The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-23
IN FLAGRANTE DELICTO.
AN ENTERPRlSING BURGLAR
CAUGHT A BURGLlNG.

J. &. smith Watches and Waits with
Donble-Harrellcd SHOTGUN - Finally
rr,no. Down III. Man. Fatally Wound
ed-Thc Inquest and Verdict.
Yesterday morning at half past two
O'Clock Mr. James c. Smith shot burg
lar caught in the act Of robblng MS
srore. The effect OF the shot was that
the burglar died Yesterday morning
shortly after nine O'Clock.
Mr. Smith. who is well known IN this
city. having served term as CITY Ser
p,ant. and who conducts a junk bu-i-
ness at the corner Of Cary and Seven
toenth streets. and is the president oil
the j. G. Smith Ice Company, had found
that for a long time past, be had been
robbed Of brasscs. canvas ana othef
valuable material of like kind.
He KEPT WATCH.
He determined to keep watch in per-
son and try to discover the thi'i. tues,
day night ne took a double-barreied
Gun loaded with No. . bird shot ana
watched all night. but nothing de-
veloped. Wednesday night he CON
tinued The watch. and was rewarded
for his labor by seeing a man come
down the steps from the second story
He fired. and the result OF the noctur-
nal watch and the nocturnal visit was
MS has been seen. the death OF the
burglar. 81,
After the man had been shot Smith
felephoned for the police. aud officers
Goodman. Keegan and Kuhn arrived.
The wounded man was taken TO the
First pOlice-statiOn and the charge pre-
ferred against him OF breaking and en-
tering in the night time the stOrehouse
of j. L. Smith. At S o clock in the
morning the city ambulance removed
the wounded man 10 the cOlorcd aims
house. the ambulance reaching there
at $3.50. Medicine. milk, &c, was ad-
ministered. and the doctors went 10
breakfast. When they returned at 9'5O
Strong was dead.
SMITH ARRESTED.
A warrant was sworn out against
Smith by Sergeant Whitlock. charging
MIN with felOniouslv shooting Robert
Strong. This was served on Smith at
the Police Court. While waiting
trial on this charge Information
came that Strong was dead
and a new warrant was sworn OUT
against MIR. Smith. charging him with
murder. Neither Of these two w1f-
rants came before the court through
the Chiefs Office. so the Police Justice
could not officially notice them.
~ CHARGE OF Az OFFICER.
Mr.. Smith was taken to the First po-
LEGISLATION, the Police Justice refusing
bail. Mr. Smith said he bad some
banking business 10 do and The court
allowed him to do so provided the oiii-
GERS i'm charge Of the station would all
/ low an officer to accompany him. lhls
the sergeant readily consented TO. Dir.
Smith therefore was allowed TO attend
10 his business with the bank.
A NOTORIOUS THIEF
Robert Strong. the burglar who was
shot. was notorious thief. li3 had
: served term i'm the pgniteniiafy fOI
burglariously robbing Mr.. Smith a
number of years ago. also term III the
same institution for breaking and rob
bing cars Of the Richmond and Dan
Vile railroad. He bad also been in po
lice circles on number OF other
charges
As stated.
TIE WEAPON USED
was q double barreled shotgun, loaded
with cartridges of 80. . bird sh {. q
wound was in the left leg just above
the knee. The other load oi snot. which
tore hole an inch in diameter. pene.
trattd the small Of the back. slightly CO.
the side luis was the wound which
caused death.
The man was tall stalwart black ue-
gro Ills muscular development WAS
excellent. lie lived on SiXteeith
street i'm Manchester. near Ci0plon ana
lot far from The now col0red school
house At the station house he was
asked whether he wanted ms wife sent
for. lie replied mo. When asked
what message should be sent his wife
his reply was, pray for me. pray for
me.
CORONER S INQUEST.
Yesterday evening att o'clock a coro-
ner 5 jury of inquest was held IN the
chapel of the almshouse. the jury fist
reviewing the body, which was lying Do
the dead house.
The following was the evidence; The
most important IL the full. clear state
ment of Mr. James G.. smith who first
went ON the stand. His testimony wa'
as follows:
SMITHS STATEMENT.
Ny place Of business is No. 1901 east
Cary. corner Seventeenth street For
about eight or ten years ! remember
losing stuff. brass. cut canvass, *. -
determined to watch and see whether
/ could not detoc. the thieves.
So five or six years ago / sat
up ali night i'm the dark. think. On
one night about 8 O'Clock ! heard OBJ,
bolt from the back door tnpped. th'
door opened. and this same man. the
man ! shot last wednesday night
came IN. / took of my shoes and
followed him. He went 20 and
took the key of the metal
room. filled bag with brass.
came out of the metal room, locked
the door. and hung the key back in MS
place. was lying ON the ilO1r Oplo-
site the metal room. lie took the bag
of brass on his bach. | fired 40 him.
lie stopped still: let fall the bag.
thought because had hit him. and ex-
pected every minute that he would
fall. After standing still "a few So
conds. he ran 10 the door. SHOT at
him. think it was two or three times
more Did not hit him. lie opened
the door and ran out.
The Coroner: Mr.. Smith. are you
pretty sure this is the same man ~
Yes. sir: l am sure of 1t.
A week later he passed the store. and
| told him could not understand how
| missed him. He laughed, aud said ii
was not him. l ted him | was sue 10
was he. and warned him 10 keep out of
there. thought had 80 frightened
him that he would never Try II again.
So | spoke to my clerk that there must
be stuff going out OF there. He said be
could not possibly see how there was
amy possible chance for them 90 get iu
there. s. the next day after the last
flood We moved all of our meta. and
lead into the next room. / came IN the