The Evening critic., 1884-03-05
uNPRovoKED MURDER.
Frank Lapgstop shoots Into Crowd
with Fatal Enect-The Details OF
Lnsf Nights Murder.

with Fatal Enect-The Details OF
Last Nights Murder.
Tho vicinity Of tho Freedmen's Hospital
was convulsed carly last evening by the ro-
ports Of an unusually sensational and I'M
provoked murder, by which one innocent
and unoficnding man lost his life and an
other sustained injuries from which 1t is
hardly possible that he can recover.
a Concise Statement OF the Circum-
stances.
as officially reported on the police reports,
Is as follows:
"About z 80 o'clock p. m. an alteration
took place between white man namod VIM.
wilkcns, on the Seventh street road, near
Pomeroy street. crowd soon collected, among
them James Spencer, Frank LapgstOn anu
Dennis Williams, ali colorod.
Laugston Drew n Revolver ana Com
meneed Firing.
''Spencor was shot In the right slide anu VII.
Hams In the back and neck.
"The wounded men were taken to tho Freed
mons Hospital, whero Spencer Immediately
died. williams wounds were dressed by Drs
shadd and Gray, and his injuries were pro
nounced serious. He was atterwnrd taken 70
his homo In Daton's alley, between Four.and
a.half and Sixth and Wilson and POmeroy
Streets"
A CRITIC reporter who Investigated the
matter ascertained that
The Scene ofth Tragedy
was in front of little row of brown.framt
houses ON the east side of the Seventh
| street Road, opposite the car-stablcs..
In one OF these shanties domestic quar-
| rel occurred, which attracted tho attention
| of passersby, among whom was u coloret
man named Thomas Wilkens, who stopped
| In front of the door through curiosity, OF
with desire to prevent further disturb
anco in tho house.
| VIM. Anderson, white man, came ont o.
| tho building to disperso tho little crowd
that had gathered and an alteration spraul
up between himself and Wilkons, which
soon came to blows and rough and-tumblt
fight. The fight between tho white ant
| colored man attracted a number of spoc
tators of both colors, and
The COIor.Line was Drawn
in their sympathies as they chcored tn
participants in the struggle.
James Spencer, q Colored man, who wa
in tho crowd, was disposed to stop TIL
Y fight, and made an effort to do so, whe,
Frank Langston, son of the presen
Minister to Chilli, who was also in tn
crowd, ordered him to stand back and 10
the men fight, and declared his intention t
see fair play and prevent interference.
| lhe EchCe MuhcE'S FuIe.
Spencer, it appears, persisted in his al
tempts to stop the fight, and Langstot
with an oath, drew revolver and fire
six shots in quick succession.
One of these struck Spencer in his RICH
breast, below the nipple, and two of th
others struck Dennis Williams also co
ored, who appears to have been disinte
ested looker-on.
Spencer, with agonizing cries of pain, IA
to the Freedmen's Hospital, which is nei
by, and after getting into the grounds fe
down and was lifted up and carried into th
ward,
Where He Died Immediately.
Williams was also assisted to the hospita
where his wounds were found to DO seriou
bullets having entered his back aud necl
and one of them lodged near the spins
column.
This morning. at the police station it wi
learned that owing to the illness of ID
Patterson, there will be no inquest unit
tomorrow.
The police are searching for Fran
Langston, who is described as being 10 yea
of age, we'll built. light brown skin au
freckled and dressed in steel. colore1 clothe
light overcoat and black Derby hat.
was EN- ployed at the Government PrintiI
Office, lived with his mother and brothc
in Lc Droit Park, and did not bear q b
reputation.
The Murderer's Escape.
Little is known concerning his escape
his whereabouts. After the firing and befo
the confusion subsidized he made good
q retreat, presumably passing through neig
Q boring hotel and out through the parks al
! vacant ground TO the east
+ A revolver, from which six shots hi
been fired, and which is supposed to ha
: been Langstons weapon, was found th
a morning in retiring-room in the hot
aud turned over to Sergeant Pearson. Flu
Their than this building Langston cannot
traced, and he either made very time
and successful escape from the city or oil
is hidden in the immediate vicinity. Il
!. family disclaim all knowledge Of his whei
abouts, and, according to Sergeant Pet
: son, intimate that they should not be c
pected to cooperate to secure his capture.
williams Condition.
1 THE CRITIC reporter found Willial
y lying in bed in little frame hovel, No.
Baton's alley, surrounded by neighbors a
| his four small children, as we'll as soI
. dogs that share the chamber.
Q Williams said he believed that he won
die, and inquired anxiously whether Lau
0 ston had been captured. He said that
l had known Langston for years and that t
| shooting had been entirely unprovoked a
without cause. He is laborer and
:, large family is destitute.
The Remains of Spencer
l. were seen at the dead house of tho hospit
+ He was middle-aged, smooth-faced ms
employed as a cart driver, and also
= father of q family. His wound was nee
( sarily fatal one, the bullet entering {
i. breast and penetrating the lungs. The {
topsy over his body this morning mer,
|. revealed this fact.
: The only arrests, so far, are those Of
!, two men who engaged in the original qu
q rel, and who are not connected with
: subsequent shooting.
\ Sergeant Pearson states that as far as
= can learn, the only weapon drawn dur
d the entire affair was the revolver carried
- Langston.
THE CPRINGER INVESTiGATInK