The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-04
DESPERATE AFFRAY.
Stabbed Twice and Kuocked Down with
Rock.

At 10 O'Clock yesterday morning on Frank
lin. near Customhouse street. a bloody tragedy
wRe enacted. In which the participants were two
negroes-Alfred Gossel and George Smith
which resulted In Smith being stabbed twice
and dangerously wounded.
The affair grew out OF an old Heud Of three
years standing. which happened on tho Yazoc
river. while they were steambOatng together
and grew out of Smiths detecting some of Cog
sells petty thefts which resulted In his being
sentenced In Vioksburg to thirty days in the
chain gang. GOssel then vowed eternal VEN
geance and swOre to kill Smith on sight They
did not meet from that time to this morning
when doeseI proceeding to the levee met smith
and one deorge Lewis sitting down on he stops
Of one Of the numerous grog shops on Franklin
street. stree smith proceeded TO talk to Lewis and
d1d not notice motto G9ssel. dosseI with the
old sore still ranking in his bosom, and
9 cling his enemy before him. walked up to
Smith and sail. You are dirty kind Of a 10 m
any way Smith replied, Il don't caro- what
you say, but You can't whip mo-" wherein Don
Gossel drew q knife, and without any word Of
warming stabbed Smith twice. once In the left
spine and then made his escape up Custom
house street. smith. Notwithstanding his
wounds. followed GOssel and overlook him at
tho corner Of Basin street. when Gossel stoop-
cd, picker up stone and struck Smith on the
head. then turned and continued his. flight up
Custom91h94se street; Recovering, from the
blow, Smith followed up his assailant to Bur
Gqndy street. whore he noticed Gossel entering
house near the corner Of Customhouse street
and then fell eE hausted on the sidewalk.
police whistle was blown, which call was
responded to by Patrolman John Teen Of the
Third Precinct who hurrying uD to Smith as.
certained the, above facts. entered the house
where tOssel ts said to have entered and after
searching the house from top TO bottom. failed
to hnd the object of his search but upon going
into the yard be espied Gossel jumping over
the fence into the adjoining wood yard, whore
he was arrested. and upon being brought face
to face with bis victim, was ideAtifed by Smith
as tho woud-be assassin. GOsse was then
taken to the Jackson Square Station. where the
weapon with which tho bloody deed was CON
summ4ted was found upon his person.
Smith was tnen conveyed to the Charity Hos
pital where his wounds were examined by Res
tdent Student Hanson. The wound In the alb
domen Ia a penetrating one. having entered one
Of the cavities In the back, Smiths condition
is precarious, and yet his wound in the ab-
domen. which is the principal one. is Of such
nature that many patients thus wounded re-
cover
Gossel was arraRned before Acting Judge
Sambola and was remanded to the Parish Prison
without the benefit Of bail.
6, Gossel was intervtewsd In the dock of the
Second RecOrders Court by q DEMOCRAT re-
porter and made the following statement:
=, Smith and were ste9mboatinR together about
we mad a row, / met Smith some time after In
Fickaburg. and then called him dirty sort Of
man. Smith pulled his pistol and threatened
to shoot me | never saw him till this morn
ing. when George Lewis and myself were sit
ting on a step on Franklin street, whom Smith
came up and spoke, to Lewis / went to Smith
then said he didn't care. and that | couldn't
whip him. He made motion for a weapon
when pulled my knife and stabbed him twice
Stnltn tnen picked uU rock and followed me
up to Basin street. where stopped. picked uD
r sted.
The wounded man was visited at the Charity
spitel and gave the following story: When
40 the Yaz0o river I caught Gossel stealing: he
was taken to Vicksbnrg. where he was put In
a pistol on him in that city. left horae this
morning, to go on board Of the steamboat
ClarksVille to work | met Lewis and GosseI
me- and called me dirty man" and then
stabbed me-, | made no attenpt to draw wea-
pom, nor did attempt to strike him with rock
I followed him because | wanted to 500 where
he went.