Brann The Iconoclast, vol 12 | Page 6

met Tom Davis in front of my office in the Pacific Hotel
building, and we discussed the proposed meeting at the city hall. He
and I walked out on the sidewalk just in front of my office. I stood at
the south side of the door facing north and Mr. Davis stood directly in
front of me on the sidewalk by the wall. We were about two feet apart.
While talking, W. C. Brann came down the sidewalk from the direction
of Austin Street. He advanced within two feet of Mr. Davis and myself
and stopped; looked me squarely in the face and then at Mr. Davis. I
did not speak to Brann and don't think Davis saw him until after he
passed on. Brann passed on in the direction of the postoffice. Almost
immediately after Brann left, Davis left me and walked up Fourth
Street towards his office, and I saw him cross the street to his office. I
then advanced to the edge of the sidewalk and stood there alone about
four or five minutes, when I heard a shot in the direction of Davis'
office. I looked that way and three shots seemed to be fired almost
simultaneously. Davis fell to the sidewalk and writhed as if in terrible
agony. Brann seemed to be nearest to Davis, a very large man being
close in Brann's rear. This man, I learned afterwards, was W. H. Ward.
While Davis was rolling on the sidewalk both of these men were very
rapidly firing upon Davis. They seemed to poke their pistols almost
against Davis' body as they fired. After the first four or five shots the
smoke became too dense to see all that occurred. The first sight seemed
to chill my blood and I became too horrified to move."
H. C. Chase, 509 North Ninth Street:
"I was standing at the alley near Geo. Laneri's saloon and heard
somebody say, 'Look out!' I glanced across the street and saw Tom
Davis on the sidewalk. He had a gun in his hand and fired at once.
Brann and Ward were a few feet distant. Brann had turned slightly, but
his back was still towards Davis when the latter fired. Ward jumped
back and grabbed at Davis' gun as the latter fired the second time.
Brann fired as soon as he turned around and at his second shot Davis
fell backwards. Ward, it seemed to me, had gotten to one side of Davis
and was reaching for Davis' gun. As the latter fell back, Ward backed
up to the building. He did not have a gun and did not shoot."
M. C. Insley, shipping clerk for Brann:

"I was standing in the doorway of Sam French's cigar store as Brann
and Ward reached it. They had just passed the doorway, going toward
Austin Street, when Davis appeared with a gun in his hand. He fired at
once. I could not see Brann at this time. Davis fired the first shot and
immediately I heard another shot, I suppose from Brann, and almost
simultaneously a second shot from Davis. As the latter fired the first
shot Ward jumped and grabbed the muzzle of Davis' gun. He let go as
the shot was fired. He did not have a gun. I backed away from the door.
The shooting was thick and fast. Davis fell back at the door of French's
as Brann fired the last shot and his gun dropped from his grasp. John
Williams, who appeared quickly, grabbed it, and screening himself
with the door-facing of the cigar store, tried twice to shoot it and then
somebody grabbed him."
W. W. Dugger, employed in the feed store of J. P. Nichols, on North
Second Street, said:
"I was talking with Policeman Sam Hall at the alley next to the Cotton
Belt ticket office when the first shot was fired. We were close to the
scene. I glanced instantly in that direction and saw Tom Davis with a
smoking pistol in his hand. At the same time I saw Brann turn around
and face Davis, from whom he appeared to be distant about fifteen feet,
I should judge. He fired and fired again almost at the same time. In the
meantime, the man with Brann, whom I learned afterward was Ward,
had rushed up and caught Davis and it seemed as if he struggled with
him a moment. When Brann fired a second shot, Davis fell. Ward had
turned him loose at this time. Davis rolled over and over on the
sidewalk and fired, I think, two shots while he was down. While he was
rolling over, Brann kept shooting at him as fast as he could work the
trigger. Mr. Ward did not fire a shot. I saw the whole affair and know