Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-25
THE MURDER OF SHEPHERD.
The Trial OF jenkins and Hawkir
Begun This Mornfnx

The Trial OF jenkins and Hawkins
Begun This Morning.
The trial Of Augustus Jenkins and Fred
erick Hawkins. both colored. indicted for
the murder Of Benjamin NJ. Shepherd on
the morning Of January % last was begun
today before Justice Cole in Criminal Court
No 2. Messrs French & French appeared
for the defendants. District Attorney Biz
ney and his assistant. Mr.. Jeffords, repre-
senting the government.
No difficulty was experienced in securing
g jury. After the twelve men. Messrs M
L. Tyree. VIM. Grimes, Geo. w. Ashton,
Samuel Deem, Chas. E. Garrett. Henry L.
Onet, b. b. Earnshaw, NJ. ]. Maher. Henry
T. Elliott Fred Freeman, John w. Funk
ana Andrew Loeff1er, had been sworn Mr.
Jehords opened for the government and re-
lated the story of the crime. 1t was to the
effect that on the morning in question Ben
tamin M. Shepherd, his brother, Henry
shepherd, and two others, named Ed Smith
and VIM. Ross. all colored, entered Drury'
saloon, at the corner of Goth and L streets
northwest. The defendants, Jenkins and
Hawkins, at the time were engaged in a
rant
As the deceased and his party entered
the defendants endeavored to start a diff
Guilty with the newcomers. Mr. Drury then
requested the crowd TO go outside IL a fight
was to occur. The shepherds, Smith and
Ross complied Immediately and started
down the street. Shortly after they were
followed and overtaken by Jenk.Ss and
Hawkins. Hawkins handed Jenkins a
knife, and the latter stabbed Benjamin M
Shepherd in the abdomen. The assailant
was knocked down by Henry Shepherd
Hawkins helped him to arise, and urged
him to keep up the fight. The row con-
unued few moments longer, when the
parties separated, Shepherd being car
m q fol NH ha a a6 I,v,
uary 2S. Within an hour Hawkins and
Jenkins were placed under arrest. The
defense reserved its opening.
Witnesses to the Affair.
Henry Shepherd, the brother of the de-
ceased, was the first witness placed on the
stand by Mr.. Birney. He gave his address
as 2043 NJ street northwest, and his occu-
patton that of a barber; the shop where
he works being located at 422 18th street
northwest. The witness testimony was
substantially the same as the account of
the crime given by Mr.. Jeffords
On cross-examination Mr.. French endeay-
ored to show that the witness is a resident
of Helrs Bottom, and e. sparrer of consid-
cradle local repute. but Mr.. Birney made
objection. and was sustained by Judge Cole,
who remarked that at this stage of the trial
the fact of Shepherd being a giant or a
prize fighter had no bearing In the case.
William NJ. Drury, the proprietor Of the
saloon at the northwest corner Of 10Th and
L streets, was the next witness. All he
knew about the difficulty was the words he
heard pass between the men in the saloon.
Witness asked them to step outside, and
they did so. A moment later he received
information that trouble was in progress.
When no reached the doorway the difficulty
was over, but Jenkins was standing at the
street corner with knife in his hand. Mr..
Drury, on cross-examination, stated that
Ross " as not in the saloon when he reach
ed there about IL o'clock on the morning of
the 2ed, and also that Jenkins and Hawkins
remained in the room five minutes after the
others departed.
Mr.. Peter A. Drury, a brother Of the pre-
vious witness, was present in the saloon
during the trouble, and also saw a portion
of the row in the street. On looking from
a window the witness observed Jenkins
rising from the sidewalk. The accused
struck Benjamin Shepherd several times
but no knife could be seen by Mr.. Drury.
Edward Smith, who was with Shepherd
party entered the saloon and had three
rounds of drinks. Jenkins said to Shepherd
I'm id good man." Shepherd replied
Excuse me- mister, / don't know you, but
1 don't blame you for being q good man, 81
Jenkins took offense at the answer of Shep-
herd. The remainder of the remarks OF
this witness agreed materially with the ac-
counts of the trouble as told by the others
On cross-examinatton the witness admitted
that at present he is serving a term in jai
for violating the liquor law. The deceased
and his party were sober at the time of the
row, Ben Shepherd, according to the wit.
ness having taken but one drink of whisky
At this point, 1t being 1890 o'clock, a re
cess WAS taken until tx a'clnCk