New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-12
The shreveport Tragedy.

l AAi'Ai O4N pm g.
Chamberlain was arrested by Shepherd.
| a recently appointed policeman not con
Tersant with his duties. 1t seems that a
! party OF citizens were enjoying themselves,
| and not making ary more noise than has
| been tolerated on previous OCCASIONS
| w hlle they were talking together Shep-
herd came up and got into conversation
with one Of them, and passed a few pleasant
jokes with him. While Shepherd and this
| one were joking with each other, another of
the party stepped up to Shepherd and com
menced conversation with him. remarking
II suppose as soon as the majority of our
party go home you will try and lock up the
few who remain Shepherd remarked (so
it is said by parties who heard the CONVEX
sation), '.If you do anything to be arrested
for, will arrest yOn lust as quick while all
your party IS here as | would il you were
alone" One word brought on another, and
Shepherd grasped the gentleman by the
arm, and said, Il will take you anyhow"
The other members of the party seeing
one of their number arrested for no APP
parent misdemean0r, demonstrated with
him, telling him at the same time that he
was acting hastily and indiscreetiy. Even
some OF his fellow policemen tried to reason
with him, and to give HIM to understand
that the citizen he was dragging to Jail was
man responsfble for his word of honor to
appear before the Mayor whenever called
upon. But Shepherd remarked, so some of
his fellow policemen say, IL have started to
carry him to jail and I'm going to take him
there !" Finding all remOnstrances in vain,
the members OF the police who cautioned
him turned away from him, and the citizen
whom he had under arrest went along
quietly with him and was locked up in
durance vile. The other members OF the
party, from which this citizen was taken,
at once agreed to go and find the chief of
police and have bond drawn up for their
friends release. They sought the chief and
soon the whole party were at the Jail. Mr.
Richard j. Wright had been told by the
chiet OF police. on the way to the Jail that
his bond was good for the release of Mr..
Chamberlain, and the party whom Shep-
herd had lodged in jail.
Willie Wright, the youngest of the family
and brother of Richard, who had been in
charge of the jail for several years previous
to his death, was down in town on business
when Policeman Shepherd carried Chamber
lain to jail, but upon hearing of his arrest,
and that some of his friends had gone up to
get him out of jail, he hastened back to his
post ofduty. On his way to the Jail he over
took d passed Chamberlain's friends, in
forming them at the same time thatE they
could not obtain Chamberlain's release with
out a bond. He also told them that they
would have TO walk over his dead body to get
Chamberlain out unless they produced one
They remarked that they were going to the
jail to- draw up the bond. They reached
the Jail fence gate Willie Wright entered
and tie friends of Chamberlain remained
outside waiting for Richard Wright 10 come
with Chief of Police Sherr0d, to fix up the
bond. Both Of them came soon after
Richard Wright went in to where his
brother was. Parties who were standing
on the outside heard Willie tell his
g..
lain's release would have to be fixed |
up before he could turn him out. Richard |
remarked ''AlI right" and stepped to the |
door of the Jail, and called to the chief of |
police, ShcrrOd, to come in and accept the |
bond. Sherrods reply was: Here / am" |
Wright repeated the call, and SherrOd re- |
turned the jame9 answer. Wright kept ask |
ing him to come in and draw up the bond, |
but Sherrod stood outside, about fifteen |
feet from the fence gate, and would not go |
ia. About one minute elapsed after Wright |
first called Sherrod, and shot was fired. |
The shot, it is alleged, was fired by SherrOd, |
and be and his assistant then began to fire
at the party rapidly. Richard Wright |
turned and called to his brother vii ia,
saying: ''ie has killed me-" Willie Wright
stepped out on tie sidewalk and |
brother !" These words had no sooner
escaped his lips than he received two
shots, one full in the breast about two
inches below the bottem Of the windpiDe
and another in the right side, which pierced |
his heart. Willie Wright died without
speaking, while his brother Richard lived
some twenty minutes, or probably longer
AS he lay upon the pavement he was APP
by one Of his friends vino went to
the Jail with him to go On Chamberlain's
bond, if necessary. He called to him. say
ing, Dick, is that you!" He replied 'Yes,
and l am dying" At this juncture Shep-
nerd cried out to this friend of Wright's, as
ne was bonding over him to see if he was
nortally or badly wounded, Throw up
your hands and get away from there, or I'll
Kill YOU" Wright's friend had to get away
md leave him there, because he had nothing
~ which to defend himself
About five or ten minutes after that both |
bodies were picked up, and taken to the in
irmary, which is situated about 200 Yards
rom the spot whereon this bloedy tragedy
vas enacted. Here fell two loving and be
owed brothers; one the very personifcaton
# chivalry and generosity, the other pos
essed Of l. lose noble attributes and with
hem so sWeetly blended meek-eyed peace
nd true gentility that all the world could
ave looked upon him with pride, We have
nown Willie Wright to put o stop to quar-
els between friends on many occasions |
lhen their angry passions were about to
isplace seasOn-aHd he brought these rec
about by soothingo peaceful
vOgdso
A Short sime after the removal of the
odies from the scene of the killing to the
lfirmarys the female members of the family {
anne there 30 gaze upon the liteless forms
the foved and lost. Their agony, was
to all those who we're within
lat chamber of death, and Trung tears
ON manly hearts,
A few hours after the killing of the Wright t
rOther9 a report was rapidly circulated
lat Shepherd, the policeman who aided t
lti abetted the chief in the killing of them, !
I'D met his death at the hands of some un- c
nOwn person or persons. A careful search d
= other members Of the police force proved
70 report to be true. His body was found t
the alley west Of TeXas street, badly b
m with shoto u
After the shooting the chief of police Il
I'd, and nothing was seen or heard of him s
It'll yesterday morning At an early hour b
sent q messenger to Sheriff Walsh in r
rming him that if he would guarantee a
N protection he would surrender. The Ii
eritf promised him protect ton. and the
9ssenger came back a second time TO di- o
CT tue sheriff to the spot where SherrOd | D
IS concealed. AS soon as the sheriff came te
sight of him he threw down his arms and al
rendered himself The sheriff brought h
II into the city during the evening and .,
iged him in Jail. A large crowd of spec 81
tors, both white and colored, gathered re
ound the Jail to gaze upon the prisoner. .
e sheriff, fearing some violence might be u
ne the prisoner, summoned large guard y
d placed them around the jail, and will az
ep them on duty until the excitement 10
osidess III
About two o'clock Sunday morning the
dies of the dead brothers were removed m