The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-06-25
right al Brandywlne sprinrs.

wine Springs yesterday which was
participated in by colored people from
this city, Philadelphia and Chester.
Those from this city reached the
grounds at an early hour, and as al
most everyone had bottle of common
whlskey the majority of the men were
In pugilisitlc condition by the timo
the Baltimorean arrived. The visitors
from the Monumental city knowing
that under no circumstances Ffuid
liquor be procured on the grounds not
only carried well filled bottles but
were also well filled themselves by the
time they arrived at the Springs.
Consequently it was not long after
their arrival until there was u fight,
which led to others.
The Wilmington negroes accused
the Baltimoreans of not being able to
shine among the dusky citizens, and
| this succeeded In angering the Balti-
moreans. Tho result was they declar-
| ed war Immediately. The attack was
made with razois This was about /
O'Clock in the afternoon, and brawl at
ter brawl was started, until the picnic
ended in shooting match about 4
o'clock. which capped the climax for
the day.
As soon as one fight was ended
eH1tih1i botsaHs GNtlS iHdu III tliG
fight had a razor, and welded 1t as
best he knew. One individual declar-
ed that he saw eight iaZorS flashing In
the air at one time.
One OF the excursionists gives the
following version of the affair:
Our people had been fussing all
day. They had been drinking freely.
About 4 O'Clock party of us were all
seated about lunch table sust across
the creek from the large pavilion. A
fuss arose between Mamie Morris and
another woman whom / did not know.
| Bessie Yates had also been In tho fight
and was doing some loud talking.
While these two were engaged in q
hand to hand fight, a short man of
dark complexion jumped right up on
| the table and exclaiming, Look out,
all you black -, began firing. Bull
let's flew in all directions. The first
person TO fall was Mamie Morris. She
| fell backwards exclaiming: I'm shoti
I'm shotr At the second report of the
| pistol her husband, Joseph Morris,
staggered. He was shot in the side.
"AEoth slota th ballstruck the
Baltimore woman in tho shoulder.
| There was the widest confusion. Some
yelled murder while others began
screaming at the top of their voice.
4
grounds, and he did not attempt to
| quell the disturbance. He could not
II he. had tried. There must have been
| thousan d persons ON the scene in a
moment. i snw the fellow who did
| the shooting, but did not knew linn.
As soon as he fired he jumped down
| from the table and fled across the field
just southeast of the picnic grounds.
| mo one attempted to follow the
man. In fact 1t was done so quick
that very few knew who had done the
shooting until it was all over. The
wounded woman was carried into the
pavilion near by to await the arrival of
the train for Wilmington"
| The bullets flew thick and fast, and
the only wonder Is that scores of peo-
pie were not struck, and that no one
was killed. Those who were hurt are
as follows:
Joseph Morris of Ninth and Wilson
| streets, this city shot in the side;
wound not serious.
| Mary Morris, wife of Joseph Morris,
shot In the right cheek; wound serious.
Josephine Blakely, residence Balti.
more, Ald., shot In the left shoulder.
Some OF tho others injured were
Bessie Yates, OF this city, who had an
eye closed by being hit by q stone;
Josie Robinson, of No. 1898 Decatur
street, Philadelphia, cut about the
head; George Burton, Baltimore, badly
cut about the head with a razor. A
number OF other persons, whose names
are unknown. We're cut badly about
the head and body. These people were
/ mostly from Baltimore and other
| places.
1t is said that the man who did the
greater part oil the shooting belongs
in this city, and lives on East Thfr-
| teellth street.
The Morris woman, who was hurt
! the worst al any, was brought To this
city on the train arriving here at d. Is
| o'clock, and taken to the Delaware
| Hospital.
Au examination by the physicians
/ showed that the wound Is not danger
Gus. The bali had struck her upon
the check, grazed the iawbone, and
passed out Just below the eye, SHE
| was afterwards removed to her home
at Ninth and Wilson Streets Her hus-
bands wound was not serious He was
able to walk home. The Baltimore
woman also was able to continue the
journey home.
1t is estimated that there were nearly
5000 persons on the excursion, as it
certainly was the most disorderly
crowd that ever visited the grounds.
Many OF tho men and women were
drunk before they left the trains, and
among the latter were some OF the
most disreputabie females to be found
in the slnms Of any city. The fact
that almost every man was armed with
Il pistol, knife or Il razor, shows that
they went to the place with the inten-
ton Of having n light
No blame whatever can ttach to
Manager Crook for this unfortunate
affair, as he did everything possible to
preserve order.
Some of the negroes from Philadel-
phia and Chester commenced to fight
on tho train after leaving this city, ON
theirretuln home, and the conductor
was obliged to put some of them off.
One of the ringleaders was arrested
and locked up in Chester.
In the Name of the Prophet,