Evening star., 1896-11-17
TAI STABBING G
Result Of a Parlor Social in South
Washington.
JOHN MINOR IN TEE MoRGUE
Turner Gives Himself Up and
Claims Self f-Defense.
T E L Is HIS STORY

Judge Miller has frequently remarked
that when all the pistols. razors and knives
have been destroyed and when bricks ami
stones are no longer used for paving pur-
poses there will be fewer murders In max
ing these remarks the Judge has always
made due allowance for coal OIL lamps
stove hfters and cooking utensils. Last
night Frank. alias Barrel" Turner, had
one Of the little penknives spoken Of by the
court, and this accounts for the presence
Of John Minors body in the morgle to-
day.
A parlor social" given at the house
of John Green, No. 466 L street southwest,
attracted a crowd Of colored people of both
sexes, and this social gathering is raspon-
sfble for the death of Minor and the in
generation. John Green, at whose house
the affair was given, is an elderly colored
man. He did not give the party. but per-
mitted the use OF his house by members
of South Washington club. The musi-
clans were on hand early In the evening,
and the mandolins guitars and other in
struments made music to which the col
ored couples did the light fantastic. Every
body was happy, and there was nothing
to cause any unpleasantness. although
those who were enjoying the dance felt a
little disappointed because of the failure
of the singers to appear and render a few
selections considered choice by such an
assemblage.
The Cutting.
1t was after 10 o'clock when a party CT
colored men who had been invited to sing
appeared in the neighborhood and stood
on the sidewalk humming the various
tunes before they got ready to enter. Bar
rel' Turner was In the party. John Minor
was in the house and he opened the door
when he heard noise outside. He went
out on the sidewalk, and after a few words
with the party in general and Turner in
particular he returned to the house But
he did not remain in there many minutes
before he reappeared and figured in what
proved to be his last struggle for life. A
single cut across his throat severed an
artery and he was then unable to make
any further resistance. He started in the
direction of the nearest tree, evidently
thinking he would take hold of the box and
steady himself, but before he reached the
tree he fell to the pavement. his head
resting over the curbstone, and the blood
flowed from the gaping wound into the
gutter.
Barrel Turner had fled, but the police
were not put to the necessity Of searching
for him, for he went directly to the fourth
precinct station and surrendered. He told
the station clerk that he had cut a man
and had come to get locked up. There was
blood on his hand, which he exhibited to
the clerk, and in explanation of his act
which he claimed was in self-defenSe, he
said he thought he had Inflicted bad
wound Indeed, he seemed to realize that
the wound might prove fatal, but he
thought he had acted in self-defense, and
did not fear a full investigation.
Screams of Murder had attracted a
| large crowd to the scene of the homicide,
among them Detective Horne.
Barrel Turner gave 1t to him that
time the detective heard one of the party
say. and he proceeded to make an investi-
cation. He knew both participants. The
dead man he had known fighter, while
Turner, SO far as he knew, had been in
trouble only because of crap games. He
also leari ed something of the trouble. His
information was that Minor was door
keeper at the social gathering, and that
when he had had trouble with Turner he
went In the house and then returned to the
street, as If he had armed himself for a
fight. The men clinched, and after a
wrestle the fatal wound was inflicted.
The police patrol wagon from the fourth
precinct was on hand in short time. and
the dying man was soon on the way to the
Emergency Hospital The work of remov-
ing him from the wagon to the hospital
was hastily done. but when the reception
room was reached a glance at the form
that life was extinct. Then the body was
removed 10 the morgue.
This morning the prisoner, who is nine
teen years old, was taken to police head
later he was photographed for the gallery.
Prisoners Story.
In conversation with a Star reporter, he
said he had never been arrested before, ex-
cept for crap-shooting, and that previous
to last nights meeting he had never had
any trouble with Minor. He was invited to
sing at the social, he said, and about 10
o'clock he went there with about a dozen
friends. They were standing on the pave
ment. he said, when Minor came to the
door and asked: who raped at this door?
Did your
Turner said he answered that he did not.
whereupoD the man at the door threatened
to smash him in the mouth. Minor went
in the house, but returned in few minutes
and renewed the trouble.
He grabbed me by the throat" said the
prisoner land when he saw he could not
drag ME down the street he knocked me
down and fell on me. While he had me
down 1 cut Up at him with my penknife" !"
The knife. he said, fe threw away Just
after he used 1t.
Inquest Ordered.
Coroner Hammett viewed the body today
and decided to hold an inquest at the sixth
precinct station tomorrow at noon. In the
meantime the prisoner will be held in the
police station in order to have him present
at the inquest.