The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-18
THE KNIFE AGAIN.


INFLIcTrNG A WOUND WHICH PRODUCES DEATr
| ~ TWENTY MISUTEs-FIcHTING FOR THf
POSSESSION op AN OLD SAIL-KEG--ARREsT
&C., &C.
Last evening about 6 O'Clock AIpbonzc
Peterson icolored), employed at TaIbott's
machine-sh0ps, stabbed fellow-workman
named Pleasant Mason talso coIored) With q
lsTge pocketkniie, INJECTING q wound VI bich
produced death In about twenty minutes.
The two men were employed in the fonn-
dry and worked AT cleaning and moving
castings. In the afternoon about 3 O'Clock
Peterson picked up an empty najlkeg which
was lyssg in the foundry, Intending 10 use
Ii to pub small castings 70, 80 that he could
more easily carry them. 10 seemed that Ma
son wanted the keg for some purpose, and
tried 10 taks il from Peterson. Both tried
TO keep possession OF IL, aud finally slight
blows were passed betweep them, but they
soon stopped lighting and went TO work
again before e,sber was burt.
Later in the afternoon, when they had
Just finished their DAVIS work.. Mason SEEM
ed TO be still dissatisfied with what bad pre-
viOusly occurred between him and Peter
son, and went over from where be was
standing in the fooDdry to where Peterson
was, aud demanded that Peterson retract
an epitbet which Mason claimed be (Peter-
sony bad expressed about him previously.
Several workmen who were near by at the
time state that Peterson asked Mason to go
away from him, but did not know whether
be used the epihet referred to.
Mason, evidently wishing 10 compel Pc
tersoD TO make retraetion, continued 10
advance upon him. Peterson pushed him
back, whereupon blows were passed. III
nally Peterson drew the knife ont OF bis
pocket, and before any one knew 1t he had
plunged the blade into Mason's left thigh.
Mason ran backwards a few feet and fell
TO The floor. 1t was not known that he was
stabbed until a few moments after he fell.
He bled rapidly, and in very short while
the floor was covered with blood. II APP
pears that the blade penetrated about three
inches, and cut the femorai artery, which
is the large artery OF the thigh, causing him
to bleed TO death.
The knife did not belong to Peterson,
but was borrowed from another cOlored
workman named Thomas Manns. Peter
son told MaDns that he wanted the knife to
use in fixing his shoes, and had some
old pieces of leather in his hands for that
purpose when he did the stabbisg.
News OF the stabbing soon reached the
First police-station, and Policeman Lamkin
was sent out to arrest Peterson. who did not
attempt TO escape, but was standing in the
crowd which had gathered suddenly. He
was pointed out to the officer, and went
with him very quietly to the statIon-house
and was locked up.
The city ambulance was sent for, but the
man died before it arrived, and the body
tya fn tho uph haH IL
taken to the Morgue about half-past 7.
Coroner Taylor will make post-mortem
examination this morning, and the inquest
will be held this afternoon at O'Clock.
Peterson stated to a Dispatch reporter
last night that he was very sorry the affair
occurred, and it was not his intention 10
Kill Mason. but he was compelled to do
something 10 make him let him alone. He
says Mason ierked the keg from him, and
he was hut by the small pieces OF iron fall
ing out Of the keg upon his hands, and this
was what made him mad.
Peterson Is about twenty-tbree years OF
age, and lives on Main street near Adams
street, and has been working at Talbott's
nearly year. He was born in Fluyanna,
but has lived in Goochland nearly all OF his
life. He is not mean-looking negro. To
the contrary, he has fine appearance, and
has heretofore borne a very excellent name.
Mason lived on First street between Du-
val and Baker streets, and went 10 work at
Talbott's last summer. He was widower,
and was about thrty-three years OF age.
Heretofore he has managed TO get along very
well with his fellow-workmen.
Quite a number OF witnesses have been
summoned to testify in the case.
The knife was taken from Peterson at the
station-house, and had been sbarpened
about an hour before the sabbng occurred.
The blade is about three quarters OF an inch
wide.
The stabbug affair at Rockets last Thurs
day, which resulted in he death OF Charles
Watson, a cOlored stevedore employed at
the Old Dominion wharveS, also occurred
about O'Clock in the afternoon. The af-
fair Yesterday, like that Of Thursday, begun
at 8 O'Clock, aud Peterson, like James, killed
his opponent with borrowed knife. Quite
a coincidence, that.