From the May 23, 1884 Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“Galveston, Tex.–A dispatch from Vernon, Tex., says: ‘A cowboy rode into a ranch near here yesterday and without any warning shot three times into the beds occupied by his comrades, killing one instantly, while another died within a few hours after. He claims the shooting was accidental. The coroner is now making an investigation. He will probably be lynched.'”