National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-16
A BRUTAL MURDER.
A COlorel Cook Gut to Pieces by a Fellow
EmplOye,
Tho Murderer Arrested and Locked Up In
Jail.

A tragedy was enacted in the yard at.
tached to the restaurant Of the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad depot about $3.50 o'clock
yesterday morning. The result of tho occur
renee was that Peter Washington, colored,
was disomboweled by carving knife in the
hands of another colored man named Edward
Brice. Both men were employees of the
depot restaurant. Washington died in few
minutes after the cutting took place.
Brico was captured by officer Lamb
as he was leaving tho depot, and
taken to the first precint station house,
to which place the body was subsequently
removed Coroner Patterson, assisted by
Deputy Coroner Hartigan, held an inquest
over the body at the South Washington sta.
ton in tho afternoon. From the testimony
il appears that the murdered man, who was
assistant cook at the restaurant, had call ed
Brice, one of the walters to account for neg
Letting an order from . passenger for food.
Brice then called Washington liar and in
vited him out into the yard to fight. At
ter more words Washington took off his
coat and said, Come on out" at the same
time pulling Brice to the door. Drice replied,
"Hold on hold onp After reaching tho
yard Brice drew the long bread knife from
under his coat and plunged 1t into Washing
toms abdomen, making q CHASTITY and des-
perate wound about seven inches deep and
an inch wide The point of the knife pro-
truded from the neighborhood of the hip,
after severing the femoral artery and pro-
ducing fatal internal hemorrhages. At the
instant of the eating Washington cried out,
HE has got knife. Don't let him kill me.
Oh, Ned, don't, don't kill meW He then
sank to the ground, with the remark, I'm
stabbed to death. o, Lordw Brice then went
into the kitchen and washed the blood from
the long knife.
One Of the witnesses testified that Brice
took the knife from the pantry and put it
under his coat going into the kitchen. The
jury, which were composed of John L. Cox.
Edward May, James ID. Avery, James w.
Lynn, Michael Shugrue, and George j. Butt,
returned the following verdict: That the
said Peter Washington came to his death
about $3.50 o'clock q. m. on the fifteenth OF
February, 1854, at the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad depot, from punctured wound OF
the thigh inflicted by q knife held in the
hands Of Edward Brice." An hour later the
Jail van drove up to the station and Brice
was driven to that institution in charge of
two officers.
The knife with which the bloody deed was
committed is desperate looking weapon.
The blade is ID inches long and has been
ground down until it resembles a long stiletto.
With the handle its total length would be
about % inches.
The scene of the tragedy is small yard,
fanked by high fences, at the northwest cor
ner of the depot building, and within 100
yards of where President Garfield was assas-
sinated 1t is marked by dark pool of blood.
Peter Washington, the victim, was quite
dark and rather strongly built, and weighs
over 200 pounds He was good natured, re-
lgiously reared, and prominent member of
the coored Odd Follows. His age was reck-
oned at about 26 or q years, and he lived in
Jones' court, between Pennsylvania and Mis-
souri, avenues and Four-and-a-half and Sixth
streets northwest. Deceased was employed
as cook at FitZgeralds restaurant on Penn
sylvania avenue near Four-and-a -half street.
Edward Brice, the accused, is o rather mild
faced man of about 40 years Of age. He is
of copper color and weighs about 40 pounds.
His wife and children reside on ID street, be-
tween First and Second streets southwest.
About $3.50 o'clock in the afternoon Mrs.
Washington, mother of the dead man, ap-
peared at the station house accompanied by
his two brothers. She asked for the body,
and in her excitement said to Lieut.. Boteler:
Cant l take the body home in a hack p
Upon receiving negative reply she stated
that she was without money and would have
to rely on the colored Odd Fellows to bury
her son. Turning to Coroner Patterson she
said between sobs. What will they do with
that man ?" (meaning Brice). Hang him."
said the coroner. "They ought to kill him
now" replied the mother with feeling,
because no killed my poor boy in cold
blood"
During the time that the prisoner was in
q cell at the station house he sat in stolid 81
lence, and only once replied to inquiries con-
corning the deed. He said: 81 stabbed him
without thinking what was doing But it
was done in self defense"
The remains were taken away from the
sNn
Day the undertaken. The funeral will take
place tomorrow.