Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-09
SHOT DOWN AT HIS DOOR.
A Bloody Crime Committed In Bland's
Alley Today.

Alley Today.
Al OLD coLoRED Man THE VICTIM OF An OLD
soLDrHR's DRuNKHH RAoH-A SHOCKING SCENE
AFTER THE TRAdRDY-sINouLAR AELATIoNs
LEADING TO TEE SHOOTING.
Robert Kicks, an inoffensive old colored man,
was murdered . few minutes before o'clock
to-day by James Byrnes, drunken man, who
was once an inmate Of Soldiers Home.
The murder was committed in an open space
In the rear Of the Frsedman's Hospital, called
Bland's alley. It 10 place where many dis
reputable characters live and which many
others frequent
In some Of the shanties in the alley live young
coiored women Of dissolute habits, who man
age to get the earnings Of many of the old SOL
diers 10 the home. Some white men live in the
alley with colored females
That was what caused the murder TODAY.
BraSEs AND HIS VICTIM.
II appears that Byrnes had been living with
colored woman named Annie Lane and it was
on her account that he left the homo some
weeks ago
Some time ago the murderer rented room
over old Mr.. Kicks apartments, and it is
charged he paid more attention to the old
mans daughter than tho latter was willing he
should. Kicks many times told Byrnes to
Keep away from his room and his daughter.
out Byrnes refused to comply with the old
mans request.
BYRNRs NOCTURNAL APPEARANCE.
Last night about midnight Byrnes returned
to Bland's alley after q temporary absence.
He was drunk then and was looking for his old
sweetheart Ida Lane. Whether he found her
or not is not known, but he did succeed in
arousing several families in his effort to find
her.
All the morning Byrnes was around the
camp drinking and carousing and shortly after
l2;SO o'clock he called at old man Kicks rooms
to see his daughter Martha The latter was
not far away. Like the old soldier she WAS also
intoxicated
Mr.. Kicks told Byrnes what he had often told
MN before, to keep away from his house and
let bis daughter alone.
Byrnes, however, insisted upon entering the
mouse, aud everything that the old man said
was answered with an oath. Finally the old
man threatened him with the law, and said he
was going for policeman.
FOLLOWED HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE.
This only made the drunken man swear all
she more, and he followed Kicks out of the
house using threatening language.
The old man evidently became frightened
ana turned to zee whether Byrnes was going to
do anything or not, when he discovered that
the latter held revolver in his hand.
TWO SHOTS.
It was too late for the old man to get out OF
his way, for before he could even speak word
Byrnes pulled the trigger and sent 44-calibor
bullet into his chest
A second shot and another bullet entered the
other side Of the old mans chest
Celia johnson, a young colored woman who
was present, cried: There he goes; catch
him" and the man who had fired the fatal
pavli nA. q s.xa - l,;l L.
DROPPED AT HIS OWN GATE,
The fatally wounded man dropped Just at his
own front gate and was dead before physician
could reach him from the hospital.
which Is only a few hundred feet away
BYRNEs ARRESTED.
Policemen Matthew Mulloy and Fritz Passen
were soon upon the scene and they saw, Byrnes
drop his British bull dog" revolver and
him before he had gone far and
escorted him to the eighth precinct station on
y street, wher, he was charged with murder
He gave his age as thirty-seven and his occu-
patton as a laborer. Soon after the
killing the dead body was carried into the
house, where it was reviewed by hundreds Of
negroes who reside in that locality.
rIeurISs OVER THE DEAD.
The dead mans daughter Martha was asleep
at the time o: the shooting and when she was
awakened. the neighbors say, she tried to
fight the n over her dead fathers body and in
doing 30 she broke an oil lamp.
When told that her father was dead the
neighbors said she replied with an oath that
she did not care II he was
The deceased was more than sixty old and
had lived in that neiRhborbood many years.
He was sort Of Baptist preacher and often
held prayer meetings in the room in which he
lived.
WHAT eYRNEs SAYS.
When STAR reporter called at the station he
found the prisoner sitting on the iron bench
m his cell. He was greatly under the influence
Of liquor and was crying.
II know have got to suffer for what have
done, he said, and I am going to tell all
about the trouble"
He said he had trouble with a colored man
named Philip Williams and got the pistol to
protect himself against Williams He said he
had never wronged old man Kicks daughter
and that he and the old man had always been
on friendly terms and they had never quarreled
Il don't know what made me shoot him." he
cried.
LOOKING FOR MARTHA
The officers we're looking for Kicks daughter
Martha this afternoon for the purpose of lock-
ing her up.