The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
SHOOTING SHARPLES.
HE ASSAULTS A YOUNG LADY AND
GENTLEMAN ON THE HIGHWAY AND
PAYS ron THE ACr,wITH HIS LIFE.
Full Particulars Of the Tragedy as
Gathered by the Reporter.

Full Particulars Of the Tragedy as
Gathered by the Reporter.
During the past six weeks the bad men Of this
community have been getting beautifully less.
and singular. to say. there is hardly one Of them
who has gone to his long home but had
record. But now that death has placed them
under tho sod their doIngs in life shall bs
buried with them, except In 80 far as II is neces-
sary to prove the right belonging to the
| living, to whom II became necessary to kill such
man for the preservation OF his own life.
| The last on the list is the shooting and kill
| ing of ex. Policeman John Sharples and ut the
| time of his death painter, which took place
| Mt II 30 o'clock Friday night. at the corner Of
| Sixth and Coliseum streets.
When Sharples' body WIS found face down
ward on the banqustte. under the third tree on
| Sixth street from tho corner Of Coliseum by
| Corporal wilkinson, the first conclusion
| reached was that another mysterious murder
| had been committed
Corporal Wilkinson. on summoning assist
ance turned the body on the back. and from
the wounds on the face II was evident that the
| deceased had had terrible encounter with his
| slayer before death. The nose was split: @
| large confused wound over tho left eye was
| visible, while another was discovered on the
| left side. inst behind tho ear. ntyshavng
| been produced by some blunt instrument.
Upon examining the body II was found that a
bullet had penetrated the deceased body Just
| below the chest. and entering had penetrated
| the liver.
| prompted the
MURDERER TO DO THE WORK,
but as the pockets Of his clothes were all right
and his valuables in them 1t was evident that
| Then came the conclusion Of the police, after
| taking In the SURROUNDINGS. that Sharples
must have been L. liquor and tackled some
| man. who. taking bin for highwaymHn. shot
| him. believing that his own life was In danger.
This conclusion was backed by the fact that q
| the body. which he had evidently used In bis
1 own defense.
The neighbors we're then reused by the police
| for the puI pose Of seeing IL they might not be
able to throw some light on the subject
Mrs. Bell, residing with Mrs. Finn. No. 2a6
Sixth street stated that she heard the report Of
q pistol and on opening the. door saw u tall
man walking In the middle Of the street. in tho
direction Of Prytania. Failing to recognize
him. abe stepped on the banquet and there
| discovered the body OF Sharples, whom she did
| not know; she could only see the side of his
face. as he was lying on his face. and the ban
| Mr.. MeGuirk, residing at No. 238 Sixth street
| stated that he was reused by rap on the door.
nubIa on her head. and dressed as II she had
| been to some place Of amusement, standing
there. He asked her what was the matter. and
she replied man has been following us. As
she WAS alone Mr.. McGuirk asked her: Who
do you mean by us?" Before she could give
reply a tall young man, dressed In dark clothes
and carrying cane. came UP. She greeted
| him with the question,
DID you SHOOT HrM?"
He replied to her By saying, Take my arm !;
| come quickP She obeyed. and they walked
J rapidly out Sixth street. and turned down PrE
| tahia.
throw on the subject. By this time the coroner
| had put In an appearance and ordered the body
| to be removed To the Sixth Precinct Station. 1t
| was subsequently ascertained that at hall past
10 o'clock that night sharples was seen q, under I
the influence OF liquor at Second Street Market.
| He left the market In company with Two frlenns
and proceeded out Bgronne street. While
| walking out this street they discovered young
man and lady sitting on the steps Of one OF the
houses and Sharples' companions started to
Interfere with them. but were taken on by him.
AT IL o'clock he was seen, at the Ninth street
Market by Officer Schumacher. and at 1i:10 he
proceeded out Harmony street. going in the
direction Of his home.
Al an early hour yesterday morning the city
physician, In presence of the coroner and g
Jury OF inquest held an autopsy on sharples.
fred from Tranter revolver.
Yesterday well known Renteman In THIS
city called on Chief Boylan end informed him
that the young gentleman who Killed SnarpleS
J did 1t in self-defense and would surrender dur
ing the day. He gave the name OF the young
gentleman to the chief. and by the name he was
known 10 be the son OF highly respectable
citizen. The chief has deemed it proper not TO
make the name OF the young man known Until
he surrenders. -
| The name OF the young lady. who also is well
connected, Is suppressed. as it ID rather deI-
cate thing to bring young ady eign NJ years
. nat-ly placed her In the position OF witnessing
the killing of mao.
II appears from the statements toI the chlef.
that the young mau was returning from Lhe
J theatre with the young lady. en- route Tor her
3 home when Sharples, who was known TO De a
] desperate character, willing to do anything 70
> carry his point, and who was also known 70
! have been implicate in some nall dozen cur,
, gave him such cause as to lead him TO believe
! that he intended either bodily harm to him or
the young lady, whom the young gentleman
was bound to protect, even TO the death. Inc
young nan Selling his revolver. sent the young
lady ahead and then met the
MIDNIGHT MARAUDER
on equal ground The gentleman, evidently
not wishing 10 kill him, knocked him down
q several times with his pistol but when Sharp
n les went for him with the glaciers knf'
: which the gentleman evidently TOOK for dan
gerous weapon he leveled his pistol at him and
fired The young lady showed considerable
Z self-possession By going and arousing tn
. might be the victim In the fight which she knew
: WIS at that time waging.
! Subsequent Information to the chief was T.
/ the effect that the young man. not wishing &
b remain In Jail until Monday, would not SUI
3, render until that day.
9 ] he chief states that he has the very bes
! authority for saying that the young man wi
be before the courts on Monday.
e Those who know Sharples say that this
', not the first time that he has assaulted gentl.
If men and ladies on the highway.
ia I'd aSu DnaR a.uu