Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-09-13
FIVE SHOTS AT SHORT RANGE

Policeman John Chambers Shot and Nor
tally Wounded byn Man Upon Whom
He Was Serving Il Warranted Fusilade
of Shots on the Stairway--Lynching
Threatened by an Excited Crowd.
PHHADELrlIA, Sept. lit was the
fate of Policeman John Chambers Of
the Twenty-sixth district, to be MORALLY
wounded by Charles G.. McCloskey, of
No. 253l East Dauphin street, while
serving warrant on him last evening.
No more exciting stairway tragedy has
occurred in the city in recent years,
and Officer James Stewart, who was
with Chambers aud in the midst of his
fusiladc Of five bullets, thinks he was
mighty lucky to escape with only shot
through his sleeve.
Officer Chambers had entered the
handsome residence of McCloskey, a
man OF means, 10 arrest him on Il war
rant for making u nuisance of himself
in various Objectionable ways before
the women and girls of the neighbor.
hood. Indeed, 40 or more neighbors
had signed petition for the warrant Of
arrest.
AT the foot of the stairway in the
front hall McCloskey mot Officer Cham
beers. Retreating up the stairway, fol.
lowed by the officer, McCloskcy fired n
bullet from heavy Colts navy re-
volver. 1t whizzed past Chambers head
as he stood on the fourth step, and was
followed by four other shots in quick
succession. .s.
At the fifth fire Officer Chambers fell,
the bullet from the revolver having
pierced his right breast. AS he fell he
exclaimed ~ am shot ~ and as he
placed his right hand, still holding the
warrant, against his breast the crimson
blood saturated II.
Officer Stewart. who had rushed in at
the first fire, and whose coat was rid
died by the third shot, caught Chambers
as he fell, and carried him outside the
house aud to the pavement
A crowd of several hundred people
soon gathered around, and word was
sent to the station house, only few
blocks away. Lieutenant McGarvey,
with Sergeant Shaffer and District Sur
geon Slnnamon, ran to the scene of the
shooting, and while DR.. Sinnamon at
tended to the wounded officer, the
others forced their way into McCloskey's
house. Rushing upstairs in the dark,
for all the lights in the house had mean
while been put out, they found Nc
| Closkey, trembling with fear, hiding
behind his wife III one of the rooms.
Sergeant Shaffer collared him, and
when the officers reached the street the
crowd was with difficulty restrained
from lynching the prisoner on the spot.
1t was as much as the officers could
do to keep the people from putting their
threats of lynching into execution.
Special Officer Spealer searched the
house and found, hidden under bed
the revolver with which the shooting
was done, with five chambers empty
lie also found one other revolver, o
mate to it; TWO large dirk knives and @
heavy blackjack in u closet.
Officer Speaker arrested McCloskey's
wife Mary and his daughter, Mrs. Katie
Wharton, who, with her two-years. old
child, were IN the house at the time Of
the shooting. They also were locked vi
in the station house.
The wounded officer and his assailan
were taken to the Episcopal Hospital in
the same patrol wagon, where McCloskey
was fully identified as the man who did
the shooting.
Dr. Oeever, at the hospital, could give
but little hope Of saving the life OF the
officer.
Officer Chambers is SO years old, and
resides at No. 2l46 Dickinson street
where he has wife and five children.