Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-04

by the Coroner for Causing 10
Keegan's Death.

Committed by the Coroner for Causing John
Kesgan's Death.
''That John Keegan came to his death about
6 am. January 8, 1892 at the Emergency Hos
rstal from hemorrhsge caused by a peuetratiug
knife wound inflicted about 10 pm. january .
with a knife held in the hands of Samuel Mas
ters was the verdict of the coroner jury yes
terday at the inquest held at the sixth pi ecinct
Station.
John Keegan and Samuel Masters were sho
makers and the fatal ARRAY betxeen them &C.
Cured in the shoe shop Of Samuel Reeder, cor
ner of 18th and E streets northwest Keesan
was found lying on the sidewalk in front Of
Albaugh's Opera House about IL o'clock Satur-
day night by nr Jesse Carr The latter
thought that the man on the sidewalk was in.
toXIcated, hut grOan of pain convinced him
that liquor was not the only trouble. Assist
ance Was summoned and the man war carried
10 the Emergency ospital. where II was ascer-
tanned that he had been stabbed and could not
recover. The wound was In the lett chest.
Just over the heart. and the knife had passed
through The breast bone and severed the right
vcntrIcle of the heart. causing hemorrhscs
As soon A. the police learned Of the affair they
went in search Of Masters. He was found III
coal box near Sd and Il streets southwest by
Policemen HeisH and Hutchinson.
Mr.. Eeeder. in whose shop the fatal wound
was inflicted was the principal witness at the
inquest and he described To the jury the cir
cnmstances attending the stabbing He testi-
ned that Masters came into his shop about
o clock SRtur day night and said he only stopped
10 settle q small bill. but witness had some
work for him and he remained and did II for
witness. John keegan came IN shortly after
ward and commenced TO talk about IA difficulty
h. Ill la.fr rtfI d. IT,
mas. keegan said that he did not remember
much about that affair. a. he had been drink
ing on that occasion. About IL O'Clock the
two men began skylarkIng, and witness had no
idea that there would be trouble. He thought
they were friendly and that WAS all there WAS
about it, but keeSsn handled Masters
little roughly and the latter sand that
he was too old man 10 stand
such foolisbness. Witness seeing there was
going TO be trouble spoke to the men, telling
them that he did not want any trouble III his
shop. He had hardly warned them before
Keegan threw Masters across the shoe bench
The latter begged him to stop and asked to be |
let ale ne, when witness caught keegan by the |
shoulder and told him to &c out OF the shop. |
Thsn 1t was that heegan said he WAS cut, and |
witness advised him TO &C to the hospital. He |
started IL that direction, but dropped on the |
81 1ewaik before reaching there. Witness told |
of the trouble that occurred the day after /
Christmas between Reegan. Matters ami a man |
named Hawkins. Liquor was the cause of that !
trouble. aud heegan while intoxicated used |
some threatening language concerning Masters !
and Hawkins.
EESRY L. HAWKINS TESTIMONY.
Henry L. Hawkins. another shoemaker, testi- |
fed that he separated the men Keegan and |
Masters. keegan then attacked him and he |
ended the trouble by knocking KeeSan down. |
Witness met Masters Saturday night about ii |
o clock and he said he had cut kee6an.
MASTERS CLAIMS sELF-DEFESsE.
Masters, who did the stabbing, is nearly sixty |
years old, while keegan was a young man. The |
former lived On Sd street southwest, and the |
latter, who was the only support of an aged |
mother brother and sister. lived on Virginia |
avenue near 18th stree. Masters claims that |
he did the cutting in self-defense. He WAS COM
mltteG to jail to await the result of the grand |
jury Investigation, and Keegan's body WAS |
turned over to his relatives.