Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-29
THE STAB WAS FATAL
Mr.. THOMAS DIES FROM WOUNDS IN
FLlcTeO 5Y A NEGRO.
rost-Mortem and Inquest 90 BE Held To-
Day-The Man Stiii I'm
known.

From tho time deceased was wounded
htie hope was entertained tor his re-
co,cry.
Hc was never able to give a clear ac-
coun: Of how the trouble occurred. At
times he talked ahout the matter. bat his
statements regardingit differed materially.
how II OCCURRED.
From what can bo learned Thomas and
vrurc man named Walter Franklin. who
l,,c. on Seventeenth street. were together
Saturday night. Both of them were con
~drGabb under The influence Of Iquor.
Who're thcv spent the oariv part Of the
night rs not known. Shortly before mid
NIGHT they were Standing on the northwest
conner of CLAY and HARRISON streets near
Iauterbach's grocery store. One Of them
laI bottle of wMskcy. and IL seems that
some trouble was experienced IN pulling
The stopper. 4 negro man happened 20
come along and he was asked 60 open the
bottle. he took 10 in his hand and drew
knife from his pocket and went 20 work at
Wiulc the negro was at work with the
bottle Mr Willie Lautcrh1ck came 10 the
store door 20 close tho binding. Thomas
walked Up 90 him and sad he wanted 10
iuE FIVE cents worth of pickle. which Mr.
fsuiorbach got for hm. lie lIauterbach)
then locked the door from the inside.
THE MICRO WANTED rICsLK.
Tho negro having drawn tho stopper
gave the bottle 20 Thomas and asked the
iat'cr for piece Of pickle.
n sooms that the trouble began here.
Thomas told the negro that he Gldnt owe
him auv pickle, but the latter stllI demand
ci snare.
There was q scufie and finally the negro
started down Harrison street, telling
Iiomas u he wanted anything 70 come
% .uup and hewoul1 attend 90 nun. Thomas
w. krd down tine street 10 where the negro
was standing aud they may have cllnchod,
tr.ugh Mr. Thomas did not remember nor
could Mr.. Franklin SAY what happened at
f.- point IL was when he went down the
street after the negro that Thomas was
stabbed. Ho walked back 20 the door Of
1auterbachs store and fell on the SIDE
walk.
Nr. franklin remembers throwing the
bottle 0f wliskcv at ihe negro. but he can
r.r row tell whether 1t was before or after
Thomas was stabbed.
The negro. as soon az he had cut Mr..
Thomas, ran across the vacant lot on the
lu.th side Of Clay street.
TIE wIINEesFs.
TITO only witnesses to any part Of the o.
,..Irence were Mr.. Willie iauterbach and
N. Wright, who wGs watching an open
Dr'tcr which the city has dug on Clay
,tD" at that point.
w. lautCrbach saw Thomas and Frank
Im sanding near the store door and heard
,.c Ut them ask the negro (who happened
% 81. passing along to open the bottle.
Whom he (LhuteThach) gave Thomas the
p,rb.e be saw no more ot the trouble, and
didn't know what was gong on until he
heard Thomas come 20 the door and say he
Wae stabbed.
Nr Wright was some distance away and
could not see the men at oil when they
won't around the corner of the store on
Harrison street.
PoIICE AND pOCToEs.
Nh. Wright wont for the police. and
when they came Or. Brock was summoned
and rendered the necessary surgical aid.
Ii was 2.30 O'Clock before Thomas was IN
condition 70 be taken to his brothers
house, No. 1915 west Marshall.
Sunday morning DR.. Michaux was called
TO see Thomas and attended him until
death ensued.
THE NEGRO.
Neither Mr.. Thomas nor Mr. Franklin
could give a description of the negro.
MIR. LGuterbach says he was not over
TWENTY-FIVE years OF age, was OF ginger
bread color; had small moustache, and
wore q lght-coiOTcd hat
Mr.. Wright thinks the negro was almost
black.
The police were at work on the case all
day sunday and Yesterday, but having so
little information they are still in the
dark and hardly know how to proceed.
TBE KNIFE.
M Thomas was stabbed IN the left side
of hrs abdomen. Sergeant IomllnSon,
who has made % careful examination of tho
cuts m the clothing says razor was not
used, but that the weapon was knife with
blade nearly an inch wide.
Messrs. Thomas and Franklin did not
hot lttf nv fsf La.
buiie In his pocket after opening the bot
tie containing the whiskcy, but think II
probable he kept II III his hand until
Thomas was stabbed.
The wound was about two inches long
and the int"stiucs prOtru led, and II IS pos
-Iole Thomas caught cold while he lay upon
the sidewalk waiting Tor the physician.
TIE CORONER.
As soon as death occurred Coroner Tay-
lorwas sont for. ana after viewing the body
ard gathering all ;he information possible
ie ,k.cidcd 10 make pOSi-Hori7n eXamlna-
tou TINS morning and To hold an inquest
tui- afternoon at o'clock.
pHRsONAL.
Sir. Thomas would have been twenty
four years old in June had he lived 10 that
time. lie served ms apprenticeship al the
Chesapeake and Onio shops and was en-
li0yo1 a. mGchnlst at the Richmond
l41cDmDtfNe- ana Mutuluc~N " biAS, anu
lived with his brother, Mr. Henry Thomas,
90 No. I2l5 west Marshall street. He was
son of Mr.. Joseph Thomas. who also lives
with his son. 4 brother and two sisters
aud the mother live IL New York. They
wore teleEaphed for yesterday and Will
probably reach here to-day.
The place where the trouble occurred Is
just across the street from where Lucas
killed Grafton about two years ago.
um WOUND.
Dr. Michau1 sod last night that the
wound Wa on the left side just over the
hip-bOne. and Was about two or three
a. looked as If made bv q knife thrust
into the body aud afterwards pressed for
wurd or backward.
The injury ws- 30 the abdominal wall en-
tuClv: the bowels were not cut, but were
found partly protrudlng. These were re-
placed soon after Or. Brock reached the
sufferer and SUNDAY the two doctors
drained the cavity Of accumulated matter
Inflammation. however. had set in almoet
from the beginning.
Thomas was conscious nearly TO the last,
but was kept under the influence of opiates
o. considerable extent.
The condtt on OF the patients stomach,
from excessive use OF liquor. rendered II
impossible tor hun Ore,an the food gwen
him
Death was from pentonitis
The funeral will take place ~ AZ O'Clock
this afternoon from the Clay-Stroet Baptist
churcn.
M DROPPED THE CORK.
II seems that the first misunderstanding
between Thomas and the negro occurred
about the cork. which the latter dropped
when he took il from the whiskey-bottle.
u icll TO the ground and could not be
fouad again. and Mr.. laUteTbach then made
Thomas a brown-paper stopper, which was
put into the bottle
Ipis episode WAS q mere trife. but
Thomas wss further and much more anger
od when the darky requested n piece OF
the pickle. Indeed, be seems 10 have de
nanded il az q consideration for the yalua-
bic service he had rendered in uncorking
the wliskey. No one yet found appears 10
know where the liquor was purchased.
THE WRONG MAN.
The police last night arrested a negro
whom IL was thought might be the one