Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-03
BLOOD.
A Radical Negro Barber and Gam
bier Kills a OOlOred
Brother.
The Mary Burton Rioters Determined
to Wade IN BlOOd-The Head
quarters Of the Infa-
nous Gang,

Ou luf bOutEcdbt COIueI Vi OhJOSO I
and Second streets u twos story brick ]
building can be seen bearing the sign, l
" Church's Billiard HALL" The build. ]
ing is used for a bar, billiard hall, gam. {
bling hell, barber shop, etc., and is kept l
by Bob Church, one of the swift wit
nesses OF the Congressional Committee
on the Memphis Riots of 1866, before
which committee he swors that he had
been beaten, shot at, and had his saloon
robbed of $40 in big bills, and
$50 in small change, and testified
that his entire loss was between seven
aud eight hundred dollars. He also
testified that Dan Roach, a policeman,
shot at him, and that the men who COM
mitted the robbery were ell policemen,
etc.
This mulatto keeps a lively trap at the
location above mentioned. Many a poor
negro has been run through aud robbed
therein, as it is frequented by Q crowd OF
negro %loafers, gamblers, cappers,"
"steevers," the very sharpest and most
expert gamblers and fancy negro hulks
10 the city, all of whom are Radicals Of
the deepest die. Church's establishment
has been raided upon a few times,
but so watchful are the boys Of
the police that while the gambling
devices and cards were found on
the tables the players had left the ranch.
A number of ugly scrapes which took
place in this house called for police in
PREVENTION, but somewaY or other the
boys always managed to escape legal
punishment.
During the trial Of the Mary Burton
rioters Church and his gamblers, bar
bers, etc., have been in attendance
around the Recorder Courtroom in the
interest Of the rioters, several Of whom
belonged to the same class of fancy
negro gambling bucks.
} The barber shop in Church's building
| is presided over by QUE Sam Bizzell, a
fancy gambler and turbulent negro Of
3 the upper.ten region, who some years
|, since came from Ripley, Ohio. Yester-
day he and Columbus Stewart, a negro
paper.hanger from Columbus, Ohio, en-
gagged in q controversy about the Mary
Burton case. Stewart said that he
would give a months wages to have the
negro rioters punished, and this offended
Sam Bizzell, who, with his mob, backed
e the rioters in their infamous conduct
, Stewart had a claim for money agains
d Bizzell for the support Of the wife Of thu
latter, Bizzell having separated from her
All this was brought up in the contro
versy and a fight resulted. Bizzel
q struck Stewart first, and then severa
blows were i~nterchanged. Bizzell drew
a pistol and struck Stewart with it owe
the head. Bizzsll then deliberately lev
, eled the pistol at Stewart and fred
. the ball taking effect in his left arm nea
the shoulder. Stewart ran across thl
, street and cried out, Don't shoot mel
But the murderous Bizzell fred again
The ball entered the left temple o
- the unfortunate man and he fell an
died almost instantly. Bizzell at one
ran out the back way through q hous
q and broke for the bayou in rear of tn
:, den. he was followed by patrolma
, Sweeney through the bayou, back-slleyt
n old houses, etc, to Beal street and on t
70 Lauderdale, where he was captured b
the determined officer who followed i
pursuit, and for which be deserves muc
credit. During the chase Mr.. jaime
In Gallagher met officer Sweeney, and tel
ing him into his rockawsy he drov
p, rapidly up and down alleys until tn
murderer was headed off aud captured
On being arrested the murderer, Bizzel
II. was conveyed to the station-house. d
made a statement attempting to exol
Ia crate himself, and claimed that be acte
ng in self-defense.
re While the CoroneF's inquest was pr,
crossing hundreds Of negroes assemble
around the dead body Of Stewart, az
the Mary Burton case was the all absorI
Ak ing topic of conversation. Our report,
he heard several rufianly negroes say tha
the girl ought to be driven out Of town
80 killed, as a man had been killed abol
OF her. Other negroes, friends Of Stewar
la defended the girl and denounced Il
81, gambling gang that was prosecuting be
as Esquire Elliott held an inquest upc
ed the body of the murdered negro, and aft
OF examining a number Of witnesses Il
jury returned 0 verdict THAT the d
ceased came to his death by a pistG
shot at the hands Of Sam Bizzell."
of Columbus Stewart was a hard-workin
honest negro, md leaves a wife al
'p family to mourn his loss. He vas Il
tor brother.indaw of Esquire ], G, Thorn
ion son, who is the Radical candidate for Il
tor Office of magistrate in the Fourteen.
civil district,
Sam Bizzell is q bSrber, gambler, an
ace ward politician Of note, a bully, al
SD. fancy Radical generally. Some yea
ing since be wat a candidate for the office
City oouapilmqu, but was defeated att
.ect election in his ward.
md -~-
AK E~xcuTRiOu IN Iuhn Springs.