Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-24
VERY QUEER INQUEST
No Bible at jackson City. to Swear Wit
nesses On,
The Investigation, However, Proceed
ed i'm a Happy-Go-Lucs4H Way, With
q Much Mixed Verdict.

Oh benjamin f1lnes, the negro deputy SnerlI
killed IN the raid on Nelson's gambling
rooms Thursday night at Jackson City. Mel
son still remains in Jail at Alexandria, but 1t
Is said that the authorities will agree to his
release On bail, they being. 1t is reported. of
the opinion that the charge Of murder can
not be sustained against him.
Had the inquest been held at any other
place in the country, Deputy Sheriff Deuter-
mann. who conducteu the raid; johnson and
Smith, his deputies. and "Pegleg" O'Brien,
the men who were in the thick Of the fight,
ana who were carried to the Emergency
Hospital, would have been called as wit
nesses, and II they were not able to appear,
as was said to be the case Saturday, the
inquest would have been adjourned until
tney were But they do things at Jackson
City just the other way. At least, they did
1t the other way Saturday, for the inquest
was rushed through with q haste which was
as indecent as 1t was suspicious, and while
witnesses were heard who charged that
Deutermann and johnson made the raid be-
cause of desire to recover money which
they had lost in the gambling joint earlier
IN the evening, the hearing was concluded
without those men being given an opportu-
MY 10 oehy the charges, and without CIV
ing them an opportunity to throw any light
Whatever on the shooting of the man whose
frozen body had been allowed to remain
Wnere II mad fallen since the shooting. 1t
80 $1,000 PAOpooSd " nave tuS COIOHCF 3
jury composed Of three white men and three
colored men, and a negro constable had sum-
moned such jury. That, however, did not
meet the approval of the authorities, and,
as told In Saturdays Star q Jury Of six
white men was sworn
Had No Bible.
Tne inquest was conducted in the usual
informal jackson City manner Wholly de-
void OF all legal formalities, the witnesses
oeing sworn on affirmation, for the reason,
as explained by Squire Birch, who presided,
that no Bible could be found in the place.
AS explained in The Star, the inquest was
held In the back room of the place where
the shooting occurred, the dead man lying
q rev feet away, and the jury, magistrate,
witnesses, newspaper men and the few
spectators admitted lowering about stove
In the corner. In which a fire had been
started, while through the windows the
usual Jackson City crowd endeavored to
satisfy their curiosity. Nelson was "ot
present. nor were his bar tender or the ian
ent was permitted to question the few wit
nesses examined, and also to comment upon
their testimony.
Gallagher's Story.
After Lewis, Goldman and Twyman, the
three negro deputy sheriffs, who were in
the raiding party, had given their testi-
mony, as reported in The Star, James CAL
lagher, young white man. was examined.
Mr.. Gallagher was slow in giving his
testimony that his statement that he is
was received as a matter of
fact. He stated that he Is employed by the
Mount Vernon Electric Railroad Company
and resides in Jackson City. He visited
Nelson's place about O'Clock in the Cven-
ing. and also about an hour later. and saw
Deutermann and Johnson there. Johnson
was intoxicated, and appeared to have lost
a mo nj 10 on.
deavored to regain possession by grabbing
the money drawer, but Nelson interfered,
and after while the matter was amicaply
settled. so Gallagher thought at the time.
But he stated that later johnson became
very boisterous, and departed with the
threat that he would come back and break
up the place. He did come back later,
about 10 o'clock. with a number of negroes.
being one. of the party. There
was some disturbance in the front room,
where the rude bar was loca ted, and Gal
lagher swore that he saw man with
red moustache. johnson. he was told, draw
a revolver and fire at Nelson. That start
ed a regular fusillade of shots. during
which Mr.. Gallagher dropped to the floor
and crawled out of the door. He saw no
one fall, but claimed that he did see a
dows and throw a great many stones into
the saloon.
The Inquest Rushed.
EDWARD w naleI, young WLlte uidJi, anu
q Washington cabinet maker, the next
stated that he was in the saloon
about $50 in the evening, and saw both
and Johnson there at that
time Both were drunk, he said and when
Johnson lost about $3.50 at a game Of crap,
Deutermann made a grab for the money
drawer, when Nelson stopped him, where
upon Deutermann cursed him, remarking
that he had 1t in for him and would fix
back, accompanied by ten or twelve ne
groes. They poked their pistols in Nelson's
face, and a row seemed imminent. when
Nelson Quieted matters by inviting all
the bar Johnson pulled out a pistol and
fired, and then Whalen jumped out as the
firing became general, saying that he was
fired at as he went out. Nelson's brother,
Frank, gave similar testimony, as did VIII
liam Brawner, and after short delibera-
ton the jury returned the verdict given
above, the inquest being concluded without
hearing the testimony Of Deutermann,
Smith or O'Brien, although both
Attorney Richard w. Johnston
for The Star that the inquest would be ad-
journed until today, or later, in order that
they might be given an opportunity to tes-
tify.
Nelson's Vindication.
Later in the day Hines body was removed
to the nome OF his parents at Johnson Hill,
and yesterday efforts were made to collect
sufficient funds to prevent Its burial in pot
ter's field. The verdict was accepted as a
matter of course by the people of Jackson
City, although there was some little grum-
bling among the negroes that not a colored
man was allowed to serve on the Jury they
that the whole thing was put-up
affair to clear Nelson and his gang. The
authorities claimed that the coroner's YER
dict did not clear Nelson, and they ex-
planned that the man would be proceeded
against, notwithstanding tho verdict. Mel
son and his friends regard the verdict as a
it is said, and they claim that
he will not be brought to trial, and that the
whole matter is at an end. It was ex-
planned, however, that Nelson might sue the
county for damages because Of what he
claims was an unlawful and unauthorized
raid upon his place.
Flooring ut $3.50 for 100 Fl.
Kiln-dried-all one width. F. Libbey &
Co., 9th and New York avenue.-Advt.
Trustees sale of building lots on N street
near the corner Of 18th street southeast; on
18th street between Massachusetts avenue
and B street southeast, and on 10th street
between and c streets southeast, will