The daily gazette., 1878-11-05
A Five Days Run for Life
wounded. Desperate, But nj
/ Last Caught and Gagged.
The Crime that Maddened Neighbor-
hOod-Chasing the Wretch Through
Woods and Fields, and Track
inn Him I,y JIia pIo.J

inches tall, spare build, thin and rather
feminine face, lies in the county iail here
with flve pistol shot wounds in his BODY.
Last Saturday afternoon week ago he
met little German girl driving her cows
home from pasture. The child was sing
ing as the negro accosted her. lie had
begged food of her mother that morning.
and, though the place was lonely and il
growing dark, she recognized him pleas
antly and would have passed on. Sud
denly tins negro was joined by another,
and half an hour later the hapless child
dragged herself slowly along the road
toward home. The cows had reached
the paddock before her, and the good
housewise, alarmed, had started toward
the pasture in search of her daughter. A
doctor was summoned; but he gave little
hope of saving the child's life. The
father and elder brother reached home
from work little later; the neighbors
had angrily gathered, and before night
fall twenty-five armed men were securing
the country for miles about. The father
and brother at their head. A lieutenant
OF police, with twelve officers, joined in
the search, and a Gordon was formed that
swept slowly toward successive centres,
covering almost every foot of ground
meanwhile.
1t seemed possible that the negroes
should escape, but daylight the next
morning found the pursuers, their num-
Der swelled to fifty or more, st n defraud-
ed of their prey. 1t was rumored to-
ward morning that the two men had
taken refuge In dark cave in one cor
ner Of the beautiful Cave Hill Cemetery,
and an armed watch was kept at its
mouth until the sun, penetrating its re-
cesses, showed that it was empty. At
about half past In the afternoon two of
the policemen caught sight of the ne
groes resting under trees near the Lying
In Hospital. The officers cooked their
guns and crept toward the spot. But
the negroes were on the alert. Wash
ington sprang TO his feet and dashed off
though the underground. A pistol shot
increased his speed. The officers, as
they ran, emptied their revolvers after
him, but the man seemed to bear charm
ed life. He reached the bottom of The
hill unharmed, and their met the
brother of the outraged girl, with three
friends. The negro hesitated a moment
then turned and ran almost into the
arms OF another party. Every gun in
the three parties was emptled toward
him, but he still managed to escape,
though not, as before, without wounds.
He was tracked by his blood to the river,
but there the trail was lost. Several
times during the day be was seen, but
when confronted by only one or two
men, he stopped and hurled large stones
at them with prodigious strength and
accuracy of aim. Once, when pres e |
bv crowd, he pulled of his coat and
shoes, aud after that LIE out tripped his
purSuers with ease. Tie coat was found
rdcl d with bu lets aid sat- ted with
blood.
So with Tuesday. The crowd still
kept close on his track, caught sight OF
him at intervals, fired at him without
avail, and then lost sight of him again.
Desperately wounded, lie had 10 Difficult
ty in outrunning the fleetesl of the hun
ters. One negro, who bore some resem-
blance 10 the man, escaped instant lynch
! ing only by tine intervention Of a white
neighbor who knew him. That night,
with singular Doldne-s, Washing ton
made his way into the city, doubtless
with the hope of escaping across the river
by the terry 10 Jeilersonville. The
police heard that he was in hiding in an
old arehouse by the levee, and made a
descent upon il. But the vigi ant wretch
saw them coming, ran into house nual
by, followed by pIs'ol shots, and again
escaped. That night he succeeded il
crossing into Indiana.
The excitement in Loui sville haC
spread to the neighboring cities, and lht
authorizes of Jefiersonville were on Tho
watch for the fugitive. On Thursday
morning he was seen on the outskirts o
the town and chased until lost sight of il
the woods. Toward noon he appeared a
the house of farmer some five mile
from the river. lie was lame, bloody, ant
, covered with dust. He asked for some
thing to eat, and the farmers two daugh
ters prepared meal for him. But tn
scoundrel's instincts seemed in no wis
subdued by the death that for five day
stared him in the face, and only TN
/. screams of the two girls frightened hin
away from second brutal attempt. Th
a officers were close upon him, and he ha
a hardly lett the house before they reached
IL. WO llOulS dlttl W diu thO NoihS 'pN
him, but he was already running towar
the river as they opened fire upon him
A quarter of a mile further shot struc
him in the shoulder, but he only threw u
his hands, plunged forward a momen
and then seemed to run the faster. Tw
miles thus the chase continued, and tn
fugitive might have again escaped ha
not another negro working in fiel
along his course heard the officers shout
l. and put himself in Washington's way
The halt was fatal. The officers close
in upon him, and after desperate resis
> ance, threw him on the ground and han'
y cuffed him. He only said : 81 know whs
YOU want. You may send me to u
penitentiary for ten years. That's all L
get, and then I'll see you again." Ther
were five gunshot wounds on his body
one over the left eye, one on the back
: his head, one in the left hip, one in III
r. left leg, and the one in the shoulder.
Brought to Louisville, the news OF h
capture spread through the city with III
lexampled rapidlty. Within an hour ma
n thousand persons were IN front OF III
Iiail. BY O'Clock it was clear that thel e
was danger ahead, and the Chief oi r. +,
lice ,elegraphed to all the stations, II II
structing the entire force to hold then