principal witnesses. Mr. Clark testified that Newton and George Hamill visited a strip of timber on the Lindsay farm where James Peel was cutting wood. Hamill rode up to the spot where Peel was engaged and said: “Let us settle this matter,: and Hamill and Peel went behind a pile of brush. For a time they were not visible to the naked eye of Witness Clark. Then the shooting began and when the men reappeared Hamill was bleeding from a pistol shot wound. According to the witness, Newton became involved at this juncture and then the shooting became general. Peel was killed and Newton and Hamill were wounded.
After hearing the testimony Justice Lauderdale decided that it was a bailable case and fixed the amount of bond required at $10,000. Newton made a gilt-edged bond, according to Justice Lauderdale, four well-to-do citizens of Kaufman county, Dr. W.M. Garrett, J.L. Wilmarth, John M. Lewis and T.S. Gilkey, qualifying as bondsmen. Mr. Newton went home last night.
George Hamill will be given a preliminary hearing Friday morning at 10 o’clock.
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Held in $10,000 Bond
The Houston Post
2 Feb 1898
Dallas, Texas, February 1 – W.P. Newton, charged with the killing of James Peel in the eastern part of Dallas county a few weeks ago, had his examination trial before Justice Lauderdale today. His bond was fixed at $10,000, which he readily gave.
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George Hamill Held
His Bond Fixed at $2500 by Justice Lauderdale
Dallas Morning News
5 February 1898
George Hamill, charged by warrant with complicity in the killing of James Peel near Seagoville ten days ago, was given a preliminary hearing yesterday. After hearing the evidence Justice Edward S. Lauderdale held Hamill to the grand jury, fixing his bond at $2500.
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Newton Granted Bail
Judge Clint Acted on His Case Yesterday
Dallas Morning News
10 March 1898
James Peel was shot and killed a month ago on the Daugherty bridge road near the Kaufman county line. The Dallas county grand jury returned an indictment for murder against W.P. Newton of Kaufman county and he was taken before Judge Clint, who fixed the amount of bail requried at $10,000. This bond Newton readily made and was released. He went to Kaufman county last night.
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W.C. Newton on Trial
Charged with the Murder of James Peel in 1898
Dallas Morning News
21 November 1898
Yesterday afternoon in the criminal district court the trial of W.C. Newton, charged with the murder of James Peel on Jan. 20, 1898, was begun.
This is one of the cases growing out of the killing of James Peel near the Kaufman county line at the time above mentioned, an account of which was given in The News at the time, and mentioned in detail a few days ago, when the trial of George Hammil, also charged with the same offence was commenced. On Saturday a jury adjudged Hammil guilty of murder in the second degree and gave him five years in the penitentiary.
All the time yesterday afternoon up to 5:30 o’clock was consumed in obtaining a jury from the special venire that had been summoned.
Following are the jurors selected to try the case: G.C. Smith, C. Wheat, W.L. Bullock, Howard Jones, John Williams, E.J. Sealey, George Kennedy, Mr. Gist, Jess Wright, B.L. Adair, J.E. Thacker and J.M. Sears.
The jurors being selected they were given the usual instructions by the court not to talk among themselves about the case, not to talk to any person about anything and to report to the court if any person attempted to talk to them, and not to separate during the pendency of the trial. The case then went over until 9 o’clock this morning.
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Court Assignment
Non-Jury Docket of the Forty-Fourth Judicial District Court
Dallas Morning News
26 December 1898
17,107 – Martha Peele vs. W.P. Newton
Note: This may have been a civil case. This same case was mentioned on several dates in the Dallas Morning News but no details were given.
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Hammil Murder Trial
Brief History of the Case Now Pending in the Criminal Court
Dallas Morning News
16 November 1899
On Jan. 20, 1898, James Peel, a farmer, was shot and killed at a place in the eastern part of this county about 150 yards from the Kaufman county line. Peel was shot five times, and a sixshooter was the weapon used. According to the report published in The News at the time, two men were accused of making an attack on the deceased. Peel shot the gun out of the hand of one of the men, it is said, but the other succeeded in taking his life.
Soon after Sheriff Cabell and his deputies placed in custody two men. Against these men, George Hammil and W.P. Newton, the grand jury returned indictments charging them with the murder of Peel. It was set forth that Hammil did not actually commit the murder, for it is alleged that he is the man out of whose hand Peel shot the pistol. Newton, it is alleged in the indictment, is the man who did the fatal shooting. Peel is alleged to have wounded both of them.
Hammil is now on trial on this charge in the criminal district court before Judge Charles F. Clint. Regarding the trial, County Attorney R.B. Allen said yesterday:
“The contention of the state in this case is that the killing grew out of a cattle stealing case against Newton’s son, Bob. The contention of the defense is that it grew out of some other cause.”
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Hammil Murder Trial
Dallas Morning News
18 November 1899
Argument in the case of the state vs. George Hammil was begun this morning and will likely continue till noon tomorrow. Hammil is charged with the murder of Constable James Peel in the eastern part of the county several years ago.
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Hammil Murder Trial
Dallas Morning News
19 November 1899
Argument in the George Hammil murder case closed yesterday afternoon at 5 o’clock and after receiving the charge from the court the jury retired for the consideration of their verdict.
The first word received from the jury was this morning at 10:25 when they sent a short note to Judge Clint, which was in substance, that they could not agree. The court paid no attention to the communication and the jury is still locked up.
At 2:10 this afternoon the jury brought in their verdict, finding the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and assessed his punishment at five years confinement in the penitentiary.
This is the second trial of the case. The first trial resulted in a hung jury.
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Newton Given Five Years
Jury Returned a Verdict After Being Out Many Days
Dallas Morning News
Sunday, 3 December 1899, Page 8
After being out for several days, never allowed to separate or talk to anyone during the whole time, the jury in the case of the state vs. W.P. Newton, charged by indictment with murder, yesterday morning returned a verdict. The verdict found the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and assessed his punishment at five years in the penitentiary.
Newton was convicted for the killing of James Peel near the Kaufman county line. George Hammil, jointly indicted with Newton for this murder, was convicted eight or ten days ago and given the same sentence, five years in the penitentiary.
The jury had several times notified the judge that it could not agree, but each time he told it to try again, and by holding it together it finally came to a conclusion and agreement.
The defendant’s counsel had the jury polled, and as each juror answered to his name he declared the verdict handed in by the foreman, Mr. Cornett Wheat, to be his verdict.
Judge Clint announced that hereafter there would be no more mistrials if he could prevent it, and that he would in future not be so lenient as in the past in discharging juries that found it difficult to arrive at conclusions.
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Local Courts
Dallas Morning News
2 January 1900
Saturday afternoon in the Criminal District Court the motions of W.P. Newton and George Hammil, who had been convicted and given five years each in the penitentiary for the killing of a man named Peel near the Kaufman County line, were heard. The motion of Newton was overruled and that of Hammil sustained, he being granted a new trial.
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Newton Case Reversed
James Peel’s Death Recalled by a Higher Court Decision
Dallas Morning News
22 March 1900
After having been a prisoner in the jail of ths county for about four months, W.P. Newton was released on bond yesterday. This was due to the reversal of his case by the Court of Criminal Appeals. He was charged by indictment with killing James Peel on Jan. 2, 1898, on a farm just north of the Kaufman County line, and upon trial was sentenced to serve five years in the pentitentiary.
George Hammil, indicted with Newton for this offense, was also given five years when tried, and his case is now on appeal.
