Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-09
USED A BLACK JACK
4 Vicious Negro on a Street
Car Sunday.
HE WANTED TO RIDE FREE
Hierrc bctr"it'~ Sn,ide:, Death at Yhu.bu.
Col. &c. Phillips Barn D.s,r"y-
ed by Fire. Sick soldiers
Landed ut OId Point.

shortly after 4 O'clock Sunday after
noon, 1T Barnes Corner Il !stonnin.r
place Oh the Newport News. llalun,,,n
oid Point Railway Il mile ana a haif
pelo" this city, Il negro committed, an
outrage which, had liz. not succeeded i'm
making his escape While the tr,in1nen
We're looking after his victim. Would
nave made the day for him tbs. warm
est IN his experience. Conductor John
Fitzgerald and -Mortorman Ia Wailac.
We're IN charge of the train. Which car
RED number of passengers among
Wnoin We're several negroes Captain
Frank Darling. president uf tht. road
occupied the front seat
All went We'll until Mnrtnymau Wal
lace slowed up at Barnes Corner, when
i burly negro, who had boarded the car
OUT 4 few moments before, attempted
70 allght Without paying for th, ride
conductor Fitzgerald approached him
ana mildly demanded the fare The ne
gro declared that he wouldn't pay and
1T the same time ran his hand into his
pocket. Remarks of that character arc
$" frequent on the road thue Mr.. E'itz-
gerald did not think his passenger was
IN earnest y moment later. however.
h. VAS made aware of the fact that he
had miSjudged the brute for the ne
Sro's hand was quickly withdrawn
from his pocket and as il Went w into
u.
next instant descended with great rnrc..
upon the conductors head
Fitzgerald rolled from the platform
10 the highway and Mortorman Wallace
and Captain Frank Darling. thinking
h, had been killed. sprang to his assist
;ailcc This was the negroes oppuriuni-
sy. ana he utilized it. l.eaping from! the
platform he sped away tswayd Fulton
street and was soon lost t. sight. Tn
fortunately, no one on tie ca, Fp"no'Wvt
ever. say that they have often seen him
i'll the sugar Tin section ana can e .silv
iLtntiry him. Their description Of
th,. fellow is in the hands OF the police
and 1t is believed that. unless he has
managed 10 leave the Peninsula he viii
Snon b.. locked up. . N
Conductor Fitzgerald was uncon-
scinus Wien his friends reached his
side, but he soon recovered and Captain
Darling had him brought to Hampton
without delay. Dr.. Charles Selden eX-
:ltni,1ed the wound and found that by
dinl Of good luck. Fitzgerald was not Sc
riuusiy injured. He is lad up. however.
and il will probably be Il day OF two
before he is able TO resume work
The responsibility for such outrags $
as this plainly rests With those whose
duty it is 10 enforce thu. LAW, The cuun-
y has in il scores Of just such vicious
devils as the fellow that assaulted FitZ-
gerald. Many OF them have been de-
tectcd in the commission of crime, tried
and adjudged guilty, but after serving
a few days in Jail have succeeded in
securing their liberty. such action
upon the part Of The officials has ensen-
dcred almost open disregard fa; law,
especially in Phoebus, which is 10 k,d
upon by tbs. mischief making element.
both White and black and both Within
and beyond the borders OF that county.
as ground upon which men may do al
most as they please. The roughs and
lnw'lies nurse the .3jnlr"rtinG ,housh,
tina, il they are called to account for
their conduct their punishment will he
no ni':rc than they can easily bear.