Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-29
Result Of the Coroner's Inquest Over the
Body Of Ben M. Shepherd
Evidence Showing That Gus. jenkins
Stabbed Him-Fred. Hawkins Said
to Have Given Him the Knife.


In the custody Of Sergt. Keefe and Officers
McGrann and Wheeler of the third precinct.
Frederick Hawkins, another and very
plack young man, was also under arrest,
charged with having furnished the murderer
with the knife and otherwise aided and
abetted him in his attack. The two men
We're held for the action Of the grand jury,
charged with murder
Inc members of the jury were Henry F.
Ken, A. j. LIE Jambre, N L. Fitzkugh. Thos.
y. Henderson, George E. Hutchns and Sam
uel w. Stinemetz.
DIR. JOhnsOn's Testimony,
Inc first witness in the case was Dr.
Lincoln johnson Of the hospital staff who
attended the deceased. He testified that
Shepherd was brought to the hospital last
Monday in the forenoon, suffering from
shock as the result of stab wounds of the
abdomen. The wound was properly at
tended to and the operation of laparotomy
was performed about an hour later The
deceased made no ante-mortem statement.
When he was brought to the hospital the
injured man seemed to be somewhat under
the influence of liquor, but was able to an
swer questions coherently. The cause of
death was hemorrhage resulting from the
stab wound. and the post-mortem proved
what was already known, that the aSSail-
ants knife had penetrated an abdominal
tumor. There were no evidences of other
disease apparent, either when the man was
brought in or at the post-mortem.
Results of the Autopsy.
Dr. Edward NJ Schaeffer who performed
the autopsy on the body yesterday after
noon, detailed the results of his examina-
ton. The only wound was one made by a
knife in the lower part Of the abdomen.
The direction of the wound was slightly
downward The intestines were not cut.
On dissecting the discovery was made that
the man had had the most curious mall
formation of the left kidney. which was
quite hollow and fourteen inches long. The
knife had penetrated this and caused the
fluid to out. With the exception of
this malformation the man was in good
health, and the cause of Death was the
stab wound and the resultant hemOrrhage.
The Deceased's Brother.
Henry NJ. Shepherd, the brother of the de-
ceased, testified that he was present when
the assault occurred last Monday. He and
his brother went into a bar room at the
corner Of Goth and l. streets and Jenkins
and a man named VIII Ross were in there.
Dewey tried to eject Jenkins, who was max
ing some trouble. Jenkins came out and
had few words with Ben Shepherd, which
ended in Jenkins striking Shepherd with his
fist and then lunging at him with knife.
Witness knocked Jenkins down before the
latter stabbed Ben and after he had struck
him. The deceased had never known his
sailant prior to the morning of the cutting.
No one in the party was drunk and the at
tack was entirely unprovoked.
Other Witnesses Of the ARRAY.
Edward Smith. colored. who lives in the
peighborhood Of the scene of the ARRAY,
was the next witness. There were four
rounds of drinks in Drury's place Ben.
Shepherd took cigars. Jenkins tried to
pick a quarrel with Shepherd. who tried to
avoid him. and left the place. Jenkins
started out after Shepherd, and said to
him: You said something / don't like"
and then he made three lunges at him with
knife. All were peaceful and trying to
| avoid a quarrel. but Jenkins seemed de-
termined to prove to the crowd that he was
bad man." Deceased was a quiet, hard
working man.
Frederick r. Watts, young colored
man, who saw the ARRAY, described the in
cidents which preceded the trouble. Jen-
kins was drinking whisky. and was in
Jenkins a knife. and then Jenkins ran out
with it and stabbed at Ben. Then he tried
to stab Smith and Henry Shepherd, but
they managed to escape. There had been
no threats made nor blows struck, and the
deceased had done nothing to anger Jen-
kins. He had never heard of there being
any trouble between the two men.
Henry Walker, a cOlored hack driver, gave
corroborative testimony about the fight
which made it look all the more like an
unprovoked ARRAY. He saw Hawkins lay
his hand on Jenkins shoulder and say: I'll
stay with you" He saw the knife in Jen-
kins hand, but did not see the blow. No
one else in the crowd had any weapons
Peter A. Drury, a white man. the brother
of the man who keeps the saloon, testified
that he was present when the trouble be-
Shpnhar6S mi ~
at Drury's request Then Jenkins went out
after them and witness went to the door.
He saw Jenkins getting up from the ground
with knife in his hand.
John Morris, a bartender In Drury's
place, testified that he was behind the bar
when the war of words began. Dr1lry ask
ed Jenkins to leave the place, but the latter
refused. Then he asked the Shepherds and
Smith to leave, and they did so. Jenkins
followed them and witness saw the stab
bling from the window.
William Hunaker, a young white boy,
who saw the cutting, testified that ne saw
Jenkins cut three times at Shepherd. but
| saw no weapons in any one lese's hand.
The Officers Evidence.
Officer Alfred w. Parham of the police
force stated that 1t was just three minutes
to 10 o'clock when Ed. Smith came into the
station house with the wounded man. Wit
ness arrested Jenkins after a run and on
the way back to the station he asked Jen-
kins why he had cut Shepherd.
'Ill cut any $500 who raps me in the
neck that way"
We'll, you've got yourself in a pretty box
now" was the officers comment.
II don't give a -. I'd Just as soon
be in Jail as anywhere else"
The officer stated that at the station
house Jenkins refused to be searched and
that when they did search him they did
not find the knife.
The Verdict.
This closed the testimony, as the two men
who were under arrest. by the advice Oh
their counsel. refused to answer any ques-
lions. After being out for a few moments
the jury returned with a verdict to the
| effect that the deceased came to his death
as the result of a stab wound inflicted by
Augustus Jenkins He was held for the
grand jury, as was also Hawkins, who was
held as an accessory. While the jury were
out these two precious specimens waited in
a most unconcerned and nonchalant man.
ner, chatting with the officers and Others
| as though 1t were an everyday affair to be
charged with murder. which only added
to their fame.