Learn how ‘baseball karma intervened’ after Fort Worth Panthers pitcher was shot, died.
William H. Ward, owner of the Fort Worth Panthers (Cats), was elated to secure 31-year-old Dan Gallegos, an ace pitcher, from an Amarillo ball club in August 1907. A Fort Worth Star Telegram writer observed, “If this pitcher makes good it is the one bet that the bleacherites will change his name to Gallagher.”
Gallegos’ fast curve ball, excellent fielding, and base speed won him many fans at Hayne Park, located at Pine and Pacific (Presidio). The ball field was named in honor of Al Hayne, a fireman killed fighting the Spring Palace conflagration of 1890. In his first season, Gallegos won four games, lost four, and tied one. Manager Don Curtis had high hopes for the 1908 season with Gallegos and Alex Dupree as the club’s pitchers.
Originally from New Mexico, Gallegos decided to stay in Fort Worth and find work in the off season. On Jan. 18, 1908, at the invitation of an Anglo acquaintance, Gallegos and a Mexican friend went to a saloon/restaurant owned by Palmer Maddox at Twelfth and Calhoun streets. According to Maddox, he arrived at 1 a.m. to pick up the day’s revenue. After a waitress that night had trouble serving a party of Mexicans drinking, they were run out. Maddox grabbed a pistol from a drawer to safeguard the money and as he was leaving, Gallegos allegedly attacked him with a knife.
The two struggled outside, Maddox fell and shot at Gallegos five times. A bullet grazed his head, another hit a left rib, and a third entered his lower left hip, tearing upwards into his abdomen. Gallegos was rushed to Medical College Hospital where at first, they thought he suffered minor injuries. The wounded man commented he was glad his pitching arm was spared. Over the next few hours, Gallegos spoke Spanish to his wife and friend as his condition spiraled until he died, Jan. 19, 1908.
Maddox was arrested initially on a charge of attempt to murder and released on $750 bail. After Gallegos’ death, he was rearrested on Jan. 20, 1908, charged with murder and bonded out for $2,000.
Notified of his death, Gallegos’ New Mexican family came to Fort Worth to retrieve his body. His fans raised money to assist with funeral and burial arrangements. Crushed to lose a star pitcher, Curtis said Gallegos behaved as well as any of the other players, and teammates liked him.
The Mexican Consul of San Antonio questioned County Attorney R. E. L. Roy about the status of the murder case. At a hearing, Roy admitted he failed to subpoena any witnesses and as a result Maddox never stood trial for the killing. The Star-Telegram reported several “negroes” who had witnessed the killing left town to unknown whereabouts. Suspicions floated that Maddox’s father Sebe Maddox, a police detective, and his uncle James H. Maddox, police chief, influenced the witnesses’ disappearances.
Baseball karma intervened to seek justice for Gallegos. On Aug. 19, 1912, Maddox’s wife Maud Wells fought Hazel Rinley at a residence at 305 E. 13th St. Maddox handed Wells his pistol, ordering her to club Rinley. In the struggle, the gun discharged, and a bullet slammed into his head over the right eye. Maddox died in Medical College Hospital on Aug. 20, 1912, the same hospital where Gallegos succumbed.
Mexican American Ace Gallegos pitched his final strike out without changing his name.
Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history.