The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-05
STABBED WITH A DIRK.
Bill Pitts Commits an AtrOcious Murd6r In
a Saloon on Plume Street
AhDiCO0LY WALKS OUT TO LIBERTY
Whii" Crowd Stands Gaping by
Aais Victim Was Harry woDb. n
N"ro" saiior, NccentIy Dis-
charged from Tho United States
N"rS--fho oAwiopsy-Inuuest Today

ABOUT O'Clock last night Harry
WeDD, young colorcG man, %as MUIR
dered by another negro named Bill Pitts.
Inc crime was committed !Cl the Shelwy
fiouse, II negro saloon on Plume street.
and after the murderer had stabbed his
victim to death, cody passed throurh
the crowd OF gaping negroes, who stood
around him. and departing through tho
rear door OF the joint. passed out in the
darkness and made his escape. nor had
no up to IL late hour this morning bees1
apprehendcd. y
The deed was done go quietly and so
suddenly that no one realized that 81
murder had been committed FOR. several
minutes. and Officer Freeman, who was
standing In front OF the salocn ut tho
time. and who had heard nothing or an
uhusunl nature going on inside, was not
hoLliied until Pltts was we'll Col his way
! to liberty
! The officer went in and found Web,
iyinE on the floor dead, his clothing sat
nrated with blood. an object for the Gu
| riouS hall scnseless gaze OF some half
dozen negroes standing by. These
ne TOOK to the police station and had
recoEnized for their appearance as wilt
nesses. Inc body was carried TO tho
morEue ON stretchcr. and there an
autopsy was performed later by Drs.
Charters and Newton,
IL was absolutely impossible TO OBJ
tam from the Witnesses anything like n
] sensible account of the tragedy. From
an mat could be gathered, Webb was
| intoxicated. The two men met I'm tho
pack part OF the house and exchanged
u lew anSrS words. what about, no one
| KNOWS Then, without the slightest In
timatlon of his deadly intention. PITTS
pulled ont large knife and stabbed
| WeDb In the left side. The latter fell
70 the floor, dyiug almost instantly, ana
n hi. 4.
manner described
Inc knife used must have been six
or seven inches long and about an Inch
vide probably n doubIe-edEcd dirk.
me autopsy showed that the wound
hhd been made on the left side. just be-
low the last rib, midway between the
splnal column and the aXillary line. The
lnstrumcnt cut Into the aorta and enter
| ed the spinal column between tho last
dorsal and the first lumber vertebrnc.
An inquest Will be held at Justice Ash
burns office at 10 o'clock this morning.
WcbD was about 30 years OF age and
| had recently been discharged from mr.
teen years service In the United states
Navy. He had come here with the in
tenl!on of rcshipplng. He leaves a
mother.
OTHER INQUESTs.
coroner Newton held an inquest ut
II 30 o CLOCK yesterday morning over the
iGnIhihs ,I or John Butler, the negro who
aieu at the jail hospital the might be-
fore. A. verdict OF death from natural
causes was returned. Tho jury consist
ed OF Messts. A. H. Ashhurp. j. l.. Nash,
Morris cannon, John Bcw, Enoch Capps
and John Findlcy
The same jury ofllc,ated for Coroner
CHARTERS at !: 80 p. m. In the Inquest held
Ut %. vinceolts Hosptal over the re-
mains OF George n. Brown, who died at
the hospiial yesterday morning render
ing verdict to the effect that Geath
was caused by Il fracture of the skull,