Franklin Pierce Bryant (-1902)

BRYANT

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 2/27/2008 at 10:53:38

IOWA STATE REPORTER, Friday, October 31, 1902.

Ames Man Killed.

Ames, Oct. 28.-The family of Frank Bryant, who lives in Anes, has received word by wire that he was shot dead in Texas where he had been working. No particulars are known.

WATERLOO DAILY COURIER, Waterloo, Iowa, Monday, November 3, 1902.

Iowa Man Killed in Texas

Ames, Nov. 3-The funeral of Franklin Pierce Bryant, who was murdered at Sanderson, Texas, October 25, was held here yesterday from the Methodist church. The services at the grave were conducted by the I.O.O.F. lodge, he being a member of that order at Slater, Iowa. Deceased leaves a wife and four children. Particulars of the tragedy which ended his life have just been received here. Mr. Bryant was foreman of a gang of men working for some railroad in Texas. On last Saturday evening he had a few words with a man in regard to the possession of a house in which there were living. The house belonged to the railroad and was supposed to be occupied by the foreman of that gang, but as Mr. Bryant's family was still in Ames the other fellow was still occupying it. This week Bryant's family was to move and he told the other man to vacate, which he refused to do, saying there was no house in town he could get. Bryant then consented to share the house with him. The other man then left and soon returned intoxicated and fired five shots at Bryant, each taking effect. He then gave himself up to the officers and is now under arrest awaiting trial.

In a letter to the friends here a friend of the family says:

"The man who did the shooting is named Clark. I have been told that Clark was an ill-tempered man and very abusive at times. It is not known whether any words had been passed between them Saturday night or not, but Clark went up town, boozed up, and returned about 11:15 p.m. and shot Frank four times with a Colt revolver of 54-calibre, all four bullets passing through his body.

"The last, and seemingly most likely theory I heard was that Clark came to the door between their rooms and fired twice before Frank raised his body from the bed. Both shots entered the right side and went through the body. The other two shots entered the left, on of which passed through or near the heart.

"I did not hear a man express an opinion other than that it was a cold-blooded murder, and cowardly at that. This is substantially the testimony of Mr. Beck, and I wish to state further that Frank and myself were boys and young men together, and I have always cherished for him a regard above what I have ever felt for any other man, and I will simply add that his family have been ruthlessly robbed of a noble husband and father, ad society of a manly man, whose habits were correct, and who behavior was without fault."