Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-07-20
The Trial of Allen Drew.

The Trial of Allen Drew.
The trial of Allen Drew for the killing
of little Eddie Hatfield, the colored boy,
opened Saturday morning with host of
witnesses present-so many, in fact, that
officers had to clear the room of outsiders.
Judge Blyndenburgh appeared for Drew and
the state was represented by City Attorney
Daley and Attorney Hoadley. After the
complaints had been read and Drew had
pleaded not guilty of manslaughter, the
first witness, Mrs Lampkin, the mother of
the boy, was called. She testified to the
fact of her sons going out to the store, of
her hearing a shot and of her next seeing
him lying on the sidewalk dead She also
testified that man whom she thought to
be Drew was in yard near by in his shirt
sleeves.
Officer Taylor told what he knew of the
case and then Medical Examiner White de-
scribed how the bullet penetrated the ven
tricle and auricle of the heart and was
picked up lying loose in the cavity Of the
lung The bullet weighed 81 grains and
was of 80 calibre size. The bullet entered
the left side and passed through toward the
right side. The course of the bullet was a
little downward, showing that the bullet
was fired from a little above the height of
the boy.
On cross-examination the fact was
brought out that the ball did not strike a
bone or any cartilage and was little altered
from the original shape when removed
from the body.
Coroner Mix next testified that Drew
had spoken to him while he was engaged
in investigating the case, and that he,
Drew, on being told that he had better
tell what he knew of the case, said he had
been firing pistol in his back yard and
also produced two bullet cartridges such
as he had used. The defence then tried to
prove that in order that the bullet should
hit Hatfield it must have passed through a
board fence.
Daisy Jones, young colored girl of 1913
COTE street, swore that she saw man
firing a pistol in Drew's yard and immedi-
ately saw Eddie Hatfield fall to the walk.
Johnnie Mcclure, aged ten, who lived
next door, testified to the same facts. John
Williams, farm laborer, living at 81
Hudson street, described how a bullet
whistled past his head as he was crossing a
lot near Drew's house. He was not a little
frightened and proceeded to get out of the
way as soon as possible. Just then wo-
mans voice was heard saying to Drew,
"Look out, you'll hit someone" He dis
tinctly heard Drew's reply, which was as
follows, as nearly as he could remember
it:
1T don't care d if I shoot all the
d niggers in the neighborhood."
AS this testimony was given, sup
pressed groan arose from the seats occu-
pied by the colorsd witnesses.
Continuing his story, Williams said: ri
was coming up COTE street after the shoot
ing and Drew was coming the other way
toward group of people. Some one said,
What's upa' Drew replied, ooh, nothing,
only d little Niger dead, and sup
pose I shot him."
Again were groans heard from the wit
nesses. Belle Hawley, colored girl, testi-
fed that she saw Drew leaning his arm on
the fence and fire in the direction of COTE
street. Her testimony was not shaken on
CROSS examination.
Officer Hooper gave his opinion that
Drew's revolver could easily have carried
a bullet the distance from Drew's house to
COTE street with fatal results
He was confident of this, because he had
made experiments since the day of the
shooting The distance the bullet travel
ed before hitting young Hatfield was 235
feet.
The state then rested, and the case was
continued until tomorrow morning, when
the defense will be heard.