Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-16
rnE LoMAx SHOOTING.
Testimony Given 1t the Coroner's Inquest
This Morning.

rnE LOMAx SHOOTING.
This Morning.
MANY WITNESSES SWORN AND SOME coxrRApIc-
TORY STATEMENTS HADE-orFIcERs eARvEY
AND MELLEN TELL THEIR sToRY-soAK SAT
GEORGE PAGE FIRED THE FIRST SHOT.
The shooting and killing of Charles Lomax.
the colored man, in >Howardtown Monday
night, as described in yesterday STAR, was the
only subject Of discussion in the Camp" yes
terday. All day long groups Of men and women
were seen about the streets, and nearly all we're
denouncing the action of the officer in taking
away one OF their number. Last night a num-
Der Of persons assembled at the house Of Mr..
E. b. johnson on Wilson street and discussed
the matter. Those who attended said that it
was not an Indignation meeting, but they SIM
ply met for the purpose of discussing the case
and collecting all the evidence they could to
present to the coroner's jury today.
WHAT THE POST MoRTEM SHOWED.
Coroner Patterson visited the house yester-
day and looked carefully over the ground
where every movement was made in order to
be able to make q thorough investigation Of
all the circumstances attending the arrest OF
the woman Rodella Page and the subsequent
shooting that ended In the death Of Lomax.
Deputy Coroner Schaeffer made q post NOR
tenn examination of the body in the afternoon.
He found that the bullet entered the man
forehead and lodged in the back Of the head.
On the left side Of the face we're marks of vio-
lence, and these the mother of the dead man
claims were inflicted by the officer after the
shooting. There was also bruise on the left
side of his head. which had been inflicted with
hRnaRfh 4 ~ n hlnQd
clot.
The inquest was held this morning. The
jury met at the eighth precinct station and
went in the patrol wagon TO the house of Mrs.
Loma1, where they viewed the body and were
sworn in the usual manner, to make full and
diigent inquiry into the manner Of Lomaxs
death.
RoDELLA PAGE TESTIMONY.
From there they went to the house Of the
woman, Rodella Page, who was sick in bed,
and took her testimony. She testified that on
the evening Of the shooting she went out and
met the officer, Mr.. Mellen. She inquired of
him if her husband had been arrested, and
said that her husband had done nothing. The
officer, she said, told her to shut up or he would
arrest her. She told HIM that she had done
nothing to be arrested for, and then he grabbed
her and rammed her against the house She
said something about only asking him a ques-
ton, and he replied: II don't give ="
and dragged her some distance. Officer Gar
vey was assisting him. While she was on the
pavement a shot was fired. but she did not see
the man who fired it. The officers left her and
went after the man who fired the shot
The jury then returned to the station, where
the hearing was resumed. Lawyer Oscar
Nauck was present as counsel for Officer
Mellen.
POLICEMAN GARvEY's EVIDENCE.
Policeman Carney testified that he went on
duty at o'clock, Monday evening with Officer
Mellen, and as soon as they had gone through
LIE Droit Park they noticed disorderly crowd
OF boys, and two of them they placed under
arrest. man who was in the crowd at the
patrol wagon used some bad language, and
they also arrested him. That man was Solo
mon Page. A few minutes later he heard his
partner blow his whistle, and when he
responded he saw the latter struggling
with a woman. Witness went to his assistance
and while the woman was on the sidewalk a
pistol shot was fired, the bullet striking wit
ness in the back. He turned and saw the man
with pistol in his hand. Officer Mellen pur-
sued him and witness did not lose sight of the
man until he turned into the alley from Wilson
street. He heard q shot fred while Officer
see who fired it. He afterward went to the
house and found that Lomax was dead In the
meanwhile witness telephonei to the station
that he had been shot.
LoMAx HAD A PISTOL
When examined by Juror witness said that
Lomax was the only man he saw about there at
the time nd he had pistol When the pur-
suit was started Officer Mellen was about
twenty yards in the rear of Lomax, but he
gained on him rapidly.
OFFICER MELLEN TEsrrFrEs.
Officer Mellen was next sworn and he de-
scribed the arrest Of the boys for being disor-
DERBY. The patrol wagon responded and the
boys we're sent to the station. The appearance
OF the patrol wagon attracted a large crowd
and one man. Solomon Page came up close to
witness and showed intentions of interfering.
and witness warned him that he had better not
interfere. He would not leave and witness put
him in the wagon with the boys.
Later Mrs. Page came out and used profane
language about the arrest Of her husband. Wit
ness told her that she had better go into the
house and keep out of trouble, whereupon she
said: 'You long-legged --.y you arrested
my husband, but you can't arrest me-"
MAN WITH PISTOL.
Witness put her under arrest and she laid on
the sidewalk and refused to go. The moon
was shining brightly at the time and witness
saw a man come around the corner of 4th
street. He had something in his hand and
pointed at them. Then he fired q shot and
Officer Garvey exclaimed I'm shot"
Witness pursued the man, and when going
through the alley he attempted to cock his
weapon and it went of accidentally.
When he reached the house behind the man
his mother, who was there, said: .'You can take
him."
While trying to get in the door witness said
his pistol was accidentally discharged and the
bullet went through the door. When he got
in he had his pistol in one hand and his baton
in the other. knowing the man had weapon
he thought best to cock his pistol to have it
ready in case Of an emergency. Witness heard
Lomax say: "Get out of here; get out of here ~
He said to him: young man, want you; you
are under arrest" Lomax repeated, SECT out
Of here" and added, ''Fu kill you"
THE FATAL SHOT.
He then fred one shot at witness and he
CMellen) returned the fire. killing him almost
instantly. Witness said that from the position
Of Lomax's weapon he imagined the bullet
went little to the left Of his (Lomax's) head
When questioned by the coroner witness said
that after the shooting he did not use his club
on the man, nor did he touch him. When the
trouble started at the door the mans mother
and grandmother went out Of the room and he
could not say whether they returned or not
The officer said that when Lomax fell upon
q box in the room he relaxed his hold upon the
pistol and witness picked it up.
The pistols used by the officer and the de-
roa aaI produrod Tho