The Portland daily press., 1895-08-03
MISS FLAGLER'S AIM
Proved Deadley to One Youthful
Fruit Thief.
SHE WAS PROMPTLY DISCHARGED
BY CORONER'S JURY

Who Held That the Shooting was Unin-
tentionaI-nIiss F1aglsr Claimed That She
Simply Intended to Frighten Away
Thieves From the Garden.
Washington, August miss Betsey
Flagler, daughter of General d. W. Flag
ler, chief of ordnance United States Anne
RIGA, shot and instantly killed colored
boy named Ernest Green, who was steal
ing fruit in the yard of the Flagler resi-
dence 2144 California avenue, about II
clock his morning.
Boys had been in the habit of stealing
fruit and efforts were made to prevent
it, but without success. This morning.
Green with companion approached the
yard, intent upon carrying off fruit
Miss Flagler saw them and called from
tho window warning them not to enter
the yard, but the warning was unheeded
She disappeared from the window for a
few seconds and reappeared with an army
revolver and taking aim, fired at Green.
The ball entered his head, causing in
slant DEATH Great excitement was
aroused among the colored people who
congregated about the scene, but the pa
troll wagon with police who were sum
moned had quieting effect upon them
and the young woman taken into custody
Gen. Flagler is in Toronto, kCanada.
The boy killed by Miss Flagler was
about fifteen years old. His father is a
messenger in one of the executive depart
ments. After the shooting Miss Flagler
sought Captain Shailer Off the ordnance
department., and accompanied by him
o1,d dod 10 +ha <>f
the chief of police and surrendered her.
self Gen. Flagler was telegraphed for
1t is announced that he will reach here
tomorrow evening from Canada, where
he has been outing The inquest began
late this afternoon at the morgue, and a
number OF witnesses were examined, none
8of them had seen the shooting, but all
heard the shot. Miss Flagler's testimony
was the only discriminating evidence
offered. If she denied the shooting no
one could have proved otherwise. Miss
Flagler. though very pale, was cool and
collected. In the testimony she admitted
having fired two shots to frighten the
boys away. She states that depredations
by the gang of boys had been frequent in
the neighborhood. Time and again she
said the boys gained an entrance to her
fathers property, stealing fruit and
breaking down trees and plants. When
she heard the boys in the grounds in the
morning she was in the house and saw
them from q distance. Thinking to
frighten them she procured revolver be-
longing to her father and going to the
second story window frel two shots. AT
that time the boys had disappeared from
view, but she fired in the direction where
she had seen them in the fruit trees. Miss
Flagler strenuously denied firing shots to
injure anyone, the sole idea being to
frighten the depredators. The Jury soon
reached a unanimous verdict, to the
effect that the shots were fired without
harmful intent, and Miss Flagler could
not be held responsible for the death OF
the boy. Miss Flagler was released from
custody. A large crowd, composed
principally of colored people, was
gathered outside the morgue. When the
verdict was made known there were
mutters of discomfort among the colored
people. There is some talk of bringing
matter before the grand jury despite the
verdict.