Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-22
THE SHOOTING AT JACKSON
CITY

CITY.
A careful investigation of the shoot
ing affair at Jackson City Thursday
night does not materially change the
statements already published. The
colored deputies, without orders IRON
Deputy Sheriff Deuterman, started
lor the gambling paraphernalia when
thew entered the house. Deuterman
saws that he did not intend to arrest
every man in the saloon, but that ne
was going to pick out those whom ne
wanted as principals and witnesses.
Before he could make move in this
direction, however, the firing com.
meuced. Deuterman says that Jonn
Nelson fred the first shot, and that the
bullet struck Deputy Hines just over
the heart, killing him instantly. Shots
were fred from every corner Tor the
next minute. about twenty shots being
fired in all. John Nelson's claim, how
ever, is that Special Deputy Johnson
fred the first shot. Deuterman ack-
nowledges that be had no warrant for
the arrest of John Nelson or for the
raidipg of the place, and that Sheriff
Palmer knew nothing of it. The plan,
he saws, to make raid came upon him
suddenly. He was passing through
Jackson City with Milton Johnson, in a
buggy. between and o'clock Thurs
day night, and they went into Nelson's
saloon. The two had drink, and
nothing was said then about raid or
arrests. A crowd OF negroes and
loungers were in the back room
gambling. After a while Deuterman
aud Johnson went out, and then it was
decided that it was good night to
raid the place. The two men went to
Milt. Johnson's place, on the hill. and
swore him in IS special deputy. Then
ihey swore in Ben Hines, Andrew
Lewis. Morris Carroll and Jerry Smith,
all colored; armed them, and went
back to Nelson's place. 1t was III
o'clock when they entered, and good
sized crowd was inside. The firing
commenced almost instantly.
John Nelson, as stated, remove
Yesterday from the station house in
this city to Jail. He defends himself
on the ground that Deuterman had no
right to enter without warrant; that
the sheriff, and not the deputy, should
bave sworn in the special officers, and
that Johnson fired the first shot before
there was an occasion for it. Nelson
said that he had shot in self-defense,
and tells the following story: "To
start with, this whole affair grew out Of
prejudice, and it WAS put-up job to
drive me out. About six months ago,
when I was arrested up the river for
running a gambling house, l swore out
warrants for Deuterman, the deputy
sheriff, charging him with taking
hush money. 1 also swore out
warrants for several others. About
eight o'clock Thursday night Deputy
Sneritf Deuterman and Milt Johnson
came into my saloon at Jackson City
and demanded the money-drawer. |
told him to arrest me, but not to take
my money. Everything was made all
right, and we all took drink and part
ed friends. In about three.quarters of
al hour they came back, bringing
twenty or thirty negroes with them.
They were all armed with guns, clubs,
rocks and razors and some ofthem were
drunk. l met them at the door, when
Nlilt Johnson poked pistol in my face.
Others grabbed me, and | begged Tor
my life. My brother Frank also begged
them not to kill me, but they poked the
gun in his face, and told him they
would give him some. While this was
going on some of the negroes went back
and took two racks of checks. 1t got
quiet again, ard we all drank together.
The colored men commenced singing
and had possession of the house. We
begged them to be quiet, but they paid
no attention to us. An old white man
named Billy Rouse, stepped up to the
bar and asked for drink. Milt john
SON told one of his men to go at it, The
negro knocked Rouse down, and was
about to kick him, when johnson
said that that was enough. Every
body got to drinking again. They
ordered drinks and refused to pay for
them. Frank Morris, janitor of the
building, was pulled out of the back
room, and taken out of doors. They |
held him and took his keys. While all
this was going on was standing at one
end of the bar. started to go back |
and get o match and light my cigar,
when bullet whizzed past me. Then
the shooting commenced, and didn't
think my life was worth cent.
emptiedmy revolver into the crowd"
1t charged that Deutermsn on his
first visit to the saloon demanded "hush
money" from Nelson, and that the lat
ter was to meet him up the road; that
Nelson went to the appointed place, but
Deuterman failed to appear. The
latter fatty denies this charge.
Nelson's saloon was closed yesterday,
and Illness body lay in the sawdust
in front of the bar all day. Part of the
time Fannie Hines, his mother, who
lives about a mile from Jackson City,
stood in front of the barroom wringing
her hands and trying to peer through
the heavy window blinds. Theiinquest
will probably not be completed to-day,
as Deputy Sheriff Deuterman and the
horse trainer, Peg" O'Neil, who are
lying at the Emergency Hospital, will
not be able to attend. Both will recov-
er, but the surgeons say that Deuter-
mann will not be able to leave the hos
pital until Sunday.
Nelson, Spears and Morris, the pris-
oners, were this morning taken to
Jackson City where the inquest was to
have been held at II o'clock. At the
request of some of the counsel for the
prisoners. who were unable to be pres