The Republican., 1899-05-11

f i
CUMBERLAND, MD, May s.-4WilA
liam Paris, colored, aged about seven
teen years, was shot and killed this
afternoon by John Meyers, white
man, aged about thirty-five years,
who works a vineyard in the western
suburbs of Cumbcrland
Meyers discove, ed Paris in the act
of attempting to assault Mrs. Kate
Hier, aged about seventy wears.
Shortly before Paris assaulted Mrs.
Hier he wasseen chasing Mrs. Barbara
Mes, another aged lady, and this
attracted Meyers attention to him.
He got his Winchester rifle, and it was
not long until screams were heard
from a clump of trees not far distant.
Mr.. Meyers rushed down and found
Paris in the act of attempting to as
sault Mrs. Hier, who had been looking
for her COW. Paris did not retreat
until after Meyers had yelled at him.
He ran up the hill, Meyers first shoot
ing him in the foot. He did not stop
and then Meyers, from the bottom of
the hill, sent six buckshot through
his body.
Paris died in five minutes without
saying a word. Meyers sent word to
notify the sheriff and sat on a rock
by the colored boys body until the
sheriff came. Paris came here from
Virginia and bore a good reputation
as a servant. Mrs. Hier was in a
frightful condition. Her body was
covered with mud, her face scratched
and nose bleeding.
AIpNpFC was Capn n fhn iail ~ iC
evening. He has a slight German
accent. He said he and the rest of
the Meyers family had observed the
cOloted boy accOst Mrs. Mes and saw
her -un down over the hill as if fright
ened, the fellow after her. This was
the last they saw of Mrs. Mes, but
the fellow reappeared over the hill,
walking rapidly toward Sulphur
Spring Hollow. Meyers thought there
was mischief brewing, having in the
meantime observed Mrs. Hier enter q
clump of brush in search of her COW.
Meyers got his rifle, he says, for his
own protection and started in pursuit.
He said: Il came upon them, the
fellow holding Mrs. Hier down. Her
face was scratched and nose bleeding,
her. li2f. ,.iotnes t, ssespatterEl vii, ,sld
- "a
She was screaming loudly The fel.
low did not start away until l yelled
at him. l called him to halt. He ran
quickly up the hill. | shot to scare
him. He still ran. | shot a second
time. thinking | would wound him.
He fell, lying on his back. | tried tC
talk to him, but he would not answer
| did not know the fellow"
a jury summoned by Acting Coro-
ner Joseph A. Gonder viewed the
body. Numerous persons visited the
scene of the tragedy and saw the
body, among them being many col
ored people, who were heard to NUT
ter disapproval of Meyers act. A
number of witnesses were examined.
George NJ. Deetz was foreman of the
jury. Mrs. Hier seemed much agita-
ted as she told her story to the jury,
relating facts substantially as given,
only adding that Paris remarks were
insulting. She showed the dirt on
the back of her dress and said the
negro had hurt her side. Mrs. Bar
bara Mes. whom Paris first chased,
told her story in German, an inter
prefer explaining it to the jury Rev.
w. H. Thomas, colored, editor of
the Signal, asked Miss Amanda
Meyers, sister of John Meyers, a
question, but was told he had moth
ing to do with the case. Physicians
described the wounds of Paris.
The jury at II o'clock tonight rem
dered a verdict of justifiable homi-
eide, in the following words: THAT
William Paris came to his death by
gunshot wounds inflicted by John
Meyers while protecting the honor
of Mrs. Kate Hier, whom said Paris
attempted to rape, and we believe
said shooting to be justifiable.
There is considerable excitement
here among the negroes. They are
loud in their denunciation of the
shooting of Paris and it is reported
they held a secret meeting tonight
Meyers will spend the night in jail.
1t is thought best that he should be
there for his own protection. He
could not be legally released without
habeas corpus proceedings, which
will be instituted in the morning.
Deer Park Hotel, Deer Park, Maryland,
Most DeljphtfuI Summer Resort of