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AUSTIN DAILY STATESMAN, January 6, 1885

Saturday night last, the jury of inquest impanelled to investigate killing of the colored woman, Mollie Smith, on the night of the 30th of December, brought in their verdict. The verdict shows that neither court nor jury has any more knowledge of the true circumstances of the crime than outsiders. It is as follows: "We, the jury of inquest over the remains of Mollie Smith, find that she came to her death between ten o'clock p. m. on the night of December 30, and three a. m. of the 31st, in Austin, Texas, from injuries on her head inflicted with an ax, and we believe that said injuries were inflicted by one Lem, alias William Brooks.

(Signed)

W. W. PACE,

ISAAC SUARES,

ROBT. HATCH,

R. S. CAPERTON,

THOS. WAMSLEY,

R. M. SOJOURNER.

It will be seen that the verdict expresses the belief of the jury that Brooks committed the crime.

Though debarred the right of publishing the testimony envoked from witnesses before this most secret and august tribunal, the readers of The Statesman are assured that all the important points have already been presented to the public through the medium of its columns. The verdict is a mere expression of opinion -- nothing more. It sheds no new light on the murder -- reveals nothing that tends in the slightest degree toward clearing up the mystery. It is needless to repeat the details of this bloody business. But those readers who have kept track of it will be very slow to accept the verdict as conclusive against Brooks. He may be the guilty murderer, but if any reliance is to be placed in the statement made by numerous parties who were with him the night of the ball, it ought not to be a difficult matter for him to show up an alibi. But as his preliminary trial will shortly take place, all further comment is withheld until then.

Commentary: The paper was right, of course, to be critical (and even sarcastic -- "most secret and august tribunal" indeed!) towards the inquest. As we will see, they were hopelessly wrong, and the fun in Austin was only just beginning.

By the 1/8/1885 Statesman, the articles were thinning about Mollie Smith's murder, with only this little notice appearing:

Walter Spencer, the man who was severely wounded in the late mysterious tragedy, continues to improve.

On the 17th, they reported:

The negro man, Walter Spencer, who was so severely hurt at the time of the murder of the colored woman on Pecan street, is recovering from his injuries. But he is still unable to say who was the midnight assassin.

The paper began to turn its attention to another current crime problem, the prevalence of thieves and con men bilking folks out of their money, usually in dishonestly run gambling dens. The 1/11 paper has this awesome little remark you'd never see in a newspaper today: "The city is full of thieves: if caught in the act, a shot-gun is a fine remedial agent." That's the paper itself, not a letter to the editor!

Poor Lem Brooks just couldn't catch a break. On 1/25, the paper has this:

The horrible homicide that occured on Pecan street on the night of the 30th of December last, is still a mystery. The negro, Brooks, now in jail, charged with the murder, will have an examining trial to-morrow.