Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-22
WHO CUT HUGHES +?
BURKE AND NUGENT ARE ARRESTED
CHARGED WITH THE OFFENCE.
Hughes Says That He Thinks Burke
Wounded Him, But This the Ac-
cused Denies.


On the morning Of April 23d Edv1rd
Draper (colorcd) was arrested charged WIN
stabblng G.. Melville Hughes witb intent 10
Kill. The wounding was done about n.
NJ. Wednesday. April 2lst. on Broad stIeet
nesr the corner Of Fourth, Hughes AZ the
time being in the company OF McGrulei
Burke and L. Nugent. The weapon WIN
which Hughes was wounded was elmer
l0ng-bladed knife or dirk, which en'ered
the left side Just below the short-ribs, PISS
ing INTO the abdomen about six inches,
seyering his intestines and uecessitatlng
desperate surgical operation. which was
made by Or. Lewis Wheat and proved sue
cesSfuI. and Hughes is now conyaescent
The colored man Draper who was
arrested charged with the offence upon
examination by the Police Justice was dis
charged. Both Burke and Nugent de-
clared that the wounding was done by
colorrd man. but they did not positively
identity Draper as the party. Burke was
rather more positive than was Nugent that
Drarer was the guilty party. The de-
fence had witnesses on hand to prove
an abb. hut Justice Richardson s1ld u
was useless TO introduce them a he was
thoroughly satisfied that Draper was not
guilty. The question then arose, who
cut Melville HughesI"
BURKE AND NUGENT SUSPECTED.
Friday afternoon Captain James y. An-
gle. of the Second police district. acc0mpi-
MED ly Sergeant 4. NJ. Tomlinson, visited
Mr.. Hughes at his reside-ce on north Fifth
street. and from a statement made by him
Captain Angle sworc out warrants yester-
dav morning for the arrest oi McGruder
Burke and Theodore Nugent, charging
them with stabbiug Mr.. Hughes.
Before procuring the warrant Captain
Angle instructed the police in his district
to keep lookout for Burke, and II seen to
"shadow" him until the warrant could be
served on him.
THE PARTIES ARRESTED.
About "a O'Clock yesterday morning Po-
iceman Shinberger met Burke at the cor
ner Of Eleventh and Main streets. and fol-
lowed him down 10 the Old Market. Burke
went 10 the stall Of Jacob kirsh, and the
officer telepbored Captain Angle that he
lad him. soon afterwards Sergeant Alex
andcr TomlnsOn arrived with the warrant
md arrested Burke. When the warrant
was read 10 him Burke SAID. "All right;
I'll 90 with YOU. am innocent
sergeant lNiililNblt Ahl lH'h bhiN' 'f'a
10 Policeman >hinberger, who took him TO
the second police stltion.
officer TomlInson then went 10 the Old
| Dominion Paper COmpany'S Mills, on cary
street between seventeenth and Eighteenth.
ana arrested Nugent, who vas at work,
and carried him to the Second station also.
| lie remained in the office until about night.
| when he was placed IN Cell No. |.
WHAT HUGHES His To FAY.
THURSDAY afternoon DR.. Wheat, Captain
Angle ana Sergeant Tomlinson went 10 ste
Nr. Hughes, and the three together exam
med he wound. While In the room Clp-
| laiu Angle drew Mr.. Hughes in'O conYcr.
sqtion and he made a statement. II which
the following i the substance
He was walking up the street with Nc
| Grinder Burke and Theodore NugeHt on
| the night of he 10th OF April. Burke
WAS on his left and little back ~ hun.
and Nugont on his right. When opposite
| the cigar store next 10 the corner oi
! Fourth and Broad n negro coming
| down tie street passed them, going 10 the
| lelt Of Burke. aud not brushing against
| any OF the party. Just as the negro passed
and wa. opposite Burke he felt a blow IN
| hi, side. lie exclaimed: My God, an
! cut :" and walked a few steps and fell to
! he pavement.
/ Nugent ran down the street. and Burke
/ ran across the street 10 the opposite side.
While he was lying upon tbe pavement q
man passed by, and he tllughes) told HIN
! that he had been stabbed aud asked Tor as-
-i,tance. The man replied that he dill mol
| have time To stop. \ few minutes after
wards Burke came back ana called Tor tht
police. when tue first officer arrived he
asked who did the cutting, 10 which Burke
| replied b" Hughes has been cut by negro
! whO had on a white hat
Hughes told Captain Angle that the ne
! GRO who passed them had nothing 10 do
with the cutting; that hc was satisfied that
! McGruder Burke stabbed him. but he
/ could not swear to II. as he id not see the
Knife. Hughes also laid that the statement
made by him when II was believed that he
! wa. diving was made while he was under
tLc influence Of opiates. and that hc did
/ not know what he was saying.
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
! After Captain Angie had LETT Hughes
/ Thursday afternoon another gentlemen
| called on Hughes, 10 whom the latter said
{ that when he was cut Burke ran lcros, the
street and soon returned crying. "Polic"
| Polcc," that when he got near where
! Hughes was lying the wounded man said,
! 81 believe I'm done for." or something Ia
/ that effect: that Burke leaned over and
| asked Hughes what he hid 10 say n hi
/ diving statement concerning the cutting
! About this time the officers came up aad
| Iughe, made no reply.
WHAT BURKE SAYS.
\ DiSpdtch-man called 10 see Burke and
| Nugent Yesterday afternoon after they had
! been placed in their cells. Both Of then
/ talked freely, but neither Of :hem threw
auy additional light on the case. They
/ maintain that their statements before the
/ Police Court were entirely accurate. and
/ both declare that the stibDng was done by
! a colored msn who wore a light hat. Burke
.ay- he has known Hughes for a little more
! han a year, and that the relations between
| th, m have at all times been Oi the mOsl
| tender nature that underall circumstances
| and nj all times he has been 4 friend u
| Hughes.
WAS THIS THE MOTIVE:
Last fall Burke and Hughes, while under
! The influence 0i liquor, vent 10 bIwdy
house tog, thcr and were arrested and taker
before The Police Court the next morning
for being disorderly while in the .aid house
| The evidence IN the ease was such that q
Gne was imposed upon Burke, and both o
them were placed under bond. The
case cost Burke thirly-fOur days il
jail and over goo in money. Ii
The examination Hughes did no
give any evidence against Burke; anC
Burke affirms that the evidence which wa
given against him was utterly false; thl
he and Hughes had a quarrel. nothing
more. II is current rumOr that Burke and
Hughes had a difficulty about two week,
before the latter was cut, and that Burke
! apOlogized 10 Hughes the evening before
the cutting. This Burke also denies, and
Nugenl says he knows nothing Of II.
HOLES N HIS CLOTHES.
While at Hughes house Thursday al
ternoon Captain Angle made careful eX
animation Of the clothes worn by llugbe
WHEN be was stabbed. lie found that tn
hole made through the pants indicated tia
the knife or dirk entered in the pocke
from back Of HUghes's side and only mtd'
a hole through the liRing-n0t through th
outside cloth. He also discovered nol
in the SKIRT OF the coat, which appeared q
the knife entered from below the waist
and after punciuring the coat was raise'
| severat inches before cDtering Hughes