Evening star., 1896-08-25
THE KILLING, OF SLOAN
Ooroners Jury Puzzled, but John Palmer is
Held.
Conflicting Testimony Given as to
the Theory Of Self
Defense.

JSSSSaudy o1tcTHOOu ana mace an euOrt 10
reach conclusion In the case of the kill
irg OF Alonzo Sloan by John Palmer in
south Washington Saturday night, as pub
hshed In yesterdays Star. but decision
was not reached because of conflicting
testimony. The big revolver given over to
the police by the prisoner, together with
some bullets taken from the pockets Of the
dead man. and the old sweater about which
the fatal quarrel occurred, were exhibited
on table in the room where the jury as
sembled. The prisoner suffering from the
pistol shot wound in his jaw, was present
to give his version of the affair, and Law
yer Thomas l.. Jones represented him.
Palmer, although his face panied him, was
very unconcerned about the position in
which he had placed himself, for he was
pleading self-defense and felt certain of an
acquit' al.
The nature Of the necessarily fatal wound
sustained by the deceased was described
by DR.. Glazebrook, the deputy coroner. He
found that the general course of the wound
was backward and to the right, through
the brain. He found Palmer's clothing
blood stained and political button on his
coat was spattered with blood. The bullets
taken from the prisoner were the same
size and make as those found in the dead
mans pocket.
story of a Companion.
Guy Bethel. colored of Reedville. N. c.,
who had worked with the prisoner and the
deceased. told of their having come here
together from Connellsville, Pa, where
they worked on the railroad.
Palmer loaned Sloan 25 cents on his
sweater" said witness, land when Sloan
asked him for 1t John said he would give 1t
up for the quarter"
Sloan. he said, took some bullets from
his pocket and offered them to him instead
= tha L,,t lob rnfI sod
ness told them they would get arrested If
they continued to quarrel. This was after
they had been over to Jackson City and
Palmer and Sloan had called on some girls
IN Louise alley.
Did you go in the house in Louise alley?"
he asked.
NO SIR" he responded.
Then you were the moral man OF the
II don't know about that, but I didn't
want to spend my money"
where were you when the shooting oc-
curred?'
there because 1 did not want to get ar
rested
Witness heard two shots fired. but did
not see who fred them. He knew that both
men had pistols, but did not know what
had become Of the dead mans weapon.
Whose pistol is this?" the coroner ask
ed. pointing to the one on the table.
That" he answered, belongs to John
Palmer"
Annie Bracket. a colored woman who
lives on Armory street. told the jury that
she heard the reports of three pistol shots
and saw John Palmer fire all three of
them.
Testimony Against Palmer.
Did the man who was killed fire a
shot?"
"He did not
The first shot. she said. knocked Sloan
down and the other two shots were fired
while he the ground. The men were
several feet apart at the time at---.
Witness heard the quarrel. but heard no
threats. She knew the quarrel was about
sweater.
: Joseph Howard. young man who lives
entirely different sorry. He had been down
the river and had walked all the way from
the steamboat wharf to Maryland avenue
to get a Belt line car He declared that
Palmer held Sloan about the neck when
he fired the fatal shot. The second shot
was fired after Sloan fell.
Isaiah Hawkins. colorcd. also gave tes-
timony. He heard the shots, but did not
know who fired them
The witness Howard was again question
ed, and he said that while he did not see
the dead mans pistol. he did a colored
man pick up something and go away on n
car with 1t.
- Pnlmer's Wound Not Self-Inflfcted.
Ihen IL became necessary to explain the
wound in the prisoners face, and Dr.
hewitt. who dressed 1t at the police sta
tion. expressed the belief that the wound
had been made by pistol ball, and he
felt certain that 1t could not have been
self-inficted, because there were no pow
der marks on the face. The bullet had
entered from the front and inflicted only a
flesh wound.
Annie Bracket was recalled and she
said she noticed that about the time
Palmer fred the shots he had one hand
up to his face.
The prisoner made a statement in his own
behalf, in which he claimed that he did
the shooting in self-defense after Sloan
had fired and shot him.
While the jurors were inclined to believe
his statement, they thought the case was
one which needed further investigation
and committed the prisoner to Jail to await
the action Of the grand jury