Evening journal., 1889-06-14
WAS IT PROVOKED!
WALTER WRIGHT SHOT DEAD BY
ROBERT COOPER.

i
| 0thers.f
Walter Wright. aged 16 years, living
with his sister at No. 307 henneoec
street, was shot and killed last night at
| Sixth and Monroe streets by a colored
man His companion, Thomas +. Ma
| loney, aged II years living with his
widowed mother at 22S Cherry street,
was shot, but not fatally by the same
person. Joseph Lawler, aged 8 years,
| living at No 507 Madison street, was
shot during the same affair at Fourth
and Monroe streets.
The story of the shooting has devel-
oped some inconsistencies which may
be cleared away in time.
Shortly after o'clock last night,
Harmony Fife and Drum Corps were
marching up Monroe street from Front,
advertising a picnic to be held at
ScheutEen Park tomorrow. At Third
street they ceased playing and
some one remarked, THAT is a
short tune" This seems TO be the
only provocation given to the drum
corps, according TO the statement of sew
eral parties.
A clerk in Daniel McKenney's store at
Third and Monroe streets, was standing
about half way between Third and Fourth
streets when the drum corps came up.
He said: There was no as
sault. SeEell Hall, one Of the
colored men stood in the middle of the
street, and think, fred two shots. One
of these, il is supposed, struck young
Lawler A lot Of us chased Sewell up
Monroe to Carpenter to Adams. to Fifth
and up Jackson street. We were gaining
on him rapidly and he ran into vesti-
| 49,, ,rl,4 i'm, ONnra. Mora.
dith took him to the hall Hall had been
drinking
Thomas F. Maloney's statement as
given to a reporter of the EVENING
JOURNAL, tells the rest of the story
''We boys were fooling around the corner
of Fourth and Monroe streets, near the
flying horses when the colored men came
up. | heard nothing except that some
one said something about the music.
Then some colored man stood in the mid
die of the crossing and shot off his re-
volver. One of the bullets struck Law
ler Then the crown started after the
man who did the shooting Walter
Wright and | were together and we fol
lowed tine crowd, walking.
eve went up Monroe street to Sixth,
and Just then the man who beats the
= kettle drum came running around the
B corner. He raised revolver and shot at
2 Walter. Walter fell and as | stopped
3 down to see where he was strack, the
5 man shot at me and struck me in the
4 shoulder Then fell down alongside OF
Wright, till someone picked me up and
: took me home" The murderer was only
: about tweuty feet away when he shot
Maloney was lying on the sofa at his
= home this morning He told his story in
! a clear, straightforward manner in the
presence of his mother, Father Fallor
and the reporter.
Young Lawler was taken to Grifin's
r drug store. where his wound was dressed
Dr. Maull attended him and Maloney
n Lawler was struck in the left anC
e Maloney in the right arm.
n AS soon as Wright fell he was taken tS
g T. B. Cartmells drug store at Sixth anC
}. Madison streets. The police and ambu
Q lance were summoned, doctors sent for
z Special officer Smith, Sergeant Stetse
7. and Officer Shultz arrived and the DO,
e was taken to the Homeopathic Hospital
10 DR.. ]. Harmer Rile remaine
Ie in attendance He states that tn
Is bullet was No. 3S calibre. It entere
10 the forehead and then took a downwar
a and backward course and entered tn
brain. He never gained consciousness
His father, two sisters and his brothers
in law were with him when he died. Hi
y body was removed to the morgue, an
is the inquest will be held this afternoon.
Is The officers started in pursuit of tn
colored men as soon as word was received
90 and the following we're captured; Sewel
% Hall, Robert Cooper (the kettle drummer
Al Grant Banthem, George H. viii
u liams, John Banks, William Govans
90 Wade Thomas, Dink Walker
an George Benson, Nelson Govans, Richar,
= Govans, Harry Laws and Charles Il
. Govans Several of them were capture
beyond Eleventh street bridge wher
they have their headquarters.
"a The whole crowd was put in the doc
t. at Police Court this morning. Attorney
Ball to hold them without bail {
% await the result of Ethe coroner
y inquest. The request was grantel
and they were returned to the cells
Cooper was placed in a separate eel
There were four Govaa boys arrested
their father stated to r.
s. porter that two of them were a
r church during the fracas.
John M. Richardson of Quigley's mol
,e occo works says that there was no a!
|, sault made on the colored men. Samu'
~ McGlerkin of No 919 West Front stree
says that stones were thrown at th
'n drum corps as it was turning from FroI
~ to Monroe street.
g. A witness of the affair told reportt
q that, Immediately after the shooting a
vn Fourth and Monroe street A colore
ct man pursued by several white men rs
down Fourth. At Griffin's dru
90 store he stopped and iourished
~ ~ revolver at them. He again starte
~ ~ to run but they caught him. =
al escaped twice andsran up MontgomeI
street. 1t is believed that this man hs
Id not yet been caught by the police.
he Walter Wright, the victim Of Cooper
p bullet, will be buried on Sunday afte
noon at Stanton De-.
IN 1t is notorious fact that it is not sal
av for colored person of either sex to go
bs the vicinity of the places spoken 0
"a These streets arc frequented by gang
who try to terrorize persons who may
!, alone late at night. One case has bee
y heard of colored girl who had occasiC
- to be in the vicinity of Fourth and Monr,
u streets. A crowd of these hoodlums sa
-, 20 her and began pelting her with stone
~ She tried to escape by running up {
alley but the heartless wretches conti
ch ued their pursuit and treated her roughl
m Another instance happened recently.
n. colored band was set upon several weel
tn ago by the gang in that neighborhoo
he and being outnumbered they ran, or
the gangs say: burnt the road.