The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-03-07
TWO NEGROES SLAIN
One Murdered in Cold Blood in . M,lott
Avenue Saloon.
The Other, Mistaken for the Slayer, Falls
a Victim to the Ever Ready Re-
volver of q Patrolman-
The Details,

1880 O'Clock last night, regardless of the
law, the saloon was still filed with bolster
Gus customers, among whom was hardin
Venable, young negro, who stood lean.
ing against the bar, utterly uncon-
scious Of the dreadful fate staring
him in the face. He was standing in a
listless, lf.sinpid manner, giving little
| or 10 attention to the drunken tests and
other idle talk in the room. when Will.
| Jams suddenly confronted him, armed
with siDgle-barrel, breech-l loading shot
! gun OF No. II calibre, which he aimed at
| Venable's head. For secoud Venable
! remain ed paralyzed in his position, look
| ing terror~stricken into the muzzle of
the death-dealing weapon, and then
came an explosion which sent him into
eternity. He fell heavily to the floor,
while the crowd, startled by the report,
drew back unable to realize, for the mo-
ment, the horror OF the situation. Con.
fusion ensued, and the slayer disappeared
! ,-'thout any effort being made to stop his
exit. -
The murdered man presented horrible
sight as he lay upon the floor of the saloon.
| Great pools OF blood formed quickly and
the bar and mirrors were spattered all
| over with clots OF gore. Suess, the pro-
plietor, shivered with fear and excitement
He could hardly talk so great was his
emotion. When Kregelo's ambulance
drove up, Vensble's body was a sickening
sight. The brains had oozed out on the floor
and had TO be gathered up and replaced.
/ Police Superintendent TraYis, Captain
| Colbert and Sergeant Lowe soon reached
the scene and a consultation was held
| The murderer was gone, aud the next
thiI G to be done was to effect his capture.
While they were consulting as to the best
course to pursue, Josh Spsers, the colored
patrolmsn, came up and reported that
he knew where the murderer lived, and II
was decided to go there, thinking that
Williams might possibly run to his home
before he would fee the city. Soeers said
that Williams formerly lived on North
Pennsylvania street, and the officers star bed
for the place at once. While on theil
way they were met by Joe
Huffbauer, who told them that
Williams was not low living on Penn
sylvania street, but on Columbia street
between north and Walnut Columbis
street is really an alley, which is between
the two streets named and New Jersey aud
East streets. They Immediately started
in that direction, and in few moments
arrived at the house, which is one of {
brick row on the west side of the alley
Speen was told to go in advance, as he wa
acquainted with the murderer by sight
and accordingly he walked as quietly a
possible up 70 the house and looked IN
The minute he got q glance into tn
window he said, excltedly, to the othe
J officers, Here he is" Colbert Immediately
told Sergeant Lowe to station himself q
| the front door while he would watch tn
rear, and Patrolman Spears was to watcl
. the side Of the house. Colbert called 4
the supposed murderer to come ou
and surrender. The instant he di'
this q great scrsmbling was hear
en- III inside. Sergeant Lowe broke opel
The front door and rushed in. He saw tn
lamp tremble and flicker and heard lou
noise, which was the cellar door bein
banged. He then rushed to the from
door and called to the other officers tha
the murderer had fed into the cellar an
that he would escape if they were not care
full. He had hardly uttered the word
when there were two shots, one Quickl.
follow ing the other, At the same momen
Patrolman Spears shouted, don't shoot
Colbert, we've got the man."
Lowe rushed around to the side OF tn
house and found Spears helping man on
of the outside cellar door over the fenc
into the alley.
"Well, you have got me" the man SAL
family, and they carried him into tn
house and laid him upon the bed. Upo
looking at his face by the light OF tn
lamp, Spears was Mortified to see that
was not Gus Williams who was shot, bU
his brother, Ben Williams, who great
resembles him.
What made you run into the cellar,
Sergeant Lowe demanded excitedly. Tn
, wounded man made no reply. Drs. Hodge
and Watson was Immediately summoned
and it was found that he was shot jas
over the left nipple, and that he woul
probably die in short tlm'
Spears says that he heard noise comm
from the cellar, and that IN few second
Williams stuck his head out OF the celia
and he told him to stop. Williams keI
coming, and he told him to stop sgaiI
Not doing so, Spears said that he fired 9
him twice, and having done so William
told him not to shoot any more, that the
had got him. Both shots took effect, on
in the arm and the other over the heart 9
( has been stated.
In regard to the first killing, it is sal
that Venable was married only shol
time ago, and that Williams had pai
court to Venable's wife previous to be
marriage to Venable; that there hs
been q suppressed feeling between th
two men and that 1t eliminated in th
killing of Venable. The murder took plac
: at such late hour that no one could
| found who seemed to know of any furthe
| differences between the two men. Sil
| another story is 70 the ene(
: | that the two men had quarrele
over a game of pool, and that Gus Wi
liams, smarting under some real or fancie
wrong, nursed his anger for time an
3 then sought revenge in the deadly manne
narrated.
In regard to the shooting Of the brotht
, Of the murderer, Spears says that he she
twice at the man. There is evidentl
something wrong in Spears statement, &
Captain Colbert deposited three revolver
a in the station house safe last night, his Owl
Sergeant loves and Patrolman Spears
. There were no loads out of Colbert's guI
Q but there was load out Of both Spear
Y and loves guns, Lowe says he fred q
: shot; then what became of the missin
load2 The Captain says that the who
, affair was a lamentable piece of bushes
and the three men were greatly agitated o
account of the deplorable accident,
0 BEN WILLIAMS ANTE MoRTEN STATEMENT.
! Upon being informed by DR.. Watson
the attending surgeon, that his wounC
| were fatal, Williams made the followin
ante mortem statement to q SENTINEL r,
porter:
5 81 came to my home from Wilson
Church about midnight, and ate a littl
lunch, and was fixing the FIRE for morl
!, ing. ] stood by the table, aud had take
] of my coat and was about 10 take of m