05/30/2026
January 7, 1949- Joe A. Goforth, a 26-year-old Krum farmer, went on a shooting spree in downtown Krum. Jake Chism, a Krum painter who was painting outside the F & M bank, was shot by Goforth. Goforth then ducked into the barbershop owned by Dave Windle. The insane Goforth fired his shotgun through the window of the barbershop and Sheriff W.O. Hodges fell, blinded by the glass. Mr. Goforth escaped from the barbershop and started running down the railroad tracks. The posse of officers and Krum citizens gave chase, and Mr. Goforth was captured.
Sheriff W. O. Hodges had only been on the job seven days when the shooting incident occurred. In a Time Magazine article from January 4, 1954, Sheriff Hodges recalled that the Krum residents warned him- “Don’t go in there, he’s crazy. But Hodges drew his pistol, walked up to the barbershop and called “This is the sheriff of Denton County, Come out.”
Instead of coming out Goforth fired and the sheriff was blinded and called out “I can’t stay here and bleed to death. Someone lead me away and I’ll walk behind and shield him with my big backside.” Sheriff Hodges continued as Sheriff even winning a second term. For years he hoped to get his sight back and traveled the world hunting for specialists. But finally resigned to his fate, he got a seeing eye dog named Candy. In December 1953, , Sheriff Hodges and Candy went out for a walk, not knowing there was a thick fog. A jeep driver delivering papers failed to see them until it was too late. Both Sheriff Hodges and Candy were killed.
