The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-23
NEGRO FIEND RUNS WILD
SHOOTS AT A DOZEN PEOPLE AND
HITS LITTLE LILLY MCCULLOUGH.
No Cause but His Temper for His
Meanness-Becomes Angry Because
He Is Asked to Pay His Board.

Henry Williams. a negro. twenty-four
years old, ran amuck early last evening
on West Ohio street and when the smoke
of battle had cleared away it was found
that his weapon had found one victim,
Lilly Mccullough, a colored girl aged eleven
years. who resides at Y Mayhem street.
She was shot through the f1eshy part of
the right thigh.
Williams has been boarding for about two
years at a boarding house at 222 West Ohio
street, kept by Mrs. Louis Harris. VIII
liams is employed a section hand on
the Big Four and yesterday was pay day.
He was behind with his board, and when
he came home yesterday evening Mrs. Har-
riS asked him for some money. He gave
her ST. claiming that this sum all he
owed Mrs. Harris insisted upon having
more, and then Williams flew into rage
and began threatening to kill Mrs. Harris
and everybody else in sight.
The alteration occurred in the dining
room at the time when several boarders,
besides Mrs. Mccullough and her daugh-
ter. were present. Williams reached to-
wards his hip pocket several times as the
argument became warm, but before he
could draw the pistol he had in his hip
pocket Mrs. Harris pacified him for mo-
ment and then snatched the revolver away
from him and handed it to another woman.
This bold act thoroughly enraged Williams.
He had been drinking bad whisky, and his
associates say he is as bad as they get
when he gets started. Pushing aside Mrs.
Harris, he rushed from the house and ran
across the street to Wade Hills saloon.
which is exactly opposite the boarding
house. There was nobody in the saloon at
the time but a bartender, and before he
knew what Williams wanted, the latter had
grabbed a revolver from behind the coun-
ter and was again headed for the boarding
house.
At the boarding house it was believed Will
liams had gone and would not make any
more trouble. The meal which had been in
terrupted by his former entrance was about
to be resumed when the enraged man re-
turned He stepped into the dining room
and, leveling the pistol at Mrs. Harris. hred
two shots. Women screamed and children
cried and men ran: In a moment the room
was cleared with the exception of Williams
and Mrs Harris The latter was thorough
~ frightened, but was determined TO save
the others if possible. She grappled with
Williams and attempted to take the pistol
from his hand. Williams was all the while
trying to get another shot at her and did
finally place the pistol against her back and
fired. She jerl1ed his arm just in time to
send the bail whiZzing close to her, but it
did not strike her.. The pistol was SO close,
however, that a hole was burned in the
Nomans dress.
Believing he had shot Mrs. Harris, Will
lams threw her to the floor and ran out
the front door of the house. He still car
ried the smoking pistol in his hand and
the first persons he saw We're daughter
of Mrs. Harris and the little Mccullough
girl. He had but two shots left and one of
these he sent after the daughter of Mrs:
Harris, who lodged around the corner of
the house just in time to escape injury.
The Mccullough girl was not SO lucky.
She attempted to run into the street and
the big fiend leveled his pistol at her and
fired just as she passed through the gate.
She fell upon the sidewalk and Williams
jumped over her and ran.
The shooting attracted a large crowd.
The little girl was found to be the only
one injured and she was hastily taken to
avenue, where her wound dressed. 1t
was found that the bullet had entered on
struck close to the, edge of the leg and
did not make serious wound
Roll call was Just at the police sta
ton, and the superintendent, captain and
sergeants were still there when the call for
the police came in. Sergeant Laporte
jumped upon his bicycle, and in a very
short time was at the scene of the affray.
Gathering from the excited words of the
once gave pursuit on foot to q man he
saw running south in Columbia alley. He
followed the man south to the first alley
then north TO Ohio street across the canal
and south along the Big -Four track and
caught him halfway down the block. He
was the man wanted and was quickly sent
to the police station and slated on the
charge of attempted murder.
Persons who know Williams say he is
quiet enough ordinarily, but has an uncon-
trollable temper and will hesitate at nothing
when aroused. They say he was not drunk
last night though he had taken a few
drinks. They say Ii was fortunate he had
not more ammunition in his pistol or he
would not have hesitated to have shot Ser
geant Laporte or compelled the latter to
have shot him.
Mrs. Harris says she has been boarding
Williams for nearly two years, and that he
has paid her very little board. why,
fed him all last winter" she said, land
never got cent for it. He went to work
not long ago. and l expected him to give