Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-05
a STARTLING TRAGEDY,
Two Men Shot by the Son OF Minister
Langst0n.

Il STARTLING TRAGEDY.
TWO Men Shot by the Son OF Minister
Langston.
DEATH OF oSR wrTHIN A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE
sHoorING-rEE oTEER NOT KNFEcTxp TO LIVE
foCN0 LANGsrvNs FLISuT-DEPLosABLK RESULT
OF NTKkfxkINd IL a sTREEr AFFRAY.
During q street prawl on tie ,th street road, near
Porneroy street. about 80 O'Clock last night TWO
men were shot oy Frank Langston, the young son
OF John NJ Langston, the prominent colored orator,
at present {. s. minister az Hayt One OF the men
shot died soon Afterwards, and Il is thought the
other is fatally wounded II appears that William
Anderson, white man. and Thomas Wilkins.
coiored, got into an alteration and engaged in
rough and-tumele light While thus engaged
James Spencer, oolored. went 70 the assistance OF
,ne white man and attempted 10 pun Wllkerson on
Anderson. Frank LangSton then approached ami
warm words between Soencer and Lancston. The
latter then drew revolver and fired AT spencer,
snptylng The contents OF the pistol. Spencer
received bullet In his right breast aud three shots
took effect in the back and neck OF Dennis Williams
ARRAY.
LaNGsroSs FrrGHr
Langston then took 70 his heels and fed from the
scene. Both the wounded men were taken 10 the
freedmen's hospital and were attended by Drs +.
D. Shadd and Gray. Spencer, however, died
almost Immediately after arriving at the hospital,
which was very few minutes after the shooting.
Inc fatal bullet entered at the right OF the right
nipple, and is supposed TO have passed downward,
and, striking an important blood vessel caused in
ternal hemorrhags. Dennis Williams was found
70 nave two shot wounds 10 the back near the
shoulder, and one In the neck After having his
WOUNDS dressed. he was taken 10 his home between
romeroy, Wilson, $th and 5th streets Officer
peared that the fight originated from an attack
mace oy Anderson upon Wilkins, the latter was
released and preferred charge OF assault against
fAB SEARCH FOR THE FUGITIVE.
Search was at once made for Langston. but no
clue was obtained OF him during the night, the
dnd1nG Of his pistol In water closet al Kicks park
It u I'VE shooter, known as spanish pistol"
ana carries 90 calibre ball Young LangstOn is so
bright In complexion that he would moi be taken
for colored man He is between Is and 10 years OF
age and OF slender ngure weighing but about us
Printing ONCE. He has been known TO the police
as fast youth, and they have frequently found
MIN IN bad company Some months ago he was u
witness In the Criminal Court ia q house breaking
case. his testimony supporting the prisoners de-
Tense OF an aiibi The court Judge Macarthur,
lecture as TO the bad company which he admitted
he had kept, and warned him that IL he did not
mend his ways he would get into trouble
AN INQUEST TO BE HELD TOMORROW.
Coroner Patterson being unwell to-day. decided
to hold the inquest tomorrow at II O'Clock az the
autopsy this afternoon. A STAR reporter went over
the scene or the tragedy this morning with officer
Rhodes who was engaged In arranging testimony
Anderson lived Is one OF row OF little frame
houses The first foof is used as a grocery. A
woman named Mrs. Lawior lives IN the house. and
Anderson. who Is young man OF %. lives with her
From the statement OF Mrs. Lawlor II appears
that Anderson came home intoxicated last night
and had some trouble with Mrs Lawlors little girl.
who ran screaming out or the house ana into the
next house. Anderson, II appears. followed her IL
appears that wilkins, who was passing, stopped
near the corner of the row OF houses about Is or
20 feet from Mrs Lawlor's house. Anderson de-
manded to know what lie was looking at and why
ne stood there, and dared him TO come TO him.
Wilkins not accepting the challenge Anderson went
up TO him and threw him down. Wilkins. however.
turned Anderson and got on top. They rolled OF
the narrow plank walk into the gutter. While
they were clinched In the gutter the Interference
took place which led TO the tragedy, and about
which there are some conflicting statements
DENNIS WILLIAMS STATEMENT
A STAR reporter found Dennis Williams the
wounded man, In his bed this morning groaning
With pain. He was attended by his wife and sur
rounded by number OF commserating friends
follows:
After finishing his work at home yesterday af-
ternOon he went to Sheehys store the 9TH street
road, near the boundary. About quarter past z he
started home and met on the way his niece, Nancy
Nichols and Dora Fields. who We're carrying a
clothes basket filled with coal, and asked him TO
help her. He put the basket on his shoulder ana
was trudgng along with IT, but stopped and put the
coal down upon seeing the light at Lawlor's They
were near the corner Of the row OF houses Langston
went up and attempted to pull Wlkins on Ander-
son, when one OF the girls with Williams said that
man. Langston thereupon said, "Get back, c.
d-n you get back" Spencer was then between
Williams and Langston, and said something, where
you, get back" He drew pistol and began firing
rapidly. The frst shot struck Williams IN
the neck. Then Spencer was shot and started
TanvQfnn fri fasf cn
close that the flashes blinded Williams He felt
q shot In bis arm and turned around, throwing his
Langston then ran down 9TH street
Williams, was so frightened that to-day she was
A Waterman at the eth-street stable, who wit
messed the tragedy, corroborated substantially the
statement OF Williams.
marks, evidently made by the same bullet.
glanctng, which appears to have been fired after
LangSton began TO run down 7Jh street
JAMES SPENCER,
the man who was killed, was about q years old
He lived with his mother, on Grant avenue, and
helped support her by driving a cart He was
regarded as very ino1ensive young man About
a week ago he was complainant against white
man In the Police Court. who. 1t was charged, shot
at Spencer lust TO see Niger jump"
Williams is short and thlckset, and regarded as
Industrious and peaceable.
THE SEARCH FOR LANGsroS
The police to-day were searching induStriously
for young Langston, but had not found him at a
late hour gained any definite clue as TO his where
abouts. 1t was believed that he had left the CITY,
II is thought he had money with him. as he had
but recently drawn his pay as an apprentice in The
bindery at the government printing Office He was
att1red in light-cOlorej overcoat. stee-colored
suit, the pantaloons having a stripe in them. and
small round soft felt hat. His father is now absent
In Hayu.
Mrs LangstOn, who is at her home. near Howard
university. was very much distressed at the deplor-
able occurrence. She took measures to-day TO rem
der such relief as she could TO the afflicted families
Some OF the police to-day thought that II Langston
was not caught he would surrender himself In TWO
or three days, and depend upon plea OF sef-de-
Tense.
The police searched Mrs Langston's house this
morning, but found no trace OF the fugitive. Mrs
LangstOn stated positively that he was not there
She said that IL she knew where lie was She would
not tell the police but she would do nothing To pre-
vent them finding him.
Local Notes.
IRE occurred at 1901 10th street this morning at
10 O'Clock, caused by defective fiue. IL was con-
nped to the third story. The house was occupied
by w. H. Fridley, and owned by John Weaver The
damage was about $500, covered by insurance.
Assembly No PAS, h. or L., has elected the follow
ing delegates to the Emancipation Day convention:
g. A Wills, J. q. Brown, Lewis Payne. AlternateS,
Thomas SimmS, John Ward
District Government Affairs.
LIQUOR LICENSES.
The Commissioners to-day approved the applica-