Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-17
THE aRANNIN HoMICIDB .
Con,i.ua ii on Of the Examina,ion.


! of Ghas. w. Thompson, who is charged with
shooting Lieut.. J. N. Brannin. was continued
| this morning in the Aldermen's Chamber, City
| Hall, before Justice Giberson. The accused
was present, accompanied as on yesterday, by
his counsel and his brother. The interest in
the examination is kept up, and this morning
again large number OF the friends Of both
| parties Were present.
Lieut.. I'm. T. Hill, ed ID. c. Regiment) was
the first witness called and sworn, and testified
as follows: On the night of this occurrence
(the killing of Lieut.. Brannin) was in bed,
ST my boarding house. 37l Pennsylvania ave-
Tue, and Ii band of music OF, think the i4th
New Hampshire Volunteers, walked me and
my bec-feliow up, and he suggested that we
get up and hear the music, and through MS
persuasion got M. The band went from the
| Clarendon TO the National Hotel. Tn return
| ing, after the music had ceased, L saw an AZ
fray on tie south side OF the venue. Inc
| ARRAY was above the corner OF sixth street, q
! little above The front of the Central Hotel, to-
wards seventh street saw coat pulled on,
| and one man run toward another ana STRIKE
| a. him. neither he struck him or not don't
| know and m ysrlf ard my companion went to-
{ wards the ARRAY. ! worked around the out
/ side OF the crowd, (there might have been
! twenty persons,) and got IN TO where they
! We're and saw two off GERS who had Lieut.. Bran
! hin These Off eers, understood, Were homp-
| son and Williams. When got III to them they
/ IL.
| toward The house. Both of them either had him
| by the arm or by the coat sleeve. They had
/ their clubs in their hands, and making use of
| violent language and threatening Lieut. Brin-
| min, and showing him back; and some one in the
/ crowd called ont either 8 Who are YOU" or
| "What are your" He announced himself as
| Lieut.. BTannin. of the detective police or. de-
| tectiye force. When he done SO, there
man stood close by him, who had on a light
coat and gold cord, and this man announced
himself as Brannin's friend. | then stepped
up to him, (Brannin,) to his front little, and
said to him, I" Ii You are Lieut.. Brannin, will
stay with you and see this matter settled or
words to that effect. He was then caught hold
of again by the officers and released again
either released or he got away from them. Of
ficer Williams, / think, (at least it was the
taller man of the twc,) then ran behind him
(B.) and throwed his (Wiiliams) arms around
him, and pinIoned Brannin's arms down. He
(B )eitheT released himself or Williams released
him. Again Brannin struggled and got loose.
He then made the remark thatif he WAS again
interfered with in the discharge of his duties he
would shoot. They all then grad worked
| down toward the curhstone or gutter. When
we got down where there is q snowboard tor
one of the the aters, there was a couple of gem
tlemen got between me and Lieut.. Brannin. l
had been in his front from the house down.
Officer Williams was either knocked over or
pushed over. but did notsee by whom. Lieut..
| Erannn then passed by my front down to the
| gutter. Officer Thompson passed to my rear.
| When Officer Thompson got to the gutter l
| heard him CT. make the remark, II you are
| going to Shoot IF you want shooting, /
can shoot, too or words to that effect. Tie
| sound of his voice had hardly died away be-
| fore exclaimed, "Gentlemen, don't shoot,"
| I he sound OF my voice had scarcely died away
| before saw the flash and heard the report #
the pistol. 1 saw Lieut.. Brannin turn and tall
on his face in the gutter. Was going TO help
him out, or take him out of the gutter, when 1
heard voice say, And I'll shoot you, too,"; I
! that time. turned 10 what that was, and
| ! saw Capt. Johnson coming towards where
was, where Lieut. Brannin lay, saying, g You
\ D. etN.,tT
! shot Lient Brannin = or language to that ef-
| feet ! then went Immediately to Capt John
| son. They {the policy had got him (Johnson)
b, that time off the pavement This was by
| the time / eached HIM. Johnson was now on
Sixth street, then on the avenue. I went to the
| rear of Capt johnson and took him by the col
lar and said to him, Lets settle this thing, or
| "Let's have 1t settled" or words to that effect
! Mr.. Ford here stated that this was going
| entirely beyond the time of killing, and he did
| not think this necessary. All that occurred
| after the killing seems entirely irrelevant
| Lfeut. Hill then SAID that he desired to make
statement which he had forgotten. While the
| officer had hold of Lieut. Braunin and before he
| announced who he was, he expostulated with
the officers, and asked why they arrested him
! And when they released him OBJ the first time
| he pointed with his finger toward man, and
said, 'That is the man wanted you to arrest"
| or "Tbat Is the man you should arrest" This
man had on q light coat and n high silk hat.
| MIR. Bradley then read over to Lieut.. Hill his
| testimony, to have it verified. Lent. Hill
| that he did not know either officer Williams or
Thompson, except that they announced them
semseiyes as such
Cross ex amned by Mr Ford.-I was from S
| to 10 or Is behind the officers arriving at the
! ARRAY. The first l witnessed on my arrival
| was crowd. worked around on the outside
| and found the two officers had hold of Lieut..
| Brannn. cannot tell why the officers ar
| rested Lieut. Bfannin. / did not see Lieut..
| Brannin in the least interfere with the officers
in the discharge of their duties in the arrest of
\ I NJ fha
| police cfflceTs 10 which allude attempt to
| rest any of the parties who were fighting.
Lieut Brannin pointed directly to man and
/ told the officers, "That is the man You should
| have arrested" To the best OF my kno wledge
| the language used was "that is the man I
wanted you to arrest" The officers arrested and
let Brannin 60 twice during the difficulty They
were scufiing and reaching toward each other
for long while, but the officers only had hold
of Brannin and held on to him twice. He OBJ
was arrested twice and released to the best Of
my knowledge.
Question Was Lieut. Brannin noisy or vi
| client
Answer:-That win depend upon mans
| opinion as TO noise. Lieut.. Brannin said .sif
| you arrest me again in the discharge of my du-
| ~, Will shoot,'' or4ssI will shoot yoH.'' do
not know what official duty b. was discharg-
| ing. Our duties We're so entirely distinct that
! we never came together. Lieut.. Branniil did
| not say, my hearing what official duty he
was discharginR. did not hear him say 1
| did not see him discharge any duty which
/ would seem to ee icial. He was in 4 situa.
tion where he could not dis charge any duty.
Mr.. Ford.-l did not ask you that question.
Answer the ques ask you.
| Lieut.. Hill thought did answer it. If l
did notI beg your pardon. If you will ask 1t
over l Will answer. = 500
Mr.. Fora.-Now Lieut. Hill, do you pretend
! 10 say you witnessed this whole atIray, from
| Its common cement TO its close |!
| nsWer.-I hardly know no W to ans wer your
! question. not only pretend, bat do say that
witnessed all testified to. There may have
| been something called to my recollection in
your cross-examination. I have stated all /
witnessed, but something else may have oc-
| Cured. % .s.-, ~ 4.
Questionable you not see Officer Thomp-
son nave me man with the gold band around
\ tn. hat under arrest
| Answer II did not, sir. The man with the
! gold band walked up 10 Lieut.. Brannin and
| said Il am your friend7' E i.E@,.rU
| Cluestion:-Did you see Il hat With Grape
rived there rSS - -
| Answer:-I saw no hat of any kind lying
! here. did not see officer Thompson arrest
| any one at the suggestion tot Lieut. Bra,uin
| IL X as the only person saw THOMPSON have
Irhold OF L did not see a pistol drawn until
| The shooting, and that did not see drawn I
l. only saw il when it was in position to be
! iucd.s did not see C:tut. Johnson have n MIS-