The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-09-14
A GOLD FLOODED MURDER
Lewis Martin Puts Bullet THROUGH
Tom JOhnsOn's Heart.
COLORED WOMAN THE CAUSE
Yakima's Black Chapel Furnishes a Sensa-
ton tenographie Report Of the Test
mony-Aceused Committed With
out Bail.
COLORED WOMAN THE CAUSE

Last Thursday night, shortly after
train time, near midnight, Lewis Martin,
colored, shot and instantly killed Tom
Johnson, also negro. The deed oc
Cured in iakima's notorious Black
Chapel, on lower Front street, and the
motive apparently was jealousy.
In the absence of the coroner, DIR. Ros-
ser, Justice Lince presided over the coro-
ner's court, which was held in the SUI
perior court room on Friday, the Sth inst.
DR.. Hill made post norton exami.
nation of the corpse and found that the
bullet had split the heart and lodged
against the spine. The shot was fred at
close range-a few inches-the clothing
being burnt around the region OF the
bullet hole. He found an empty cart
ridge in Martins pistol and signs of
fresh burnt powder in the barrel.
Wesley Adams and Lucy Williams,
both colored, were the main witnesses.
and Prosecuting Attorney Rudkin elicit
ed from them the following testimony:
WESLEY ADAMS.
Where do you reside? Here, about
nine months"
Are you acquainted with the man who
was shot last night? "Yes, sir"
How long have you known him? "He
came here to the Roslyn coal mines in
49,
When did he come to this town? "He
came here this fall-you mean the fellow
that was shotH'
Yes. "He has been here about week
or little over"
What is his name? "Tom Johnson"
What is his age? "Thirty-one or two,
l think"
Did you see him yesterday? Eyes,
SIR"
Were you with him last night? Eyes,
STRIP
Where did you go with him? 1--WE all
went to a theater-to a show last night
in town."
"Who else accompanied him? "Me
and HIM and Lewis Martin, Ben Platter,
Dug Hawkine, Frank Cooper and my
self-Wesley Adams
Where did you go after the theater?
1--WE stopped in Johnson's saloon"
About what time was that? 81 guess
the theater let out about IL o'clock
somewhere along about that time
Where did you go next? ave goes to
Nellie Nelson's house"
What took place after you got down
there? 1--WE got to drinking down there
and me and him comes up to the saloon
again"
You and who? Lewis and this Tom
Johnson. The three of US went up to-
gether."
How long did you remain there? "We
stopped there long enough to get bottle
full.'
Where did you go then? 1--WE goes
back down to the house,
What took place after yon returned to
the house? ave was jollying and hav-
ing little fun, and talking and talking,
and this Tom comes in had a little row
with this lady down there. runs in
and pulls him off her, then we goes back
to the saloon to keep him from jumping
on her again, and this fellow says to
him"
Who do you mean by Tom? "This
fellow that got killed"
Who did You say had row with this
lady? This Lewis Martin. We goes
down and says to him, Lewis, YOU are
fool for trying to get yourself into
trouble. If you want to have good
time, don't try to get in no fuss.' He
says: This is my woman and says you
got nothing to do with it at all he says,
you are all right, he wasn't trying to
NEEDLE with your business, and goes to