Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-24
ScANLON ExONERATED
0ouoors Jury Hear Testimony About
0hisley's Death.
Was He Killed by . Blow Win .
Base Ball Dat-The Wit.
nesoes Examined.

This morning at IL o'clock Coroner Ham,
NETT held an inquest at the sixth precinct
station to inquire into the cause Of Thomas
Chisley's death. AZ heretofore published
in The Star. Chisley. who was q colored
man, was struck on the head with a base
ball bat during a disturbance at Capital
Park Wednesday afternoon. Chisiey died
at the Emergency Hospital Thursday night
Thomas Scanlon. the young white man
who 1t is charged inflicted the fatal in
jury. managed to escape. and had not been
apprehended this morning. Precinct De-
tective Hartigar, who worked on the case,
received Information TO the effect that
Scanlon had gone west. Messrs. Lipscomb
and Turner were before the coroner's Jury
To-Day looking after Scandals fnterests
and they said they would produce their
against him.
Charles E. Holmes. employed In the gov
eminent printing Office, who lives at N
H street northeast, was first called. and he
SAID ne was on the ground when the affair
happened. but he did not witness the affair
don't know that know anything that
would be OF interest to the jury" he said
Il don't think SO, either" added the
coroner.
Conflicting Stories.
Charles E. Burdine. a resident OF South
washington, who happened to be near the
scene of the trouble, told OF the affair as
ne had witnessed it. He was standing near
the corner Of North Capitol street when he
saw about three white men being pursued
by about 30 colored men. The latter got
ene or the white men against a wall. and
wMfe they were beating him one Of the
white men used a base ball bat ON a colored
man, knocking him down. Witness knew
none OF the parties and thought he would
be unable to recognize either the colored
struck him.
Mr.. Lipscomb inquired IL the witness
heard the colored man say. Cut his -
out?' and he said he could not tell what
was said.
George L. schoeneman testified that he
was standing in front Of Raedy's saloon
when he saw colored man pursuing a
white man. The colored man was pound
Ing the white one when they were sur
rounded by party OF colored men. Then
1t was that a white man came I'D and
used bat on one Of the colored ones.
Was the colored man striking the white
man when he was struck?'' the witness
Yes. SIR he answered.
Inc crowd about the men was SO Dense
said witness. that he could NOT see whether
the colored man fell or not.
John F. Calvin saw the crowd but was
unable to give the jury any further in
formation.
Caroline Green. colored. who lives at ga
wi III Sdpitoi Street. witnessed part OF the
AFFAIR from her front porch. She says she
saw Thomas Chisley being pursued by sew
eral white men. About the time he started
to turn the corner of street one Of them
grabbed him by the collar and another one
struck him with base ball bat Chfsley
fell to the pavement unconscious, and did
not move muscle before he was put in
the wagon. She said that the colored men
did not pursue the white man until after
the blow was struck. The man who struck
the blow. she said. Is named Thomas Scan
Ion She knew him because he served her
milk when he was boy
Given to the Jury.
Rosa Green, daughter Of the preceding
witness, was next sworn. and she corrobor-
ated her mothers version Of the affair
Several other witnesses were called. and
their testimony was conflicting. The jury
then took the case under consideration.
ScanlOn ExOnernteI.
After lengthy deliberafion the jury re.
turned a verdict generating Scanlon. The
jury thought the evidence showed thai
Scanlon believed his life was in danger
when he dealt the blow.