Typed as spelled and written – Lena Stone Criswell
THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Sixtieth Year – Number 101 – Page 1
Marlin, Texas, Tuesday Morning, February 28, 1950
------------------
MOTHER OF FIVE AND A SISTER OF OTTO WOMAN
IS SLAIN IN HOUSTON
----------------
Funeral services were held in Groesbeck Monday afternoon for Mrs. Nettie Patterson, age 41, who was slain in a Houston grocery store Saturday afternoon. She died after receiving two bullets in her right side and one in her back. Burial was in the Big Hill cemetery.
Survivors include two sons, W. S. Patterson and Jerry Patterson, both of Houston; three daughters, Nancy, Peggy Sue and Bobby Lou, all of Houston; three sisters, Mrs. Roby Sharp of Houston, Mrs. Walter Wolfe of Otto and Mrs. E. A. Shehorn of Groesbeck; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wade N. Simmons of Groesbeck, and two grandchildren.
Her former husband, Jimmie Bryant Patterson, 43, of Mart, was arrested at the scene and charged before Justice W. C. Ragan with murder and carrying a pistol. He is in the city jail, held without bail.
At the risk of their own lives, three persons tried to thwart the fatal shooting of this mother of five. Two of them hurled objects at the man with the gun and other knocked the gun out of his hand, they said.
The grocery store was thrown into a near panic as six shots cracked out at 5:20 p.m., sounded above the screams of Mrs. Patterson. One of the shots smashed a 3-inch hole through the window of the Travis Street entrance.
According to witnesses, she was working behind the soda counter when a man went behind the counter, pointing a .32 calibre revolver at her. She vaulted the counter and was shot as she scrambled behind the other side in a frantic effort to escape the pistol fire, the witnesses said.
Police Sgt. Charles William Boehm, Sr., doing special duty work at the store, said in a written statement that about 5:30 p.m. he heard shots that “sounded like firecrackers.”
“There were six shots—fired in rapid succession,” he said.
He said he was back in the store at the time and ran through the panic-stricken customers toward the soda water counter.
“I saw a man standing behind the cold drink stand trying to reload a gun. I pulled my pistol and commanded him to give me his gun. For a moment he hesitated and I told him that if he didn’t hand it over I’d shoot him.
“He then threw it toward me and it fell on the floor. At this time two of the employees jumped over the counter and grabbed him.
Sergeant Boehm said the man’s pistol was empty, but that he had four loaded shells in his pocket.
A large crowd jammed Travis Street in front of the store. Employes guarded the doors to prevent the morbid from entering, dozens of policemen converged on the building.
Mr. Patterson refused to make a written statement but told reporters about his marriage with Mrs. Patterson.
They were separated last June and divorced in November after 25 years of marriage, he said, adding that he hadn’t seen her since the separation.
He’d been working as a night watchman at Reed Roller Bit but after the divorce he became sick and was at Heights Hospital for 23 days, then went to live with a sister, Mrs. Robinson in Mart, he said.
“Three days ago I left Mart, went to Waco where I bought a pistol, spent a night at Marlin and came to Houston early Saturday morning.”
Tears came to his eyes when he spoke of his five children and he nodded his head when asked if he loved his wife.
--------------------------------
Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing by the Marlin Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co, Tx.