Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-24
HOW TABEN WAS KILLED.
The Curious Battle Between Two Old Colored
Men.

Men.
FACTS BROUGHT OUT AT THE INQUEST YESTERDAY
AN Az AND MUsKET BROUGHT INTO SERVICE
THE KILLING FINALLY DONE WITH A KNIFE
WHAT THE WITNESSES SAID.
Saturday afternoon the dead body of Eman-
uel Taben, the colored man who died at Provi-
dence Hospital from the effects Of injuries re-
ceived during row with Thomas Heath, an old
shoemaker, at No. ITO c street southwest Sun
day, the 18th, was removed to the morgue,
where Deputy Coroner Schaeffer made post
norton examination.
Asheretofore published in The STAR, both
men we're upward Of sixty years old and occu-
pied adjoining rooms in the same house.
Yesterday morning at II o'clock Coroner
Patterson held On inquest at the sixth precinct
station.
SHE LIVED II THE NEXT ROOM.
Sarah Christian. q colored woman who occu-
pies room in the house adjoining the one
where the crime was committed, was the first
witness sworn. She described the premises.
The houses are Nos 10S and ITO G street south
west. The second floors of both houses are
reached by the same stairway. The prisoner
and deceased occupied room each on the first
floor Of house No. ITO. One week ago about
O o'clock in the afternoon she said the trouble
began. The trouble, she said, was caused by
Heath's Directing to the deceased's using the
back gate. Taben, the witness said, was on his
way out of the yard. when Heath came out and
said:
.You has way Of going out that back gate
and m going to put stop to it. Tomorrow l
am going to put lock on it and keep you
from going out that way"
Taben responded: If you put a lock on 1t
I'll break it off. I've fixed that gate so that it
can be opened and shut for convenience"
Heath replied that he would commit peni-
Tertiary offense if he did SO and added: "You
have been threatening to knock me down and
beat me if bothered you.
This day you will have it to do, for intend
to kill You - by the help Of my Maker"
Taben replied: If you are a better man than
/ am you can do it." He added, "If you say
threatened to beat you If you bothered me,
you is an old gray-headed liar"
Heath ran back and tried to get pole, but
he could not get it, and then he felt about his
pockets. but did not take anything out.
Taben was then returning to the house. He
had pipe in his mouth and both hands in his
pockets. He said to Heath: Go away old
man. don't want any bother with you today"
HEATH PICKED UP AN Ak.
Heath then picked up an ak and held it with
both hands. Taben said: ''Look here. old man,
is you going to hit me with my own ax?''
"Yes," answered Heath. ''you d. in
tend to kill you" Heath then struck at Taben
with the ak. and in attempting to ward of the
blow the latter caught the ak on his arm. The
prisoner made a second attempt to use the ak
when he went down and Taben went on top of
him. saying: I've got a good mind to kill
you"
When the men arose both had hold of the Ak.
and after scuffle witness and others separated
them. The men again clinched inside the
house. Heath biting Taben and the latter chok-
ing him. Finally the men were pushed into
their rooms and witness locked Tabens door
from the outside.
HE GOT A MUsKEr.
In few seconds Heath appeared with
musket, which he leveled through Taben's
window. Taben said: I'm done with it: my
passion is over and I'm sorry that the trouble
happened on Sunday among church people,"
Heath, however, was still in for a fight and
he remarked: I'm kill you this night. If l
don't d me" Heath then returned to the
room. and about 6 o'clock she heard Taben cry:
Hes got me. Come take the knife out OF me.
He's stuck me to my heart
When questioned by a juror witness said that
she had never seen either OF the men take
drink.
Anthony Christian, cclored, told what he
knew of the trouble and said that Heath was a
very disagreeable old man.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF IT.
John Mansfield, who also lives in one Of the
two houses, described the trouble az he saw it,
He said that the trouble was about the use of
an clubhouse, and it was the door to that house,
and not the back gate, that caused all the
trouble. After telling Of the conversation be-
tween the men concerning the lock on the door
he said Taben started toward the house and
Heath started back in the same direction. When
Heath reached the wood block he picked up
the AK. Witness saw Taben receive the first
blow Of the ak on his arm. and when Heath
attempted to use the ak again the weight Of it
threw him down. Taben then jumped on Heath
and he laff mo
you"
Taben said: 81 could kill you, but won't"
Heath started to get up, when Taben struck
him on the head with an ak and knocked him
over Riley Gritfen pulled Taben off Heath
and they both got up. The men clinched and
Taben hit Heath. Taben was showed in the
door and Heath went to his room and got his
musket. He made use of an oath and said: I'm
kill him this night" Heath then came through
| the side alley to the back window with the
musket. but he did not see a chance to shoot
! Taben and so he returned to his room. Wit
ness afterward Heath at the front door
| with knife in his hand. He again returned to
his room and witness thought that the trouble
| was over. In a few minutes Taben came out of
his room to go for some coal oil. He came
out of his room into the hall and stopping
down to pick up his oil can when Heath ran out
| Of the room and stabbed him.
HES GOT ME Now"
Taben exclaimed, "Help me, I'm gone. He's
got me now. Come pull the knife out Of my
side" Witness grabbed him and put him in
| his room and went for an officer. Witness was
asked how long it was from the end of the first
| fight to the time that Heath appeared with the
| musket and he replied Ten minutes" He
had time to load the musket. We heard him
| ramming in the load, but thought it was only
one Of his capers.
Augusta Johnson, colored. testified that she
saw the stabbing.
THE MEDICAL TESTIMONY
DR.. Schaeffer testified to making the autopsy.
He found an open incised wound in the right
chest an inch and half long. The fourth rib
| was cut clean in two and the surface Of the
! lung was also cut Death, he believed resulted
from hemorrhage and Inflammation Of the
lung. Witness also found cut on the left arm
| and slight scars on each shin.
SELECTING NAME.
There was discussion az to the name of the
deceased, each witness calling him by differ
ent name, but they all sounded alike. He was
/ called Taben. Tapen. Tapers and Tables and