Evening star., 1895-03-05
Inquest Today Over the Body Of
Reuben Foster.
A POuCEMAN'S FATAL BULLET
Excitement Among the CoIored
Residents of Anacostia.
THE w1TNEs sEs TO-DAY

man Green in Anacostia yesterday after
room, as printed in yesterdays Star,
caused & feeling of indignation among the
colored people in Anacostia and Hillsdale.
and all yesterday afternoon and even after
dark groups of men and women stood
about the streets and discussed the case.
About Douglass Hall, near where the
shooting occurred, there came near being
a public demonstration, and many of those
who stood about denouncing the affair were
anxious that an indignation meeting should
be held, but none was held last night.
A large crowd of the colored people as
sembled in front Of the home of Lawyer
| Moss, colored, almost opposite Douglass
Hail. and a delegation endeavored to exact
a promise from the attorney that he would
not appear in the defense OF the oH1cer,
which promise he would not make, and
later he was retained to assist in the case.
While the crowd was In the street and
excitement was running high Lawyer Hew-
lett, also coIored, who takes a prominent
part in having policemen prosecuted
slipped from street car, and he was
The body of the dead man was removed
to the morgue for an autopsy to be made,
and Officer Green was removed from Ana
costa to the fifth precinct station, where
he was given more comfortable quarters.
Sergeant Kirby, who was on duty at the
time, was directed by the coroner to sum-
mon a jury to meet at the sixth police sta
ton at o'clock this afternoon, and he had
summoned the following citizens: ]. W..
BARLEY, Harry Beers, ]. B. Redd, William
Jordan c. r. Dodge and Henry Sanderson.
The jurors are acquainted with both the
officer and the character Of the dead man.
Reuben Foster, although not more than
twenty-one years old, had gained for him.
self a reputation which was well known to
the citizens and police alike and many Of
the former were afraid of him, as he had
figured in so many fights and had been
known to go armed. During the past two
years he had been arrested nearly twenty
times, and had served a number of terms
In the Jail and on the farm.
At the Station.
In addition to a number of witnesses.
there were many colored persons from An
acostia at the sixth precinct station this
afternoon, anxious to hear the testimony,
but they were excluded from the room.
Besides the witnesses who were present
at the time of the shooting. counsel for
the officer, Lawyers c. Maurice Smith and
john A. Moss. had summoned witnesses
to tell of threatS that Foster had made
against the officers while he was in the
work house.
The officer was present at the hearing.
with his counsel. and Coroner Hammett
was assisted by Deputy Coroner Glaze
brook. Mr.. Edwin Forest. the stenogra-
pher, took the testimony for the officer.
The first witness examined was Deputy
Coroner Glazebrook, who described the
condition of the body when he made the
inquest this morning. He told of the
flesh wounds on the arm and leg of the
colored man, which were inflicted during
the fight Sunday night Witness then de-
soribed the hole made by the bullet from
the policemans pistol. The bullet had not
entered the skull, but had cut the spinal
cord. The bullet had inflicted a wound
which was necessarily fatal and must
have caused almost instant death. The
deceased was powerfully built and mus
cular man.
DR.. j. A. Watson of Anacostia was next
examined, and he told of the visit Foster
paid to his office yesterday morning. Wit
ness dressed a wound on his arm, which he
said was so painful during the night that
he had been unable to sleep. The cut was
very small, but had severed superficial
vein and he had lost considerable blood.
Witness said that the wound was only a
trifling one. Yesterday, after the shooting,
witness was called by Officer Green, and
Hall. On his way there he met a wagon,
in which was the body of the dead man.
When the body reached the station witness
probed the wound.
His Character Bad.
Sergt. Kirby was next examined. He was
at home when a colored man, riding OFF,
Ger Green's horse, came there and told
him, Policeman Green has killed Foster.
and wants you to come around there"
'I believe his name is Forester, but he
Is known as Foster"
did you know Foster?"
Eyes, SIR"
How long had you known him?"
what was his character?'
Every bad"
Witness then explained that Foster had
been arrested many times, and had partic-
ipated in many serious assaults, as well as
In drunken brawls, and also had been ar
rested for carrying concealed weapons.
What did he DO for living?"
II have never known him to do any
work.
"And you have known him ten years?'
"Yes, SIR
The officer said that Foster was regarded
as the worst man on that side of the river
He spent most Of his time in the work
house or Jail, and the officer said he usually
got long sentences. That is why he had
only been arrested about twenty times dur
ing the past three or four years.
During the past seven or eight years,
saiu witness, when questioned by Juror
Foster has probably spent more than one
half his time In prison.
More Police Testimony.
Policeman W. T. Anderson was sworn,
and he testified that yesterday afternoon
he went to Douglass Hall, and Mr.. Fowler
told him that there was trouble down in
the field. He went there and found Foster
holding his head, while blood oozed from a
wound in the back of his head. Witness
felt his pulse, and found that he was not
dead. Later the body was sent to the sta
ton in a wagon. Officer Anderson said
that the deceased had given the COM
munity, the courts and the police consider
able trouble.
witness told of difficulty he had with
him one day last summer. He said he had
arrested Reuben so often that he was
ashamed to arrest him at that time, and
so he let him go.
'That time" said the officer. IT was
advising a drunken man to go home, and
Foster came along and made the remark,
If he was a niger you'd lock him up"
Witness said that the deceased had been
in the habit Of going armed for the past
two or three years. He said he had been
on that beat for sixteen years and he re-
garded Foster as the worst man out there
Have you ever known Of his threaten
ing anybodyr'
IT have heard of threats he made" the
officer answered, land on the Sunday I
had the trouble with him he told his sister
he would go through hell with his eyes
wide open for Tom Anderson"
Witness said that Foster was very fast
on his feet and it was hard for a man on
foot to arrest him. He had pursued him
fr to the river on one occasion and than bo