The herald., 1895-02-22
w. A. Majors, a Pullman Porter,
MortaIIy Wounded
RESULT OF SHOOTING CRAPS
A Scene OF Bloodshed in the Arcade
Depot Waiting Room
After Flooring His Antagonist, the Shooter
Walks to the Police Station
and Surrenders

a
groes in the waiting room of the Arcade
Depot, at the foot of Fifth street. w. A.
Majors, Pullman porter, was mortally
wounded by L. C. Bryant, colored eX-
pressman and after firing the shot the
latter walked two miles to the police sta
tion and surrendered. When Bryant
walked cooliy into the station and told
Clerk Gridley that he had wounded a
negro, but he did not know how badly,
the police officers standing around were
not at all surprised, for the tragedy had
been expected all day.
Early in the morning Bryant visited
the police station and hegged for protec-
ton He stated that Wednesday evening
he had his rabbits foot With him and
was unusually lucky at shooting craps
the favorte game of chance among
darkies. II didn't get nothing but nat
ilral every time he told one OF the po
licemen confdentially, land as a result 1
skinned Majors ouo OF S6. He took his
loss very much to heart at first and tried
to get me to give him back his money,
but l WASH t no fool and hang on 80 it.
At last he became ugly and said that lie
would kill me or he would get his stuff
back. Early this morning | was told that
had better look out for MIjors and as
know he is a dead hard man am afraid
OF my life and | want the police to pro-
tect me.
The idea of providing Bryant with a
body guard did not suggest itself to
"Judge" Bean, the clerk, but he called up
Special Officer Rule, who is stationed at
the Arcade Depot by the Southern Pacific
Company, and told him that Bryant who
stands with his express wagon near the
depot was afraid of being murdered by
Majors, and he asked him to prevent
bloodshed if he could. Rule replied that
he would attend to the case, and he GER
tainly did all in his power to prevent
trouble, but it had to come, and he was
powerless to stop it.
The best story of the shooting is given
by E. Steinman, who has a package stor-
ing Office in the depot, and these are the
facts as he related them to the police re-
porter of The Herald last evening shortly
after the shooting:
About half past six this evening | was
in my Office attending TO the details OF
my business when l heard quarrel in
progress, at the other end of the depot on
the same side as my place. 1 opened the
door and walked out, and first saw cou-
pie of negroes standing in front of the
lunch counter. One of them, whom l
afterwards learned was Bryant, was per-
fectly cool and collected, but the other
fellow, Majors, was in terrible rage and
although Bryant appeared to expostulate
with him, he would not be Gained. Fin
ally Bryant said, IF you do not keep away
you will get yourself into trouble. Ma
jors then rushed at Bryant and got hold
OF him, but Ed Lowton, who tends bar for
Tom Dormody, got hold ofsthe aggressive
colored man and led him off, fearing that
If they were not pulled apart one of them
would be killed.
"Oficer Rulo came up at this moment
and took Majors outside and cautioned
him to keep out of the depot and leave
Bryant, who was not bothering him,
alone. Majors then pulled $40 bill out
OF his pocket and offered it to the officer
to permit him to return and do up his
colored pal. The Offer of course, was re-
fused. -Four different times the trouble
hunting fellow returned, and each time |
headed him off, and would not allow him
to come in.
FINALLY Majors slipped in the back
door of the depot and rushed over in the
direction of where Bryant was standing,
In front of the ticket window. Officer
Rulo got hold of the fellow and tried to
drag him away. Bryant turned to walk
off, when suddenly Majors grabbed
heavy stool and swung it over his head in
an attempt to strike Bryant with it. Rulo
succeeded in getting it away from him,
and again the officer endeavored by the
use OF all the strength at his command to
lead Majors away from the scene of con-
fict.
Quick as flash Majors grabbed another
chair and, with Rulo still holding him,
rushed at Bryant. The latter, no doubt,
thought he had stood enough and he
pulled his pistol and fired. The depot
was well filed with passengers, including
men, women and children. They scat
tered in all directions and Majors fell to
the floor, while Bryant went out the front
door, on his way to the station to sur
render.
Majors was assisted to his feet by sew
eral bystanders, and he at once began
hunting for Bryant to do him up. When
he found he had gone, he walked unat-
tended to a neighboring drug store and
asked that his wound be dressed He did
not wait to be attended though, leaving
in few moments for his room, close bv
on Ceres avenue. The patrol wagon was
telephoned for, and the wounded man
was taxed to the Receiving Hospital upon
a stretcher.
During the tusse with Majors Officer
Rulo, who was for many years upon the
regular force, and who is well along in
years, strained his left arm and had to
repair to the drug store close by to have
it attended TO. To the Herald reporter
he substantiated Steinman's narrative
and said in addition that he did all he
could to prevent the shooting. "'The fact
of the matter is, " said Rulo, 1.-THE darkev
was hunting trouble all day and he only
got what he wanted and what he de-
served. ! know nothing about what the
issue was between Majors and Bryant,
but do say that the latter could not
help doing what he did"
At the hospital DR.. Bryant made a
superficial examination of Majors wound
and said that he could not tell how seri-
ously he was hurt until he probed for the
ball. He preferred to wait to do that un-
til the patient recovered, to some extent
at least from tho efractS of 4l,a ebool- III.