Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-15
THE HAINs-HANNEGAN SHOOTING.
Inquest by the Coroner's Jury at Hampton
Va, Yesterday.

Inquest by the Coroner's Jury at Hampton,
Va, Yesterday.
SEVERAL WITNESS WHO SAW THE AssAULr-coL.
BIRD AND COMMANDER EVANS GIVE TEsTI-
MOSY-REsULT OF THE DOCTORS ExAMINA-
TIoS-HASSEGAS's BODY BROUGHT HOME.
Owing to the request of Col. P. C. Hains the
father of Thornton Hams. and Mr. Hannegan.
father of young Hams victim. the coroner's in
quest on the recent tragedy in Hampton Roads
was held at Hampton yesterday afternoon.
WHAT COL BIRD SAW.
Col. Charles Bird, quartermaster, who occu-
pied cottage adjoining the light house in
front of which the shooting occurred. was
sworn and testified substantially as follows:
Last Friday about $40 pm. saw two men out
in a sail boat in front of my house. One man
sculling and the other was rowing. A
storm was coming up. / watched the men and
heard two shots and saw two puffs of smoke
The man near the mast fell over and then rose
up. heard a voice. but could not tell what
was said. He then fell back into the boat and
saw him no more. The boats drifted out
short distance. The boat was then sailed into
shore. / soon after saw young Mr.. Hams.
Don't know that il was him that was in the
boat not very far from light mouse wharf. The
man shot the one rowing. Did not see
boat was an ordinary canoe. The boat was
about 80 feet from shore. / cannot tell
whether any effort was made by the man row.
ing to raise oar to strike the man sculing.
was watching the boat three or four minutes
before the shots were fired. and was anxious to
see if it got out of the storm that were rising.
The sails were up, but was slack. it being then
calm, the storm not having commenced"
COMMANDER EVANS NARRATIVE.
Commander Robley D. Evans, who resides
just east of the light house. gave the following
account of the tragedy: ''About $50 p. m. last
Friday l was in boat with my son; a
black storm coming on and saw a small boat
near the first jetty. Two men we're in the
boat My son said they were Hams and
Hannegan. Hans was standing in the stern of
the boat watching the squall. Hannegan
was pulling the port oar. Haines I'M
shipped the rudder and went to sculling. l
heard their voices. Heard a conversation in
respect to getting ont of the squall. One said
4 don't care If VIC get inside. They were
about 100 feet from me- Mr.. Hams then turned
and fired two shots at Mr.. Hannegan in quick
succession. He then resumed his sculling.
HanneGan then fell slowly back into the boat.
1t seemed As though he pulled one or two
strokes after he was shot. Hannegan raised
himself up with his arm on the gunwale of the
boat and called:
"'Help, help On shore, there; this man has
shot and killed me-
HE held on a moment and then slowly fell
back into the boat. l thought at first they
were playing some prank. My son, who had
gone on shore. came running to me and said
that Hains had shot Hannegan. Hams sculled
the boat out some 200 yards. then shipped his
rudder and took down his jib. He then got
down in the boat. | told my son they were
the coolest men in storm ever saw. The
wind then began to blow. 1t also began to rain
and | walked to my house. Hams then put his
helm down and ran his boat on shore. My son
said, Here comes HaEnegan. moment later
he said, No; 1t Is Hams Hams then walked
to the hotel. The body was afterward taken to
the hospital.
Il knew Hannegan. but was not we'll ac-
quainted with him. / recognize the corpse be-
fore the jury as that of Ned Hannegan. was
about 100 feet from the boat when the shooting
took place. flanagan was pulling the boat
with both hands on the oar when shot. Did not
hear any dispute and know of no trouble be-
tween them
WHAT HANNEGAN SAID.
John GRAY said: About 63O or o'clock we
were tying up our barge. Saw a sail boat COM
ing. When the boat was about $50 yards from
us two shots were fired. The man shot said:
Bring small boat. | am shot The ebb tide
swept the boat out. Two men we're in the
boat. One man stood in the stern of the boat
sculling. The other was in the center of the
boat rowing. They were about $50 feet from
shore.a little east of the light house wharf. My
mate was with me. by my side. / thought the
men In the boat were fooling."
OTHER TESTIMONY.
Sinclair Smith (colored) said he was in a
boat. Saw the man that was sitting down
raise an oar and strike the man standing with
the oar; saw no rowing; the man picked the oar
up out of the boat when he struck the other
one who was standing. After being struck
the man fired two shots; have talked with no
one on the subject since the shooting; am sure
the man standing was struck with an oar
DIR. Peake said: Il have made an examina-
ton of the body of Hannegan. Saw evidence
of a gunshot wound on the outside Opened
the body and found that the ball had passed
into the heart and was necessarily fatal. Found
another gunshot wound near the bend OF the
right elbow. This not fatal one. The
wound that produced death was in the heart. l
have examined the body of the accused
Looked him all over carefully and found no
bruises, not even a scratch"
THE VERDICT.
The jury returned the following verdict:
That the said Edward A. Hannegan came to
his death by a gunshot wound and that the
fatal shot was fired by Thornton J. Hains who
was in the boat with him at the time"
Mr.. Hannegan carried the remains of his son
to Washington last night.