Evening star., 1896-02-21

Scene of the Tragedy.
deputy sheriff with pistol bullet through
his neck, Is in serious condition at his
home in Alexandra county, near Jackson
City, and Charles O'Neill, alias Peg
O'Neill. one-legged horse trainer. is at the
Emergency Hospital with a shot wound be-
low the right eye. one over the left eye.
and third through his right cheek. The
men charged with doing this shooting are
John Nelson, gambler, who has been one
of the most persistent and notorious of such
laWbreakers in Alexandria county, Va, and
Harry Chandler an equally notorious char
acter.
Nelson's MnloIorous Record.
Nelson, who is as well known as he is no.
torious in this city and Alexandria and
vicinity. had a gambling resort last summer
on the Virginia shore above the Aqueduct
bridge. near Jack Heaths. Shortly after
Sheriff Palmer was elected to his present
office he raided Nelson's place and captured
all the paraphernalia Used in gambling that
1t contained. The tables. chips, roulette
wheels and the rest of the outfit was taken
to Alexandria and stored in the court house
Shortly afterward it was stolen. Nelson
was arrested on suspicion of having re-
moved the things. and was afterward in
dicted. From the time of the raid until the
race tracks We're closed Nelson was
habitue of these places, and then opened a
saloon in Alexandria A few weeks ago he
started the dive In Jackson City where the
murder of last night was committed Sher-
IN Palmer, who has kept an eye on Nelson
ever since the disappearance of the gam
bling outfit from the Alexandria court
mouse, mad reason to believe that the prop
erty would be found at Nelson's place in
jackson City, and advised Deputy Sheriff
Deutermann to investigate the matter.
Deutcrmann Decides to Act.
The deputy sheriff lad looked into the
matter some What, and had every reason
to believe that gambling was being carried
On at Nelson's place in defiance of the
laws of Virginia, but he feared that any
steps he might propose to take in the mat
ter would be learned by Nelson and his
colleagues and his object frustrated. Last
Right, with Mr. Milton H. Johnson. who re-
sides about mile from Jackson City, and
who is proprietor of the saloon at the juno
ton of the Columbia and Alexandria turn
pixies, Deputy Sheriff Deutermann was re-
turning from Washington. Passing Nell
sons place he heard the rattle of chips and
the noise of great disorder. and concluded
that 1t would be good time to act. Ac-
oordingly, he drove on a few yards fur
ther, where number Of colored men were
gathered, and deputiZed Mr.. johnson, Ben
jamin Hines, Andrew Lewis, Morris Car
roll and two or three others as deputies
The posse then returned to Nelson's dive
and entered. Deutermann and two or three
of the posse proceeded to the gambling
room, which was in the rear of the bar
room that occupies the front of the build
ing, and found the crowd gambling. The
players separated at the appearance of the
deputy and his aids, and two of the latter
were gathering up some of the chips on
one of the tables when a pistol shot was
fired from the outside through one Of the
windows.
The MurderOus Fire Begins.
This was the signal for a perfect fusillade
in the gambling room and the bar. Nelson,
the proprietor Of the place, had fired the
shot through the window, and Harry
Chandler, the man at whose place in Jack
son City the alleged safe burglars who
were associated with Billy Williams were
arrested by Alexandria and Washington
officers, and who has been keeping bar for
Nelson, had followed his employers ex-
Charles O'Neill, who was known as Peg"
because of his wearing a wooden leg, at
tempted to help the deputy sheriffs. when
Nelson shot him in the face with a revolver
shot, and then beat him over the head with
the weapon. The entire affair was a mat
ter Of only few moments, and when the
firing ceased ard the lights that had been
put out at its commencement were relit
terrible scene was presented.
An Awful Scene.
The floor was swimming In blood, and
upon it was the colored man Hines lying
dead, with bullet through his heart. Dep
uty Deutermann was prone near the door
and Deputy Johnson was holding himself
up by the bar. Nelson had left. and he
went Immediately to Alexandria, where he
surrendered himself to Lieutenant Of Po-
lice Smith, claiming he had acted in self
defense. When quiet was restored, Andrew
Lewis, one Of the special deputies, secured
a wagon, and with the assistance of two
colored men brought Deputies Deutermann
ard Johnson and Trainer O'Nell to the
Emergency Hospital in this city. Drs
West. McGraw and Peralto Immediately ex-
amined the wounds Of the sufferers, and
1t was found that Deputy Johnson had re-
ceived a bullet in the right side Of his neck
near the front. which passed through and
made its exit on the other side. No arteries
had been injured, and after his wound was
dressed. Johnson persisted in being driven
TO his home in Alexandria county, about a
mile from Jackson City. Albert Lewis 60
Ing with him. johnson was much excited
over the affair." and stated that when the
posse entered the saloon the firing began.
and that when he pulled out his own revol-
yer for use, some one pulled it out Of his
hand.
johnson stated that the shot that struck
him had been fred by Harry Chandler.
O'Ne.lTs eyes were closed from the effects
Of his wounds, and he was suffering Sc
verely.
Story OF Deputy Deutermann.
At the Emergency Hospital this morning
a Star reporter had a conversation with
Deputy Deutermann, who occupies a bed
in the north ward on the third floor No
attempt had yet been made to remove the
bullet which entered his chin and seems
to be located on the right side of his throat
The wounded man was calm and collected
and told his visitor about the occurrence
at Nelson's place.
"Mr. Milton Johnson and myself were re-
turning from Washington last night" he
said In a whisper, land when we passed
through Jackson City on our way home
there were sounds Of great disorder in
Nelson's place, and I concluded that it
I had not contemplated raiding the place
last night, although I had been pretty