The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-03
WAS STEALING FRUIT
a LITTLE NEGRO BOY KILLED
by A YOUNG LADY IN
WASHINGTON.
SHE SHOT HIM FROM A WINDOW

The Boy Was a Son of one OF Secretary
Carllsie's Messenger Boys.- Miss Flag
lcr Surrendered Herself TO the Police
But the Coroaes's J1rg Exonerated
Iser--She is a Daughter OF Gen. Flag
Ter, Chief of Ordnance in the Army
The Verdict of The Coroner's Jury.
WAsHIyGToN, D. O., Aug 2 Miss
Elizabeth Flager, daughter of Gen.
Flagler, chief of ordnance in the army,
and well known in social circles, shot
and killed IA year-old negro boy named
Ercest Green to day, at her home in the
suburbs of the city. The Flagler's and
other families in the vicinity have been
annoyed greatly of late by boys steal
lag their fruit and damaging the
trees Of their gardens. To day
Miss Flagler discovered young Green on
the fence stealing fruit and fred at him
from the second story window. The bull
let entered his right breast, and passing
through his body, Inflicted wound that
caused death in short time.
Miss Flagler went to police headduar-
ters and gave herself into custody. She
is % years old and an attractive and ac-
compllshed woman.
Ernest Green is a son Of "Dick" Green,
well known to the public as one Of Sec
retary Carlisle's messengers.
The c0roner's jury exonerated Miss
Flagler, and she was released.
A coroner's jury was empanelled this
afternoon and an inquest held. The
boys who were with Green at the time of
the shooting, servant in the house and
Others, uere called to testify. Miss Flag
ler vas called ana made a statement.
Her Testimony was subs artially as fol
bWs:
She said she had been uzsd more or
LEES 70 fire arms al her lie. She was
not a good shot as she was near sighted,
TIE boys had been shaking fh9 trees and
stealing fruit from the yard, and one
day last week she fred into the road.
Some clothes drying on the line We're re
Gently stolen, and a. there were 80 many
boys around, she pre- umed that some Of
them were thieves She had communi-
Gated with the police authorities about
the boys doings aAd had tried to get a
policeman stationed in the vicinity.
This morning she was in her brothers
room, which adjoins hers, when she
heard the branches of the pear tree rust
ling. She ran to her room and got her
revolver from the bureau drawer. Then
continuing her statement Miss Flagler
said
"The window screen was down. /
raised it and fred in hurry, aiming at
the road and must have hit the boy then.
I then went to the side window where
could see them running up the road and
there / found both window and screen
| down. l knew it would take too long to
raise it so ran back to the other window
and fred into the air Then Marie, my
maid, said that | shot boy. / went to
the coachman who was working in the
yard and told him to get the boy and
| bring him into the house. | telephonod
for Dr.. O'Reilly, the army surgeon, but
could not get him Then l called for a
doctor from the army dispensary, but
failed to reach them.
fThen a neighbor came in and offered
assistance and she telephoned to Dr.
Clark, who was the first to arrive,
"Fhe first day | shot at the boys, was
on Monday, and then / called after them
and told them the next time | would
shoot at them, meaning only to frighten
them"
After considering the testimony, the
jury came to the following verdict:
"We find that the said Ernest Green
came to his death by bullet fred from
pistol held in the hands of Elizabeth
NJ. Flagler but we do not think that she
did it with murderous intent. We be-
lieve that the shots were fired carelessly
and indlfferently but upon the evidence
we cannot hold her."
Miss Flagler was thereupon released.