The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-06
A BULLETIN THEABDOMEN
OFFICER OAKS SAYS HE DID IT
IN SELF-DEFENSE.
THE NEGRO TRYING TO CUT HIM
Then He Struck Him a Terrible Bow--The
Negroes Physician Thinks His
Chances of Recovery
Are Slim.

the next forty-eight hours it will be little
less than a miracle.
He was shot yesterday in the abdomen.
the ball entering just above the navel
and passing into what is commonly
known as the nav.
Jake is desperate negro-an old Of
fender and an eX-convict. Sunday he
had trouble with a negro woman near
the Fair Ground-Myrtle Dunston-and
beat her up very badly, SCATTERING one
of her arms with rock.
For this a warrant was yesterday is
sued for him, put in the sheriff's hands,
who in turn gave it to Deputy w. T..
Oaks to execute. Oaks found his man
at the corner of Hargett and Wilmington
streets about 10 o'clock and arrested
him.
1t being the 4th of July and holiday,
there was large crowd of negroes hang
ing around, and as the officer took the
man in charge one of them said:
snake him read his warrant. He can't
arrest you unless he does"
Thereupon the negro jerked loose from
the officer and swore he would not go
a step unless the warrant was read.
read.
Oaks was about to read it, though the
law does not require him to do SO, when
he noticed that the negro had his open
knife in his hand and was backing away.
1t was then that the officer whipped
out his pistol-a 32-calibre Smith and
Wesson-and ordered him to halt. He
did not stop, though, but kept going
backward slashing toward the officer
Some say he made ten or twelve strokes
toward Mr.. Oaks, others says he made
twenty-five or thirty.
While this was going on. the officer
kept advancing as the negro retreated,
and finally he called ON the crowd to as
sist him in the arrest, but nobody COM
piled. Even Policeman Ruth. who was
standing nearby, remained motionless.
Then the negro struck Oaks powerful
blow in his groin with his fist AS he
did so Oaks shot him, the ball entering
his stomach as described above.
After being shot the negro turned and
ran, nobody, not even Officer Ruth, in
terferring. He went out Hargett street,
thence to Martin street to the home of
his mother. There the officers found
him bleeding and writing in pain. A
physician-Dr. Buffaloe-was at once
summoned and the extent of his injuries
inquired into. 1t was found that the
lust how far he could not tell, as he fear
ed to probe for it. But the bleeding was
stopped and opates administered to as
Suage the pain.
DIR. Buffaloe was seen late yesterday
afternoon and he considered recovery al
most impossible. Several times during
the day the death of the man was re-
ported, and it is generally conceded that
he can never get well.
Immediately after the shooting a war
rant was issued for Deputy Oaks, and
he was placed under 500 bond. He
was reported to be quite badly hurt by
the blow administered by the negro and
was taken to his home in West Raleigh.
Resistance to officers has become so
frequent here of late and Jones is such
desperate character, that very little
sympathy is expressed for him even
among the colored people. But it is
greatly to be regretted that human life
has had to be so terribly endangered even
to teach so Statutory lesson.
The above is the story told by Oficer
Oaks and his friends. The negro told
a very different one when he reached
home He said Oaks told him to fol-
low him, and he refused to do so unless
he would read his warrant. This Oaks
refused to do, and tried to carry him
anyway. He resisted and in the scuf-
file young white man said shoot him and
the pistol fired. Then, Jones said. he
ran toward home and Oaks ran in an
opposite direction. He denies drawing
his knife and trying to cut him or at
any time striking him with his fist.
Jones is a strong, heavily built man of
nineteen years of age. Last night at II
o'clock, when a reporter called at the
house, he was in a deep morphine SUM
Der. Whenever the effects Of the drug
begins to die out he begins to moan. then
gradually to get into perfect fit of
pain and torture until he is put to sleep
again.
He is at his mothers home. and the
old woman was last night nursing him
with all mothers care. and it was
evident that she took no stock in the
| story that her son was at fault in the
| matter.