National Republican., 1876-08-18
pRoBABLE MURDER.
-rious stabbing ARRAY in Broad Dashga

.rtous etabbing ARRAY In Broad Daylight
serious cutting affray, growing ou5 OF
common street fight, occurred about $50
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, on Thirteenth
street, near Franklin square, between two col
ored men named Peter Mosely and Thomas
Harris. Mosely was fatally stabbed in the side
just below the heart. The men were strangers
to each Other. The fight occurred from trivial
cause, and it was thought at first by people
who witnessed it of so little consequence that
no steps were taken to separate the COM
batants.
The circumstances are as follows: Thomas
Harris and Aaron Ross, two black fellows,
each about twenty years of age, were work
ing for white man, named Robert SibleY,
hawking chickens through the streets. Sib-
lev stopped his wagon, containing the chickens,
in front of the Franklin school building, and
went into the building to make bargain with
the japitor. The two colored hawkers, Harris
and Ross, were standing on the pavement by
the park fence, near h street, when Peter
Mosley came down Thirteenth street with
two friends, William Gassoway and Hilleary
Blay, both colored. Mosely stopped and
spoke to Harris about buying some chickens.
Harris seemed TO think that Mosely was
making fun of him, and retorted sharply.
THE FIGHT
In this wav a quarrel arose, and Harris drew
q huge pocket knife and attacked Mosely with
it. The latter defended himself as well as he
could with an umbrella, which he piled Justify
over Harris head until the article was broken.
Harris inflicted two cuts on Mosely's person,
one-a slight one-in the abdomen, and the
other the deep stab under the heart. Gasso-
way stepped between the two men, and
ragged cut along the skirt of his coat showed
how narrowly he escaped from being as badly
laa
up bravely after receiving the knife, and con-
tinued to defend himself. Harris got whip
from a by-stander, and began to cut him over
the head and shoulders with it. A crowd be-
gan to gather about the spot, and Harris was
forced away from Mosely. The strength of the
latter began then to fail him, land he fell bleed
ing to the pavement. Itwas seen then that he
was seriously hurt, and his assailant, Harris,
realizing the situation before the others did,
darted down the street and
ESCAPED
into an alley on l street, between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth.
In a second the crowd that had gathered
about the spot -egained their presence OF mind,
and troop of them started after the refugee,
led by Gassoway and Blay, the friends of
Moselv. The police were soon on his track.
Mosely was carried into Franklin square and
laid on the grass, bleeding his life away.
Medical attendance was secured in the per-
son of Drs. T. C.. Smith and c. W, Sonnen-
schmidt, who were convinced Immediately that
there was no chance of recovery. Moseiy
WAS TO HAVE BEEN MARRIED
last night to a young widow named Mary
Howard, and had been yesterday morning to
get a certificate, which was found in his pocket
after the affray.
News OF tIe occurrence was quickly carried
20 Mary, and she soon appeared on the spot.
Mosely, who was occasionally conscious, rec
ognized her, said that he was dying, and asked
to be taken to her house. A conveyance was
obtained and the wounded man was carried to
her house in Green's alley, between Thirteenth
and L streets. The house has been his resi-
dence for some time, as he has been boarding
with the widow.
PURSUIT AND CAPTURE.
After Harris left the ground so suddenly he
struck into the mouth of the alley on l street,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth. This is
one of those intricate alleys, with many turn
ings and windings, and his pursuers were
baffed. He was traced finally out through
side alley to Fourteenth street. A crowd
chased him and were in sight of him for some
time, but he eluded them again. He made his
way by several streets to the house of his
fellow-hawker, Ross, at the corner of Seven
teentb street and the Boundary. Officer Brooke
Amiss and citizen named Michael Shea were
in close pursuit in buggy. They caught sight
of him when he was a mile ahead of them,
trotting slowly over a hill. From this point
they traced him to the house where he was
found concealed, and taken TO the Sixth pre-
cinct station.
PETER MOSELY
was a young colored man employed at Olcott's
stables, opposite Franklin square, and has
always borne an excellent reputation as quiet
L. IIA, all 10 Sally
much after he was wounded, but he made
short statement that he had wanted to buy
some chickens IRON Harris, and the latter be-
came very insulting. and when he resented it
drew the knife and made the attack. Gasso-
way and Blay corroborate the statement, say
ing that Mosely approached Harris peaceably,
and that the latter began the fight. Gassoway
says that after Mosely was cut Sibley, the
chicken dealer, put whip into Harris hands
to continue the attack.
HARRIS
is about twenty years of age and very black,
and bears a hard reputation. When drought
TO the station he appeared to be not very deeply
concerned. His story is, of course, different
from that of MOsely's. According to Harris,
Mosely began the attack on Ross, and then
came to him, applied insulting name TO
him, and then struck at him, after which the
fight began in earnest. MoSely was an entire
handed to him, he said, not by Sibley, but by
a strange man standing near. His account of
his pursuit was quite amusing. After leaving
the alley with yelling crowd after him he
sat down on a step, and the crowd
RAN BY HIM
without noticing him. Again he went on and
sat down at Holmead's cemetery, where he
was again passed by party that was hunting
for him. He went to the house, he said, to
tell Ross mother what had happened.
The officers of the Sixth precinct on duty at
the time deserve credit for the quick arrest of
the man. Officers were hunting in every di
rection, and the chances for Harris making
good his escape were very small.
Aaron Ross, the young colored man with
Harris, was arrested by Officer August Voss,
and detained at the Sixth precinct station.
Notwithstanding the fears that Mosely would
die, he appeared to be in a much easier condi-
tion last night, and hopes that he would live
tegan TO brighten.