The record-union., 1897-08-22
WHO KILLED BARBER JONES'?
THE CORONER'S JURY UNABLE
TO ASCERTAIN.
But He Was Shot During a Strug-
gle With His Mistress,
Del Gomez.

pied with the obtainable facts connect
ed with the death of Edward G. Jones,
the colored barber, who was shot and
killed in the lodging-house at 40 ]
street last Sunday, but as to whether
the shooting was accidental, or whether
Dell Gomez, who for a year prior to
the shooting had been Jones' mistress,
was in any way responsible for it, the
jurors did not hazard a guess.
The jury, which was composed of W.
III. Ellis, ]. T. George, o. S. Ander-
son, c. w. Tomlin, Joseph Doresik and
Michael Morely, rendered a verdict as
follows:
we find that Edward c. Jones came
to his death from the effect of a gun
shot wound, inflicted at 40 J street,
in the course of the scuffle with his fe-
male consort, one Dell Gomez"
The evidence taken, while along the
lines already published in the Record
Union" Is interesting in that the stories
told by the Gomez woman have been
repeated in each instance with an ac-
curacy seldom equalIed
Sergeant of Police John P. McManus
was the first witness called. He had,
he said, known Jones during his life,
and had also known Dell Gomez. About
4:15 O'clock p. N. on Sunday, the 18th
inst, Dell Gomez entered police head
quarters and notified him that there
had been shooting up the street, and
that Ed. Jones had been shot in the
head
The Sergeant testified the woman
told him that Jones, with whom she
lived, had gone to a ball game and
that she had gone out to see a friend.
Jones returned before she did, and
when she got back began to abuse her.
She informed him that she would stand
his abuse no longer and that she in
tended leaving him. Jones, the woman
told the witness, stepped into a bed
room, and returning, drew a pistol from
his pocket. The woman said she had
seized Jones' hands and said, "Oh, Ed
die, don't shoot me-" In the struggle
that followed the pistol was discharged.
Sergeant McManus further testified
that the pistol with which the shooting
had evidently been done lay on Jones'
breast, and that the fingers of the
right hand of the wounded man touch
ed the butt of the weapon
officer Maley corroborated the testi-
mony given by Sergeant McManus and
further stated that the woman claim
ed to have told Jones that she intend
ed to leave him, and that she would
have done so before except that Jones
had kept her watch on which she pro-
posed raising money. The woman's
wrists. Maley testified, were bruised
at the time of her arrest, and her lip
was lacerated. Jones, the officer said,
died about O'Clock the same evening"
DR.. q. A. White, County Physician,
testified that he had held an autopsy
on the body of the dead man, and
found that he came to his death from
a pistol bullet which had entered the
skull on the left side of the head on a.
line With the outer angle of the eye
and the tip of the ear. The ball pene-
trated the brain about three inches.
The left side Of the face of the dead
man, DIR White stated, bore powder
marks. and the pistol had evidently
been held only few inches from the
head, and at a nearly horizontal po-
sition when the fatal shot was fired.
The ball ranged slightly toward the
base of the skull.
Mrs. Ida Pierce, who conducts the
lodging house at 40 street, where the
tragedy was enacted, testified that
Jones rented rooms from her about
four months ago. Dell Gomez lived
with Jones, who represented that she
was his wife.
Mrs. Pierce said that shortly before
the shooting she heard Jones using loud
language, which was followed by a
scuffling sound. The witness started
down stairs and had gone but a short
distance when she saw Dell Gomez run
out of her room. The witness said to
the woman, My Cod did he take a
shot at your" The Gomez woman re-
piled, Jones is shot" but said no more.
The witness advised the Gomez wo-
man to tell her troubles to the police.
and the advice was followed.
The witness further testified that
there had been trouble in the Jones
domicile for some time previous to
the shooting. The Gomez woman had
told her that she could stand Jones
abuse no longer, and the witness had
agreed to advance her SIS on her
watch to enable her to go to Portland.
The next day, however, Dell Gomez told
her that Jones had the watch and
would not give it up. The witness had,
on several occasions, seen the Gomez
woman with her eyes bruised. and the
latter had said it was Jones' work.
The witness stated that some time
before the shooting the Gomez woman
who was in a delicate condition, was
very III and had told her that Jones
had kicked her in the side
Judge H. L. Buckley, who represented
Dell Gomez, requested that she be put
on the stand.
Dell Gomez, being sworn. testified
that she is a single woman. but that
for the past year she had lived with
Jones as his wife. Her story. in the
main part, was corroborative of the
testimony given by Sergeant McManus.
and did not differ materially from her
statement made for the Record I'm
ion'' on the evening of the tragedy.
She testified that when she reached
home on Sunday afternoon the door
was locked and she was obliged to
climb in over the transom. Once in
side she said to Jones: Eddie, dear,
are you angry because 1 did not get
in before you did?"
Upon this Jones, the witness said
became very abusive, and called her
vile names. She paid no attention to
him, but went on into the kitchen and
began preparing a chicken for supper.
Jones followed her, and taking the fowl
from her threw il on tire floor. She
told MIN that he had gone too far, and
that she proposed leaving him. He
cursed her, and. leaving the kitchen,
stepped into the bedroom.
The witness said she started to leave
the kitchen to get her hat, and met
Jones coming. out of the bedroom. As
they met the latter drew pistol from
his coat pocket, and as he did so she
seized both his hands, imploring him
not to shoot During the struggle that