The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-09
SHOT BIZ THE NEGRO CONSTABLE.
Colored Newcastle Miner Has n Dis
astrous Ffght-His yersion

Colored Newcastle Miner Has n Dfs
astrous Fight-His Version.
James Pagan, q colored miner, was shot
through the right forearm by Richard Diamond,
the colored constable. ON Wednesday afternoon
about O'Clock, on the main street of NevcaE-
tie. and seriously wounded.
Robert Powell, known ameng the coiored men
a. "Senafor" Powell, gives the following ac.
count Of the shooting:
Matt Prairie and jefferson Jeffery, two of the
colored men employed at the Newcastle mine.
were discussing their relative merits as wrest-
iers, ana concluded to settle the matter by col
lar and elbow contest The men went out into
the street, midway between the butcher
snop and the company saloon, and
prepared TO wrestle. No sooner had the contest
commenced than large crowd gathered around
70 enjoy the sport Suddenly Richard Diamond,
the constable, rushed through the crowd, and,
without a word, struck Jeffrey In the face. A
lively scrimmage then took place between jeff
cry and the new arrival, in which Diamond got
the better OF Jeery, but in falling to the ground
the constable got one finger in his opponents
mouth and could not get it out In short
time both men arose to their feet, and Diamond
said to Jeffery:
.You may consider yourself under arrest"
Jefery answered, 81 will go with you when
you get a warrant."
His captor replied by pulling Colts revolver,
44-calibre, and remarking: mo; you viii go
now. and will kill the frst black ----
who moves"
At this point Uncle Jim Pagan, an old colored
man, interposed and said to Diamond: "Don't
shoot anyone, he will co.
Inc reply was: "No: stand back, the first
black man who moves I will blow his brains
out"
Pagan replied that the man could be arrested
without any blood shed and moved away. Dia-
mond hourished his gun and was using vile
oaths when the gun went OF and the bullet en-.
tered the old mans arm just below the elbow.
The wounded man was removed to the ONCE of
the company's physician. Diamond followed
and when asked by Pagan why he shot, re-
piled:
sit was accidental; II you hadn't been in the
way you would not have been shot"
Mr. Powell also stated that after the shooting
diamond swore out warrant for Jeffery and
Prairie and placed them under arrest They
were taken to Sol Millers house and guarded
by Onicer Crump. Az Diamond was walking
down the street he met william Franklin, of
Seattle, who said: 81 don't think that was
right" This angered Diamond, and, Powell
says, he called to sold Dick" keeper at the
mouth OF the tunnel: "Go get him, dead or
alive"
Franklin objected to go on the ground that he
had not done anything, whereupon old Dick
emphasized his orders with a shot, which for
tunately did not hit him. Franklin was fright
ened at this and allowed them to lock him up
with Prairie and Jeffery.
The wounded man was brought TO Providence
hospital yesterday afternoon, where DIR. Rufus
Smith dressed the wound. He stated that the
bullet went through the feshy part OF the FORE
arm, causing compound fracture OF the ulna
and radius. While the wound liz serious there
is no immediate danger of his losing the arm.
He said to PosT-INTELLIGKNCER reporter that
he would swear out a warrant for Diamonds
arrest Immediately on a charge of assault with
deadly weapon.
There Is doubtless another side to the story,
for Powell is evidently friend of Pagan. As
Diamond was at Newcastle, however, his YER
sion OF the affair could not be obtained.