Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-29
A BLACK SHOOTER.
Young Negro Thief shoots n Well
KNOWN Grocer with Probably
Fatal Effect.
The Criminal Captured After Long
Chase by Captain Hackett and
Onicer Jackson.

Last night in the neighborhood Of 8
O'Clock an event occurred which will in all
likelihood furnish frst-clsss tragedy. Mr..
Frank B. Russell, who keeps the large gro
Gerry on the corner of fernando and Vance,
was the possible victim. Night before
last, burglars broke into the grocery and
stole some lard, hams, cigars, etc. Mr.. Rvs
sell was conse quently on the alert to get
some clue to the thief. Last night about
o'clock negro by the name OF Robert
Wilson was seen by Mr.. Russell directly in
front of the grocery making way with
q bucket of lard, which he had obtained IN
the rear of the store. The negro, when he
saw that Mr.. Russell had discovered him,
started away in full run. The grocer hur-
riedly seized his pistol and started after him.
The thief had only run short distance
when Russell fired, striking him in the calf
of the leg and iuficting flesh wound. The
negro stumbled and fell; but before he could
rise and run Russell reached him and took
him prisoner.
The negro seemed to be pretty painfully
wounded; and it is probable that be tried TO
enhance his condition SO as TO throw his cap
turer of his guard. At any rate Mr.. Russell
took him into the drug store of w. Il. Sal
ford, 1S9 fernando street. to have his wound
dressed. Arrived here, Russell indiscreetly
laid his pistol on the counter to attend to the
negro's wounds. The latter, however, had
been shamming. His wound was not at all
what he had made il out to be. Hardly
had the weapon been placed upon the counter
ere he seized it. Russell seeing his movements
grappled with him, and scufae ensued, in
the course of which the grocer was shot
twice. The first shot took effect in his abdo-
men and the second in the left breast. The
negro disengaged himself from Mr.. Russell,
who fell to the floor exhausted. The MUIR
derer took TO his heels aud rapidly ran away
in the darkness of the night. No one pur-
sued him at the time, as the dangerous con-
dition of the wounded man monoPolIzed the
attention of the druggist. DIR. F. L. Sim was
quickly sent for, and word was telephoned
to the police station of the occurrence. Capt.
Hackett and Chief Davis were soon on the
scene. The chief telegrsphed to Charlie
Salimarsh for a horse, which was sent him,
and he and the captain started off on the
trail of the negro. When last heard from
the latter was out on Rayburn avenue, and
the chief was in hot pursuit. Owing to the
fact that he was wounded, his escape Is very
improbable.
The wounds received by Mr. Russell were
thought by DIR. Sim to be fatal. The wound
ed man as carried to his residence where
everything was done to relieve him. His
wife and children were very much unnerved
by the terrible event. MIR. Russell is about
forty-fve years old, and highly regarded by
those who knew him.
LATEST DETAILS.
About o'clock this morning Capt. Hack
EFT and Officer Jackson brought in q negro
lad of nineteen, named Robert Wilson, to-
gether with a negro named VIM. Hunt. An
APPEAL reporter met Capt. Hackett at the
stationhouse, and from him obtained an ac-
count of the capture.
when / went down there" said the cap
tain, 81 sent Chsstaine and Plummer out
Immediately to overhaul the houses in the
neighborhood. 1 thought that if Wilson
was dangerously wounded he would be hid
ing in the neighborhood. Finding out that
be had fled, we went to Fort Pickering,
searched there and on Rsyburn avenue, but
could find no trace. met friend who told
me that Wilson's woman was at church. L
went after her, and she took me to the house
on Pontotoc, between Main and Front, where
Wilson lives. We went in and found him in
bed. Under the bed were two pistols, which
we brought with u.s."
One Of the pistols is self-cocking Colt,
from which one bullet was out. This is the
pistol that belonged to Russell. The other
pistol, which is much smaller, is Colt new
thirty-two calIber; four out OF its five bar
rels were empty. The pistols shed different
light on the story, and show that Wilson was
himself armed and that be shot Russell with
his own pistol, and probably picked up the
pistol from the counter from motives of self
protection.
An examination of the darkey at the sta
tionhouse showed thai he had been wounded
as the officers expected. Finding himself
cornered, he confessed that he was stealing
some lard and that man shot him in the
rear. This, of course, fixes the crime on
him. VIM. Hunt, who was brought in with
him by the officers, is opal" of his. They
are both regular thieves, and there Is no
question but that they are the parties who
robbed Russell the night before. At last
accounts the wounded man was dying.