City Marshal James W. Brooks

James W. Brooks

At approximately 12:00 noon, City Marshal James W. Brooks arrested Z. T. Trice for failure to pay a court fine, issued six weeks earlier. Trice was in his buggy with his wife, and on his way to Fort Worth to have his foot treated. After making the arrest Brooks had Trice sit down in a chair. Brooks was then apologizing to Trice's wife when Trice came up behind Brooks and cut him across the abdomen, and stabbed him in the heart. Brooks fell to the sidewalk and was pronounced dead by a doctor within two minutes.

Trice was arrested, and charged with the murder. On October 26, 1906, a Grayson County jury acquitted Trice.

Brooks was survived by his wife, Nannie. He had seven children, of which four survived him. No cemetery records were located for him.