Richmond planet., 1897-09-18
John EDWARD COLES TELLS IT.
Monday. sentemher 1s. ,az

Monday, September 13, '97.
John Edward Coles, colored. said /
am i3 years old. ] live at 9lS East
Leigh St. l work at Mr.. hilhiser's
Gle West Franklin St., but do not live
there.
Two little white boys came in our
alley yesterday and they had one dog
Mr.. Milhiser has two dogs and the dogs
commenced fighting without being set
on. When the fighting commenced
thenthey said "sic him."
Vernon sic his dogs on the dogs and
they commenced tO fighting aud Yer
non said the dogs were biting at him.
The dogs were fighting near the white
boys
Mr.. William Scott. Mr.. Milhilser's s
driver told them to whip the dogs and
stop them from fighting. The white
boys did not hear we'll what he said
Vernon came up to Scott and asked
him what he said.
| Vernon had stopped talking with Mr..
Starke and went after Stanford and
said: You don't like what l did -
Stanford had not said anything to him
Then they began TO fight Vernon
struck him when he was sitting down.
Stanford kept backing back They
we're passing blows. The white boy
/ w nc AC0kAhE ONCAJ 4lCb ilC cbIuCk III
him Presently the white boy got a
lick at him and he fell. Stanford got
up on his knees and fell back.
They had their fist doubled up. ]
did not see anything else. 1 did moi
see anything in Vernon's hand.
GEORGE T. eoDDIN DEsoRIREs IT.
George II Goddin (white) was sworr
and deposed,
1 am ii years old. 1 live at 14lC
Grove Avenue Vernon and mysel
were coming down the alley and saw
these two shucking corn. We had
ldog We passed by them when the two
dogs came down swapping at US. d.
not think as far as l know that the col
ored boys set them on us. We tried
| to drive them away.
One of the colored boys said that W.
had better leave those dogs alone if W,
knew what was good for us. HI
cursed us We went up to them. Tn,
! dogs continued to fight. and we wen
up to the two colored boys The driv
er said, we should have whipped them
t Vernon asked the colOred boy wha
} he said, and Stanford said, "None~o
! your business, don't know do you
= Stanford cursed and called him a has
tard. That is what started the fight
4 Stanford hit at Vernon first, but al,
r not hit him.
Stanford was sitting down in tn
gate and Vernon was in front of him
Vernon struck back. Stanford stoo
up in the gate. 4 do not know whethe
that pass struck him or not. Thi
cOlored boy stepped out into the alley
Vernon struck at him with his hand
not his fist.
A Than Sfanfc,.H ofonnaH
t Vernon gave him another lick with hi
@ get. when Stanford fell. He caugh
f himself. He did not get quite to tn
ground. He finally fell to the grounC
= We then went away.
:, Neither l nor John Coleman engage
in the fight. No weapons of any kin
# were used.
:. THE coRoNER's STRANGE ASSERTIONS.
4 Coroner Taylor said that he exau
= ined the body very carefully and foun
no injury upon it whatever. There
>. no external indication of any bruis
- This is not extraordinary. This
- caused by the fact that death foIlowe
. so quickly that it had no time for il
form as bruise is an accompaniment
( of life.
examined the body all over aea
ie this morning. In cutting in the he,
a there was no indication there. none {
y the brains, no blood vessels broke
The brain was full of blood, no congo
y tion was there.
III In cutting into his lungs, I four
that his lungs were congested. Th
confirms the statement of the driv
that he saw blood at the mouth.
The congestion of the lungs wou
not be result OF a blow. The ia
that there was no bruise about I
: head shows also that he dropped to t
- ground gradually.
l take it that the congestion of {
J.. lungs was caused by the excitem emf
nc the fight. He was a feeble boy.
Wen have to contribute his death
{. the excitement which was brouoht