 Grayson
County TXGenWeb
Death of Berley
C. Smith
"Burley Smith" was Berley C. Smith, he was buried in an unmarked
grave in West Hill Cemetery
Born 19 Aug 1898 Texas, died 30 Jan 1926.
His father was C.L. Smith.
31 Jan 1926 Dallas News page
7 Bus Driver is Shot to Death
Rent Car Man Charged at Sherman Following
Tragedy
Special to the News, Sherman, Texas
Jan 20-
Burley Smith,
25, taxicab and bus driver, was shot and killed at Arthur
Hanson's rent car establishment, 118 West Lamar Street, on the south
side of the square, at 9 o'clock Saturday morning. Arthur Hanson, 37, charged
with murder in connection with Smith's death was released on an agreed
$10,000 bond late Saturday afternoon at a preliminary hearing in Justice
Court. The defendant waived his privilege of making a statement and pleaded
not guilty to the charge when arraigned before Justice of the Peace W.
M. Blaylock.
The bullet believed to have caused
Smith's death entered the center of the neck immediately under the chin
and broke his neck, examination disclosed. An autopsy was ordered by Justice
Blaylock holding the inquest Saturday morning. The abdomen was removed
for examination of contents.
Smith's body was found lying on the
right side partially under the running board of a small sedan in a pool
of blood. No firearms were found on the body.
At a preliminary hearing held late
Saturday afternoon to set bond, Cheney Wells,
companion of Smith on his fatal visit to Hanson's rent car station, related
the events which occurred prior to the shooting and up until a few seconds
before the actual firing of the shots when he left the building to secure
assistance in getting Smith from the building.
According to Well's testimony, Smith
and he had been drinking, Smith entered the Hanson place in search of his
overcoat and was ordered out at the point of a gun by Hanson, Well's told
the court. Smith was standing several feet from Hanson with his hands raised
above his head when Hanson turned to Wells, leveled the gun on him and
ordered him out of the place, Well's testified. Wells left at that time
and crossed the street when he heard five shots fired in rapid succession,
he said.
Smith is survived by his father, said
to be in Los Angeles; a brother, Dick Smith of Texarkana, and an uncle
at Dallas.
Hanson resides with his mother at 319
West Middleton Street.
Dallas Morning News 14 Nov 1926 , page11-
Arthur Hanson Jury Discharged
Special to the News, Sherman, Texas
Nov 13-
The Jury in the case of Arthur Hanson
of Sherman charged with the murder in connection with the death of Burley
Smith, Sherman Taxi driver, here Jan 30, 1926, was discharged in the Fifteenth
District Court late Saturday when it reported there was no hope of reaching
a verdict in the case.
Dallas Morning News 2 Mar 1927 page
12
Jury Selected for Arthur
Hanson Trial;
Sherman, Tex., Mar 1 - Special to the
News.
The jury for the trial of Arthur
Hanson on a charge of murder was empaneled in the Fiftheenth District
Court shortly before noon Tuesday. Taking the testimony began at 1:30 o'clock
Tuesday afternoon.
Hanson is being tried a second time
in connection with the death of Burley Smith,
a Sherman taxi driver, in Hanson's rent service station on the south side
of the square Jan. 30, 1926. The jury in the first trial of the case was
discharge when it could not reach a verdict.
Juriors selected are L.C. Burkett of
Tom Bean, T. J. Price of Sherman, G.W. Hawkins of Van Alstyne, W.S. Rudasill
of Sherman, W.P. Thompson of Ambrose, N.A. Ritchie of Van Alstyne, A.L.
Tipps of Whitesboro, J.O. Hunt of Tioga, D. A. Yowell of Sherman, T. J.
Cox of Sherman, J. S. Pedigo of Sherman and R. A. Smith of Howe.
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