Evening star., 1896-04-14
THE BRIDGE TRAGEDY
Burrell He'd for. the Killing Of Mack
Evidence Given Yesterday Before
the COrOner's Inquest-The Fatal
Knife Thrust.

Yesterday afternoon Coroner Hammett
investigated Saturday nights tragedy on
the Anacostia bridge. The body OF the VIC
tim Of the knife, Bryant Mackall. was
kept in the morgue, where an autopsy was
made on it by Deputy Coroner Glazebrook.
Thornton Burrell. alias "Punk'' Burrell,
the alleged slayer of Mackall, was present
at the investigation, which was held ut
the sixth precinct.
The deputy coroner was the first witness
examined. He said that the dead man was
attired in rather dilapidated working
clothes. He found a cut in the left side
of the shirt bosom. The mans clothing
and breast were smeared with clotted
blood. The only wound was a cut in the
chest, and the weapon had entered the
pleGro cavity. and the second rib was sew
cred. Witness found that the left lung
had been cut. as had the sack covering the
heart, in which he found four ounces of
blood. There was also cut in the pull
monary artery. The injury was necessarily
fatai, and 1t was surprising that the man
the %tneas .aa sse
wound was evidently made by q sharp in
strument, probably pocket knife.
Coroner Hammett produced the knife
blade found on the bridge. and witness said
that the wound may have been made with
it.
Policeman's Testimony.
Policeman Reagan of Anacostia testified
that he was first told of the cutting by a
boy named Cole. When he got to the bridge
he saw crowd Of colored men. They
were standing about the dead body of
Mackall. Witness heard that Mackali had
had fight with the prisoner Punk" Bur-
rell, and for that reason he was arrested
The knife blade was given to witness by
twenty feet from where the dead man was
lying. He did not know that the blade
had belonged to the prisoner. The handle
could not be found.
Policeman Mari testified to the arrest of
the prisoner. He went with Sergeant An
derson to the house Of Burrelrs father, but
ne was not there. Soon afterward they ar
rested the prisoner. He told witness that
he had had a fight with MackaN, but de-
MED that he (the prisoner) had done any
thing to the deceased. The prisoner told
witness mes. that two boys were with him, but
he did not know their Names
what's the prisoners character?" the
coroner asked.
He hasn't a very good character" an
eral times.'
Sergeant Anderson gave similar testi-:
mony.
When arrested the prisoner said: Mack
that off anybody"
Witness said that the prisoners char
acter Is very bad; that he is professional
Der Of times.
Poiceman Reagan was recalled, and he
said three or four persons gave him the in
formation which led to the prisoners ar
rest.
Leonard Anderson testified that about
9:45 Saturday night he witnessed a fight
on the bridge between Burrell and Mack
all. There were rfou4s young. oolored men
on the bridge. and he saw them take a
drink. When Burrell came on the bridge
Mackall was talking to witness Burrell
called to Mackal1 to come on. They used
some profane. language and then clinched.
A bystander separated them, and they
went together again. When in the middle
OF the bridge Mackan fell. He got I'D and
went to the side of the bridge, where he
fell again.
My God. I've got a knife in me- witness
heard Mackall say.
p13a He saw W no @ knife; and could not say that
Burrell cut him. Two men raised Mackall
to carry him to the drug store, when Bur-
rell came back and raised his hand as if to
hit him, and said: do you want the rest
of it?''
The several colored men were in a clus-
ter when the cutting was done, and wit
ness could not say just which one used the
knife.
William West. resident of Garfield, and
friend of the prisoner, testified that he was
with friends Saturday night, and when
they reached the, Anacostia end Of the
bridge they saw Burrell, who asked If any
Mackall had some words. but witness did
not know what the words WERE about. He
heard Macka1r call Bufrell
did you call me -? asked
Burrell.
Mackall repeated that he did. and the
men went together. Witness saw Burrell
strike Mac4all
Other witnesses gave evidence, and the
jury returned a verdict holding Burrell re-
spoEsible for the death of Mackal- He
was thereupon committed to jail.
Reckless Driving.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
AS an old subscriber and a. man with a
family, permit me to protest, through your
columns, against the reckless driving al
lowed on the main thoroughfares in the
city. Yesterday afternoon about SIS
o'clock my wife, child and myself, in a
closed carriage. had reached Fount ain
Square, near 18th street, in Georgetown,
and had stopped to permit the cable cars
to pass before crossing the track to the
right side of the street. While standing
there a trap driven by a supposed gentle
man came dashing down NJ street at a ten
mile gait, and crashed into the carriage
tearing it apart and jeopardizing the lives
of myself and family. The man, as usual,
was too careless to stop to see If we were
hurt, but whipped up, crossed Rock Creek
bridge at trot and was out of sight be-
fore he could be stopped.
THOMAS CRUISE,
First Lieut.. and @. NJ. Sixth Cavalry