Museum Matters

The headline in the Dublin Progress read “A Fatal Tragedy. Constable Adams Shot to Death on the Streets of Dublin. Two Deadly Charges from a Breech loading Shotgun Does the Work. He was killed instantly.”

It happened at the corner of Blackjack and Patrick streets around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, 1897. Constable John A. Adams of this precinct was shot and killed by T. A. Wright sometimes known as Little Tom Wright. He used a number 12 double barrel shotgun loaded with BB shot.

On the day of the shooting, Wright had been standing in front of Sander’s barber shop located in the same building as the Dublin Drug Company. He was about 40 feet from the corner with the shotgun in his hands. Adams came walking north on Patrick Street, and started directly across Blackjack, when Collier’s transfer wagon from the afternoon train pulled up and stopped at the corner, so little Jessie Maloney could get out. Collier asked Adams if he would open the door for the boy. He opened the door and while he was in the process of moving toward the corner, Wright left the curb with his rifle and ran out about 20 steps up to his victim.

J. B. Tubberville was standing nearby and called to Adams “Lookout John.” Adams turned toward Wright and moved his hand to protect himself when the shot rang out.

The bullet went in the right temple and out the left. Adams fell face down in the mud. He died instantly. The shot splattered them with blood on the side of the transfer door that he was standing by. “Wright then presented the muzzle of the gun within a few feet of Adams and emptied the other charge into his right cheek. The shot almost tore off Adam’s lower jaw on the left side.

Wright then moved to the foot of the stairway leading to the second floor above Dublin Drug Company where he presumably reloaded the gun. He emerged from the covered stairway with the remark, “B. G. maybe somebody else wants some of it.” It is said that Wright was suspicious that someone else would take it up and attack him. Men moved Adams’ body from the street to the corner of the Andruss building in front of Hamblett’s confectionery store, leaving the ground covered with the blood where Adams fell.

It was in front of the confectionery store that Wright was standing with the gun on his shoulder when Dublin Progress reporter and soon after Marshal Phillips arrived. Wright was moved to a place where he was secured under heavy guard. He stayed there until County Sheriff Freeman arrived and took him to the jail in Stephenville. Adam’s body was taken by Justice Lowe and placed in the care of Higginbotham Bros’ embalmer Barney Trammel.

Adams was a zellous officer of the law. Wright was radical in his views too. Wright had served prison time in Rusk for an arson case that he was involved in. Governor Hogg released Wright after he had served two and one half years of a six year sentence.

After being released, Wright came back to Dublin. Adams watched him closely, leading to the animosity between the two men. It went on for several years. When they would meet up they would argue but neither seemed dangerous.

A few days before the killing, a friend of Adams was told by Wright that some men had been hired to kill him. A few nights after, when Adams was going home, 3 men got the drop on him. Adams pulled his pistol and the men ran.

Two days before the killing, Wright stepped on the platform to buy a train ticket to Stephenville. Adams saw him there and started to pull his gun when R.H. McCain stepped between the two men and stopped the argument. Each went their own way for a while. The evening before the killing, Adams met Wright at Bratton Ten Pin Alley opposite the Dublin Progress office. Adams told Wright that he had heard that Wright wanted to kill him. The argument was broken up by other men who were there.

Later, Wright sent Charlie Oats to tell Adams he wanted to compromise. Adams responded “This town is too small for the both of us and I expect to stay. “You should fix yourself for the next time we meet and we shall settle this.”

So Wright sent Green Harrison with the same message. They both got the same answer. Wright said the he was afraid of Adams. The next time they would meet was the moment of the shooting.

Wright was taken by Sheriff Freeman to the County jail to be charged with Adams’ Murder. Frank Leslie was later arrested and also charged as an accessory in the murder. Leslie had gotten the gun for Wright. (Dublin Progress Dec. 24, 1897) The courts convicted Wright and Leslie for the murder. On May 23rd the jury sentenced Wright to death by hanging. It would be a year and a half before the hanging would take place. The tall white grave marker for Constable Adams still stands in the old Dublin Cemetery near the windmill house.