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MATLOCK DEATH CALLED ACCIDENT
Found Dead On Highway; Rites Today
(published photo caption: Bertis Matlock, "Found Dead Saturday")
"It was an accident," said H.W. Whitten, justice of the peace, Monday morning after investigating the bullet-wound death Saturday afternoon of Bertis Matlock, 49, former commissioner and sheriff of Nacogdoches County.
Mr. Matlock was found in his car Saturday afternoon about 2:20 o'clock on State 7 west about four and one-half miles from Nacogdoches near Moral Creek. The car was headed toward Nacogdoches and was in the proper driving lane. The ignition switch was turned off and the car was in low gear, Mr. Whitten said.
Leo Acosta of Harmony found Mr. Matlock and told officers that he believed the injured man was still breathing at the time. Mr. Acosta went to the Montes home near where Mr. Matlock's car was stopped to call officers and he said when he got back Mr. Matlock was dead.
"Mr. Matlock was under the wheel with his head leaning against the back of the seat," said C.A. Byars, deputy sheriff, who was one of the first officers on the scene.
"There was a .25 automatic pistol on the seat to the right of Mr. Matlock and an empty shell on the left."
The death wound was just at the bottom of the shirt pocket, said Smith Parmer, constable. The bullet went between the first and second ribs and entered the bottom portion of the heart, Mr. Whitten explained. The bullet was removed Sunday and was found to correspond to other bullets shot by the gun found with Mr. Matlock's body, the justice of the peace said.
"The gun was jammed," Mr. Parmer said. "That showed that maybe he had shot it and it had jammed, so he was fooling with it and it went off and then jammed again. Position of the bullet was right for Bertis to have been working with the gun to unjam it."
Mr. Whitten said that everyone he and other officers talked with who had seen Mr. Matlock in the several hours before his death said that he was in a good humor and a good frame of mind. He had worked all day Friday and Saturday morning at his job as salesman for Gound Chevrolet.
Mrs. Matlock told officers that her husband ate lunch at their home on Meadowbrook Drive and seemed in the best of moods.
Max Greer, who owns a shop at 118 East Pilar, said that Mr. Matlock was at his store between 1 and 1:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Matlock explained that her husband had a gun at home, but was trying to find a small pistol "to carry with him." She said he had had one gun from Mr. Greer's shop trying it out but didn't like it and went back to get another one.
Officers believe that Mr. Matlock picked up the gun found with him in the car, then went out State 7 to Howard Collins' store. Mr. Collins told officers that Mr. Matlock bought 4.9 gallons of gas from him between 2 and 2:15 o'clock and charged the purchase. He said they talked about a car trade they had made and about payments still due from Mr. Collins.
"Mr. Collins was probably the last person to talk to Mr. Matlock and he said that Bertis was in a perfectly normal state of mind," Mr. Parmer said.
Mr. Whitten said, "Nobody we have talked to indicated that there was anything out of order - not financial or any other way. Everyone said that Mr. Matlock was all right and didn't seem to be bothered over anything,"
First officer at the scene with Mr. Byars was George Hillin, deputy sheriff. Arriving shortly afterward were Billy Johnson, sheriff, and Mr. Parmer. Mr. Whitten was out of town, so officers called Bob Murphey, district attorney. After Mr. Murphey visited the scene, he suggested that the body and the car be moved. Mr. Whitten later conducted the inquest at the funeral home, and talked with Mrs. Matlock, officers, and others.
Mr. Johnson made paraffin prints of Mr. Matlock's hands and took the prints to Fort Worth Monday to have them tested for the indications of gun powder.
Mr. Matlock formerly operated a store in Harmony and lived in that community. He served as commissioner of precinct one in Nacogdoches County for two terms, being in office from 1949 to 1953. He was sheriff in 1955 and 1956, serving one term. He was a candidate for sheriff this year and was in the runoff where he was defeated by John R. Lightfoot.
Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock in the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church with interment in Sunset Memorial Park.
Officiating were the Rev. Andrew G. Allen, pastor of the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church, and the Rev. George Nelson, pastor of the Union Springs Baptist Church.
Born July 23, 1911, in Nacogdoches County, Mr. Matlock was the son of Robert Matlock and Lizzie Vardeman Matlock. He was married Jan. 6, 1931, to Aslee Johnson who survives him.
A lifetime resident of Nacogdoches County, Mr. Matlock was a member of the Woodmen of the World, the Knights of Pythias Lodge, and the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Bertis Matlock of Nacogdoches; his mother, Mrs. Robert Matlock of Nacogdoches; one son, Bertis Lee Matlock of Nacogdoches; five sisters, Mrs. Hollis Baucom of Cushing and Mrs. Homer Tindall, Mrs. J.C. Collins, Mrs. W.T. Barker, and Mrs. Lester Collins, all of Nacogdoches; one brother, Brutus Matlock of Houston; and one grandchild, Vickie Lynn Matlock of Nacogdoches.
Pallbearers were Odis Hill, O.D. Tucker, Richard Vardeman, Oran Driver, Clarence Gound, Jr., A.J. (Son) Muckleroy, John Edmons, A.R. Brewer, and Tom White.
Cason, Monk and Company Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Source: The Daily Sentinel, Nacogdoches, Texas, Nov. 28, 1960
NOTE:
Bertis Malcolm Matlock, s/o Robert Henry Matlock and Mary Elizabeth Vardeman; md. Aslee Johnson, d/o Robert Franklin Johnson and (2) Mrs. Tennie A. (Partin) West.
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