Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-17

Wa AOUOO i LIZ
''THE BLOODY FIELD"
A Sunday Tragedy i'm south washing-
tom.
SMALL POLICEMAN's DESPERATE STRUGGLE
WITH A POWERFUL NEGRo-THE LATTER
SHOT AND KILLED.
Tragedy occurred yesterday afternoon at the
corner OF LIST and n streets, in the midst of the
locality which has become so notorious for the
iawiess conduct Of gangs Of roughs who FREE
quent 1t as to have earned the name Of 1.-THE
nioooy Field" by which it was known. The
Tragedy yesterday came near resembling that
which resulted about a year ago in the death
OF Police Officer Fowler, who was shot by the
co'ored man Langster with the policemans
own pistol. Yesterday Addison Coleman,
powerful black man, was shot and killed by Po-
lice Officer Dan'lJ. Sheehan. The fatal shot was
han had, by direction Of Lieut. Greer, donned his
cliIens clothes for the purpose of more eff
thec.sely hunting out gangs OF men and others
he met Coleman about halfpast 3 O'Clock, a
coiored man about thirty years of age, reputed
corner OF LIST and N streets. Coleman, the Of
nCer says, was slightly Intoxicated, and he ad-
vised him togo home. Coleman asked Sheehan
much smaller man than Coleman, replied that
ne was, and the latter exclaimed, aI'ii be id
IL you can arrest me without being in uniform"
LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE.
The officer then seized Coleman and they had
desperate fight crowd of colored men as
sembled, and, as Mr.. Sheehan says, aided Cole
man In every way. During the fight the pris-
oner succeeded In getting the officers pistol. but
1t was taken from him by James Howard, a
young white man, who was called upon by the
officer to help him. Howard gave the officer
the pistol, but the negro got his hands upon it,
for it, The officer finally secured the pistol
Coleman then closed in with him savagely
again, and in the struggle the pistol was dis
continued the combat in that position for a
short time, endeavoring to disarm the officer.
sheehan sent for help The police ambulance
came and conveyed Coleman to Providence
hospital, where he died a few minutes alter his
arrival.
THE FATAL SHOT.
Coeman's body was taken from the hospital
this morning, and carried to the first precinct
station. 1t was found that the fatal bullet
had entered the groin near the left hip and
passed through the body.
ARREST OF FOUR OF THE ALLEGED ASsAILANTs
OF THE OFFICER.
A large crowd of people assembled around
the station house. Among the number were four
colored men, James Lucas, Lewis Ashton, George
ned as members of the gang who assaulted
Officer Sheehan during his struggle with Cole
man. They were placed under arrest. Lucas,
IL is said, kicked the officer in the SIDE
Sheehan, who was placed under nominal
arrest Is young man, and has been on the
force only since last November. It is a coin
cidence that he served as q member of the
coroner's jury in the Fowler-Langster case.
COLEMAN A DESPERATE.
Coleman, who lived on Delaware avenue be-
tween and G streets, is we'll known to the
police, having figured in number of assault
cases, once for assault with intent to kill, for
q in, fun ifo,, tiorxy
The Inquest.
Coroner Patterson held an inquest at the LIST
precinct station at IL o'clock to-day.
The jury was composed Of Messrs Elias Cald-
McDermott, j. E. F. Carlin and John L. Cox.
A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH STRUGGLE
Chas. Brawner, the first witness, said that he
witnessed the struggle. Coleman, he said, told
the officer, "If you put your hand on me, 1 will
serve ten years for it." Coleman refused to go
with him. The officer told James Howard to
get the officers "black jack but instead of
doing that Howard got the officers nippers and
them. Coleman then struck the officer several
times. Coleman then managed to get the
awag ehsn
got hold of the barrel. During the struggle the
pistol went of The colored man still
Witness said that in the first part of the
struggle Howard got the pistol away from Cole
man He understood Coleman to say when he
you now and am going to finish YOU"
OTHER TESTIMONY.
James Howard, 624 9Th street southwest tes-
titled that as he was passing along street he
saw Officer Sheehan talking with the colored
officer tell the colored man to go into the house
and stop swearing in the street. The colored
man called the officer odd fool.' and asked
him what authority he had to tell him to 90
the house. officer w V no
did not have his badge on the outside of his
coat? The officer then put him under arrest.
arm, and the latter took the officer by the throat
Both fell to the ground together, the offices
ssnK on ASKED the The w9nsss Get being
"black:jack' from his pocket for him. Instead
of getting the ''black Jack" the witness got the
man, who broke them After these were broken
the witness discovered that the colored man
it from the officers pocket. Witness, after a
struggle. captured the pistol from the colored
man. The witness was thereupon knocked
the pistol. Witness tried to hold the crowd
back by pointing the pistol at them, but this
had little effect They s shse
kicked and beat the witness also. Il
feel mighty sore this morning, said
knocked down three times in succession and
kicked. The officer and the colored man finally
regained their feet: Witness handed the officer
w
man We're struggling for the pistol witness had
a struggle with another man who was trying to
get at the officer. The officer freed himself
again from his opponent, and asked him to
come to the station. The only answer was an
other attack upon the officer and the witness.
The man who was shot said: "You Irish So
I've got you, and now I'll give it to you" Cole
man closed in on the officer and grabbed
the officers right hand, holding the
pistol and tried to force it up. The officer forced
his hand down, and while they were thus
struggling the pistol went of. The officer at no
time threatened to shoot. He gave the man
four or five chances to 60 into the house, as he
did not want to arrest him. At the beginning
OF the struggle the colored man said with an
oath, "if you put your hand on me I'll kill
you," and supplemented this by calling the
officer an Irish dude. There were q good many
remarks made by the crowd, such as ''kilI the
3d." and The has no business over here any,
how" When witness was knocked down some
OF them said 1--WE will kill that s. of-b-
anyhow" The witness thought the officer
would have been killed If he had not assisted
him.
John w. Browner, the next witness gave an
account of the affair." coinciding with that of the
two preceding witnesses. The colored man, he
said, claimed that he was in front OF his own
door, and that the officer therefore could not
arrest him. The officer told him several times
to sc into the house, saying that If he did not
he would take him to the stationhouse in that
wagon. referring to q wagon. near at hand.
The cOlored man said "he would be id il he
would go into the house. He would take ten