Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-26
FATAL QUARREL IN A DARKROOM.
James s. COOmbs shot Dead by Sam
CcI Emery.


freely, and finally blows were given, and a
young man named Samuel Emery. 1r, pushed
one of the party into the fountain which stands
in the middle of the saloon. His friends resented
this, and fell upon Emery with their canes, and
backing him up in a corner, attacked him vigor-
ously, cutting his head pretty badly After re-
treating as far as possible and calling upon
them to desist, he drew revolver and fired
into the party, a bali from the pistol taking
erect upon the person of James s. COMBS, on
through COMBS head, and he fell to the fioo~.
while the party scattered In all directions
cIlCers Daily and Duval, hearing the shot, ran
70 me saloon anu hastily learning the results.
arrested Mr.. Emery and young man named
Henry Parker as connected with the ARRAY, and
TOOK Them TO the central guardhOuSe, a large
crowd tf following. \ stretcher was procured and
Iiie unfortunate victim was also taken To the
station house, when Dir. e. \. Bowen was called
IN, and after examination of the wound. pro-
nCunced II fatal. The young man fingered until
6:l3 p ma little over an hour : when he
expired, never having uttered word after re-
ceiving the shot.
THE VICTIM.
Mr. COOnbS was about IS years Old. and had
for the past three years been in the employ as
driver OF wagon OF Mr. Wash. b. Williams
auctloneef VINO sSa,eS that he was faithful
and excellent employe. He was from New
Jersey, unmarried, and mad no relations in this
city except young brother.
THE MAN WHO FIRED THE FATAL SHOT,
Nj. Emery Is well known in this city as the
son Of Mr.. samuel Emery He has been in the
wood and coal business for several years with
Nj. Sailor. at list and Il streets northwest.
AFTER THE DEATH OF MR.. COoMBs,
coroner Patterson called at the station and find
ing that the witnesses had been released for
appearance this morning decided to hold an in
quest at III O'Clock to-day. It was aScertained
that after the shooting, one of Emery-S friends
got his pistol away from him and Secreted it,
Lieut.. Austin sent Sergeant Heffner and Officer
sutton TO recoyerit and II was found in the lands
OF George ManZ. who received il from q man
named johnson, to whom it was passed by
another OF Emerys friends. The body vas re-
moved 10 the rooms of Mr.. W. r.. Spear under
taker. on + street. when the pOStmOrten examt-
nation was held this morning.
Mt Samuel Emery. ST. and Mr.. Wash. g.
Williams were both at the station house later in
the evening to learn about the TRAGEDY and an
peared much affected at the sad event
The pistol is six barrel army Colts revolver
Oh heavy calibTe, and two barrels were empty,
four having loads in them Several witnesses
10 the shooting were brought in dJirinr the eve
hing and held to TESTIFY.
OTHER ARRESTS.
This morning the officers arrested u. S John
son. II. Foley. and VI. Lane. who. it is alleged,
were present at the time OF the shooting. and
they were taken 10 the 18th precinct station
where there was large crowd in waiting, most
or them being under the impression that the
body OF the victim was set in the station hOu @
II had been removed last evening to Speare's
undertaking establishment. on + street, near
10th. and about II O'CLOCK this morning Dr. J. F.
EartiSan held a. autopsy On the remains
THE INQUEST
NJ ii O'clock Dr.. Patterson, the coroner. SY0re
the jury over the body, and they proceeded 10 the
station house. where the testimony was taken.
Tie jury were as follows: III. Browning Anon
Duyall, Peter Fcgan, Frank Hume, VIM Bryan
ECteit Eeai L. G.. Davis. Peter f. Bacon. II. j.
Gregory, y. H. Shea, ". y. R0dericn.. and Hugh
COyle.
The prisoner, who is quite a good looking
young man, WAS brought Into the room. and
was seated near his counsel, Col. VI. A. Cook
and A. Il. Williams.
THE TESTIMONY.
Emmett Bush, Of SIS 9TH street s.w., was first
sworn, and testified that, with Marion Eubanks
he went In the Marble Saloon to get a cigar
near O'Clock. There were ten or twelve others
at the bar at the time. Witness walked across
towards the heater to warm himself, and no.
tlced two lnen start to fight ana they all crowd
ed around. The one who did the shooting was
not one OF them; next two others got at It, and
one was thrown into the basin, and when he
came out lie said he was nearly drowned: next
saw two others get into third fight and they
fought clear around to the eating bar, and one
OF them drew apistol, and instead of shooting
the man he had under his arm, he shot over his
arm. Callahan and two or three others ran
around from behind the bar. Witness ran to
the door and found it locked, but subsequently
he got out. Witness was told to point out the
prisoner, and lie did so, after examining the
forty or fifty persons in the room. The man
who was shot was not In the fight, but wa
Who Innenced the third fight, but thinks
some one called the prisoner liar, when he
struck hun. He thought that the Shot was in
under lis arm Parker, Foley, Lane. Johnson
ard Parker were brought up, and the witness
picked cut Parker as the man the prisoner wa,
tuSselIIng Wlth.1 Tie deceased was about ten
feet away when he was shot. Don't think that
the parties in the first and second fights were
Ill the third.
Marion Eubank testified that about AZ ori.
be went into the saloon with Bush, and in
about five minutes a fight commenced, three
couples being In 1t. TWO OF them tusselled
for 10 minutes and stopped, and the Other couple
Still scuf1i6d on the floor rolling over each
other The crowd gathered around and b1th
OF these men finally got up and went up TO the
bar; Emery was standing up by the eating bar
when the last couple were parted one or
those who had been in the fight went IN and
SAID 70 Emery, Never mind Emery, I'll give
You SGIne.' some one came up and took him
away. Emery had said, s. / don't want 10 fight
but won't let any one crowd on me-" Another
party came up and was talking TO Emery and
called him CD id liar, and Emery struck
him and then clinched and scuf1ied until both
fell on the floor; they then got up and scuftfed
again to the side OF the pool; saw the man lay
ing In the pool; lie got out and some one said
- Give Ii TO him Nike and they cnched again
and in this scut1,e they fell against a partition
Emery being In the corner; saw an arm raised
and some one hOiered Don't pull il out - and
the shot was fired and the man was shot about
50 feet away; little boy had hold OF him at
the ume; did not see VINO Shot; is positive that
the man VINO Was in the pond was the man
who Scuffed with Emery, and at the time the
shot was fired the crowd was pressing Oh TO-
wards them.
WIN. Norton testifed:-SaY Eddy Cnombs
have hold OF his brother, hurryiiIg out of the
crowd. ard lie threw him ((ieceaseGD on the
floor. but let him up and tooE him the litGle
room; the men ciGGched and Scuf;led towards
the pond. and one threw the other III the pond
SAVING lie would drown him. Two or three ran
at him aid lie ran back towards the room.
Eedfd lIln say. " You - OF a -. I'll ShCJ. YOu'-
tne or the bar Keepers ran around aud caught
Goc OF him. Witness then went towards me
uoCf 2ilG heard the pStGi fired. Went back and
Eudy C0oIGbS said his brother was shot: taat hi.
brains were Going out. Saw a man nur the
PlStoi IN an oyster box and pull oysters over IT,
don't Know him. -
Edward COOmbs Z boy about 1G years old. tes
tIEed mat he was with his UrOt her and br1f her
ln-laW, sim johnson, in the saloon and he Ieff.
ht Ills Dfotherc2l!ed him, saying he had baO-en
his SiSpenders. Witness fiyed them for him
and lie deceased said he wanted to get his bro
ther-in-laW (J0hnSGu) To go home and they
went in the saloon and were lighting Witness
TOOK his brother III the back room to Keen him
out OF the fight; was afraid he would ret In the
fight. He (deceased) had been drinking a little
ard witness said TO him, "Wir yOu 90 home
with nee now?" and he said, ..Ies," when they
started and tie pistol went off, and he fell into
witness arms He had his back to the bar az
the time. His brother said, .'God forgive me-"
ard witness laid him On the floor. His brother
in-laW (Johnson) was not in the fight, but
standing of. just after the pistol was fired
some ore lodged behind the bar. His brother
mace no like lie was going to fight
ID. Sim johnson was the IeXt witness but
nothing lpyaIOcp5