Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-03
SHE SHOT ID SCARE HIM But the Pistol Ball Went Only
 Too True. A WASHINGTON SENSATION Miss Flagler, Daughter of an Army Officer,
 Kills Negro Lad.
HE WAS DEsPoILING THE ORCHARD
She Surrendors on Discovering Her Fatal Work and Is Acquitted by the Cor cner's Jury Intense Excitement
 Among the Negroes.

Washington, Aug. 2-Miss Elizabeth Flagler, daughter of Brig.-Gen. Daniel W Flagler, chief of ordinance of the United States army, shot and killed col ored youth named Ernest Green, who she detected stealing fruit at the suburban residence of her father about noon today and was discharged by the coroners jury on the ground that the homicide was un- intentional. No tragedy of recent years in Washington has caused such a sensa- ton or been fraught with more excite ment in the neighborhood of it's occur renee. The residence of General Flagler is in the northwestern section of Wash ington, California avenue, and the grounds surrounding it have been care fully cultivated for the production of fruit and flowers, and this attraction was the indirect cause for the fatal event. The premises. as we'll as those of many who live in the same suburban section of the city, have been frequently despoiled by youtnS, and m many cases adult men, to an extent that has tired very much the patience or the property owners, and to- day sad elimination was reached when MISS flagier, who IS between D and J0 years Of age, saw some one buSily en- gagged in breaking the branches and gathering fruit from one of the trees i'll tneir garden.
 being immediate tely complied with the lady without, il is asserted by herself and friends, any further intention than to frighten away the intruder, discharged the contents of an army revolver in the direction of the plunderer The bullet ploughed through the body of the boy who was about l5 years of age. and his death followed on the instant. The shots brought police and the body of the boy was found Miss Flagler at once left the house, and her parents being absent from the city on a summer pleasure trip sought Captain Shaler, also of the ordi- nance department, United States army and accompanied by him promptly pro- ceeded to the office of Major Moore, the chief of police, and surrendered herself to the civil authorities. A police ambulance had been summoned to take away the yet unidentified body, and large crowd, principally composed of colored people, who were greatly excited and murmur- ing profusely their indignation at the killing, gathered upon the approach of the ambulance.
 AS many as wished were permitted to view the dead boy, with the idea of secur- ing his Identification, and finally the body was recognized as Ernest Green, whose father is employed as a messenger in one of the executive departments. The ex- citement then calmcd down considerably. Whether any demonstration would have been made against Miss Flagler herself, had she remained at home. is rather un- certain, but while the murmuring and ex- cited comments were loud that lady was safe in the custody of the chief of police, accompanied by Captain Shaler and Miss West
 She was outwardly calm and dignified, and while having little to say beyond ac- knowledging that she fired the fatal shot and averring that it was not aimed a, the intruder nor intended to have any ef- feet beyond soaring him away, she was quiet during the day at the police sta tion, where she was detained, though not under lock and key, in the chiefs private room, awaiting the coroner's inquest General Flagler was telegraphed for and it is announced that he is now en route to Washington and will reach here to- morrow afternoon from Canada, where he has been outing.
 The inquest was begun late this after noon at the morgue and a number of witnesses were examined. None of them had seen the shooting, but all had heard the shot, Miss Flagler's testimony was the only discriminating evidence offered. If she had denied the shooting no one could have proved otherwise.
 Miss Flagler accompanied by Captain Shaler and Miss West, daughter of ex- t<O the morgue shortly before o'clock and took refuge in the office of the captain of police. Her friends were extremely so- licitous and newspaper men denied access to her. Her manner was cool and collect ed and though her face was almost as white as the dress she wore, she be- trayed no excitement. Miss Flagler's testimony before the jury was brief. She admitted having fired two shots to fright en the boy away from the vicinity. She stated that depredations by gang Of young boys had been frequent in the neghborhood. Time and again, she said. the boys had gained entrance to her fathers property, stealing fruit and breaking down trees and plants. When she heard the boys in the grounds this morning she was In the house and saw them from a distance. Thinking to frighten them she procured revolver belonging to her father and going to a second story window fired two shats At that time the boys had disappeared from view, but she fired in the direction whence she had seen them in the fruit trees. Miss Flagler strenuously denies having fired the shots to injure any one, her sole idea being to frighten the youth full depredators from the place.
 The jury reached a verdict within a short time after hearing the evidence But one ballot was taken and resulted in the expression that the shots were fired without murderous or harmful intent, and that Miss Flagler could not be held responsible for the unfortunate death of the little colored boy.
 Miss Flagler was then discharged from custody and escorted home by her friends.
 The scene in front of the police station during the inquest was somewhat un- usual The crowd was large and com posed principally of colored people, though there were we'll dressed white people, some of whom came in vehicles and fingered about the neighborhood waiting for the verdict
 Dissatisfaction in looks and manner rather than speech, was expressed by the colored people in waiting when the result of the inquest was made known. There