Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-01-08
homicide in the Second Ward-Arres, of
the Perpetrator.

Last night a homicide took place IT the south
west corner of 14th street and Pennsylvania
avenue. in which a coIored man named Gabriel
Thornton, living on e. street, near 13E, was
KILLED Thornton, II appears, was on his way
from small church in Murder Bay, with
MARIA Henderson and Spencer Smith, cOlOred,
and at the point above named he ran his uln-
brella against man who was passing in an
opposite direction. The man asked why he ran
against HIM. " hen the deceased replied that il
was accidental. and the man struck him.
Thornton struck back. when the man drew Il
knife and plung ed n into ThOrntOn's heart, and
Immediately ran off. The parties with Thorn
ton Immediately called loudly for the police,
and Officer Il. Leach responded, and gave
chase 10 the assassin whom he lost sight of near
the White Lot. Mr. Leach procured assistance,
and finding the " oundsd man Vet alive, took
him TO Kidwell's drug store, where he died in
about five minutes. The police Immediately
tst to work to obtain a clue to the peTpetratOr
of this murder. and Sergeant Walker and Of
hcsrs Leach and Nilsson obtained information
which led to the belief that he was IN n urder
Bay. and that he was a mulatto man named
james Beckett. This morning the officers went
10 the house of Jane King. a cOiorpd woman in
Murder Bay, " here they found Beckett in bed.
They at once placed him under arrest and took
HIM to the fifth precinct station. They also
found his coat "a gray sack,) with blood ON the
sleeves, and also cut on ii as If made with a
KNIFE.
AT the northwest corner of 1ith aud streets
The knife-a heavy bowie. with a blade of about
> inches in length and 4 inches broad-was
found, ON which some stains of blood yet re-
nam Beckett Is about 81 years of age, and is
looked on pretty hard character by the pO-
lice 1t Is stated that there l. n warrant In the
hands Of the Georgetown officers. at present,
for his arrest on another charge. He takes the
matter quite COOlly, and this morning when
asked wbat he was in for, remarked ''only for
killing man."
Justice Harper this morning addressed a note
10 the Coroner, asking whether he Could attend
and hold an inquest To which the Coroner re-
no IN fora fq
by holding an inquest on the deceased, the Cor
oEer being sick. Justice Harper proceeded To
hold the inquest the following composing the
jury: Jacob Scbeefly. ThOS. StackpOle. II. w.
BarnaelO. n. II. VOss, J. l.. McDUell, George
Harvey, r. p. BunfOrd. John n. Walker, Silas
n. Moore, Columbus Hill, Henry C. Jones, and
Adam Young. Mr.. Noss was chosen foreman.
After the jury had been sworn over the body,
which had been laid out in one of the rear
rooms of the gu:lrdhonse, the accused was
brought down and was seated in the Office OF
the fifth precinct. He is 4 man Of about ) fe ct
9 inches high. brown complexioned. short hair,
and was dressed in blue blouse and pants, and
calico shirt but he was made to put on the grey
coat before described.
Robert J. BOYD swOTn-AbOut 10S o'clock
was standing at the corner of the avenue, when
sailOr stopped there. Saw deceased and a
woman going mp Fourteenth street. The de-
ceased ran his umbrella against the accused.
whom he Identified and the latter struck at
him. saying - " hat the HI did YOU do that
for p and with a knife he struck the deceased
AND ran witness grabbed At him. but missed
ana run after him about three blocks
The decreased said 10 HIM, =. Excuse me- or
something of the kind. Witness thinks the
knife II the same by the shape. The accused
ran down 18th street 10 L 70 t5ih. The coun-
tsnance OF the accused was the same as that of
the man who did the cutting. Witness belongs
10 company A. i4th ". =. infantry. 1t was
sPrInkling NJ the time. but not raining much
The accused ran down 18th street 10 ID, and
then across the White Lot.
Robert Duffy. W. II. Neale. Thomas White,
Maria Henderson, Pleasant White. and police
men e. T. Leach and J. T.. Nelson. were also
sworn. Their testimony was mainly corrobo-
rative of the statements made by the preceding
Witnesses