Evening star., 1886-08-30
A MYSTERY EXPLAINED.
A Colored Boy says He shot Henry
Yates by Accident.

Saturday night about O'Clock colored boy,
named Henry Yates, was shot in the head and
instantly killed in the alley in rear of 1922
18th street northwest. Yates lived with his
parents at this place. A colOred girl 20 years
old, named Sophronia Gordon, has resided with
the family since she was quite a child. Her
mother having married again lives in Tenn
perance alley, the rear OF her premises being
nearly opposite the rear OF 1922 18th street.
Itappears that about o'clock Saturday even
ing Sophronia took q bucket to get some coal
from store on U street and young Yates ac-
companied her. They went out of the back
gate. The girl states that Harry stopped to put
and she heard some one exclaim, "Who is
that?a aud then the report of pistol. She was
then about two yards from where he fell. An
and exclaimed, "My God believe the boy is
SHOT" She was SO frightened that she ran back
In the house and ran up to the third story,
the alley and in the cross-alleys there are low
woodsheds. Officer Foley. who heard the shot,
ran ran into the he alley and found that the boy was
dead. The girl SOphrOnia was arrested.
She said the boy made no outcry or groan, and
she at first did not know he was shot. It was
to her the
rected that jury OF inquest be summoned for
eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. Drs. j. F.
dartlgau and Lachlan Tyler made an exami-
nation Yesterday morning, and found that the
ball entered the lower left side OF the back OF
the head, and. lodged in the brain. Officers
Foiey and DigginS made thorough search of
Mrs. Yates house, but failed to find pistol. 1t
was stated that the boy, Henry, never carried a
weapon OF any kind. The opinion prevailed that
the shot was fired from the distance Of twenty
feet or more, south Of the place where Yates
fell. The police learned that there had been a
ngRt fs sesS between some, some boys including Yates
and one OF those whipped at the time threat
ened to get even. Lieut.. Gesstord ordered the
arrest OF Grant Slaughter. q colOred boy of
fifteen, suspected of firlng q pistol, but he
could not be found yesterday.
SLAUGHTER sURRENDERs HIMSELF.
This morning, a little before O'Clock, Slaugh-
ter, the colored boy suspected, walked into the
eighth precinct station and gave himself up to
Sergeant Duvall. He admitted having fired the
fatal shot. He stated in reply to questions that
he had been at his aunt's house, and that the
affair was an accident. He is rather an intelli.
gagged in driving. He brought with him to the
station the pistol, small six-shooter, and said
that The pistol accidentally went of. To re-
porter OF THE STAR Slaughter said that the
pistol belonged to his brother, aud his mother
had told him to take it away from the house.
saturday evening he found 1t up stairs and was
looking at it. II had but one load in it, and he
got the hammer at a half cock and was trying
to let 1t down when it went off When he heard
in the alley and % there eA found s m the Teas boy
dead, but be did not think for
having come from down % the alley. In In the the
afternoon he heard lady say that the shot
hred from his window was the one which struck
the boy. He then went to his aunt's and
thought over the matter, and concluded that
ne had better give himself up, which he did
this morning.
THE INQUEST.
At IL o'clock this morning q jury Of inq uest
was sworn over the body as follows. II. A.
Smoot, j. NJ. Crous. Thomas r. Darcy, Aug
GersdOrH, G. R. Hardin and G. NJ. Smoot The
testimony was taken at the eighth precinct
house, street, near 9th, the tilst witness being
Sophronia Gordon, whose evidence was in ac-
ccrdance with the statement she made yester-
day.
Df. Lachlan Tyler testified to the character Of
the wound. 70
Ine pistol was examined by the jury, who
found that it caught on the half cock and was
hard on the trigger.
Anna Gray testified that Saturday night
while looking out OF her window, she saw Grant
with his head out of his window. When he
saw the witness he Withdrew his head, and
started TO fire, and the pistol slipped. He then
hred. and witness screamed murder"
The accused, Grant Slaughter, made state
ment under oath similar TO the one given to
The STAR reporter.