The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-12
C0RONER'S INQUEST.
\ Number Of Witnesses Tell the Story
OF the Shooting in Detail


The coroner's inquest was held at the
Second station at o'clock yesterday af-
ternoOn and a number Of witnesses, both
white and cOlOred. were examined.
While the circumstances OF tho shoot
ing were made clearer and the lnCIuents
that led mp 20 it were brought out 10 some
extent the main point that Of something
that would lead 10 the identity of the
-1urderers, was not disclosed.
Some of the evidence was contradic-
tory In several particulars and the mCst
interesting story Of the shooting told was
that of young William Il. Evans, a lad
who works at the Second Market and who
was on his way 20 the market from his
home No. 120 south Fourth street. and
who was an eye witness 20 the whole AZ
fair.
The Jury composed OF Mossrs. i. Frisch-
korn. Emmett e. Taylor +. IT. Beven.
George T. Williams. John Pitt and T.. j.
Brannan. met at 4 o'clock al the station
house and in company with Coroner Iay-
Tor proceeded 10 Laube's undertaking es-
Enlistment where the body Of Mr.. Aus
tin was lying.
After viewing the body the jury returned
10 the Second station, where, i'm a room
set apart for the purpose. the witnesses
were examined by Coroner Taylor, Cniet
How .o and Commemorative Attorney
Richardson. also being present.
SAW THREE FLASHES.
The first witness called was Hattie
Jenkins. "a colOred woman who lives az
No. 8ll north Fifth street between
Broad and Marshall
Did YOU see this Shooting asked the
Coroner.
yes sir"
Where were yOu?'
"Iu mv window. looking out. II was
very carly; sometime before o'clock.
Tell us what you know about II.
81 was looking up toward Broad street
and I saw two men coming around the
corner. A policeman had hold OF one
of them They were both colored men.
but the one the policeman had hold OF
was lighter than the other They were
both on the same side Of the policeman
lint T can't recollect which side they we're
when they got TO the corner. the light
faced man ierked away from the police
man and shot five times.
Did YOU see him shoot five tines
"No. sir ] saw him shoot three tunes
and then I shut down the WINDOW qulcN
and 7 heard two more shots afterwards
and then I heard the two men run past
my home toward Marshall street I know
he dark-skin man had on his hat and
coat lint the iight-colored man was IN his
shirt sleeves and had no hat on. can't
described the clothing OF either man FOR
was i'm "a big hurry to get IN the window.
THE dark man did nothing that / could
'' WOULDN'T KNOW THEM.
"Di5 YOU see who fred the last two
no. sir. they we're fred after closed
Would you know either Of the men
II YOU saw them again! TT
"%o sir. I wouldn't know either one
The second witness was a colored man
named Robert J. Winston. VINO lVes az
No. west Leigh street. and who was on
his way to work as fireman AT Alien q
GirfoT's cigarette factory.
"Retween twenty and Twenty-Five MIN
utes 10 o'clock this morning he said
.r was At the corner Of Fifth and Nor
shall streets and 7 heard pistol nre
three times and I looked m TOWARDS
BROAD street and saw a scramble going
on at that corner. 4 policeman and
somebody else vas a-tussling with each
other. and then I saw boy about eigh-
teen or twenty wears old running diaeo-
nallv across Fifth street IN the direction
Of Marshall. The boy was OF a heht
orange color and was bareheaded and IN
in his shirt-sleeves.
"Vhc he reached the pavement he ran
Nd Fifth street 10 Clay and then ran
down towards Sixth street. when lost
sight OF him.
HE GOT SCARED.
After the light -colOred boy had start
"a 10 run another young man came a.
running from the same place right to-
wards me. and then the policeman shot
about seven times NJ him. ] cot scared
and went out in the street and let the
man run past me- and when he got 10
Clay he turned to the west and l saw
him 10 more"
Gould you identify either OF The boys
n YOU saw them again
Il wouldn't like 20 say that ] could.
FOR I was excited and when I saw the
man running towards me and the bull
lets ying about ] got mighty scared
and weak.
The dark-skin boy seemed 10 be be-
tween sixteen and eighteen years old and
was a little stouter than. the other. The
policeman seemed 70 be hring at the
dark-skin boy more than the other"
Ibid you say snythiag 10 TIE boy ss
he ran past7"
Yes. sir, asked him what was the