Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-01

| depart.
Tharpe and Bishop We're friends, having
| met each other soon after they enlisted in
| the army, and they were together in Cuba
| About three weeks ago they returned to
this country and went to Camp Meade,
| Pa, where they We're mustered out They
| reached this city last night about o'clock
| en- route home. Having two hours or more
| to remain in the city they went out sight
| seeing.
| Both men were armed Their weanons
| had not been purchased in Cuba or before
| going there, but were bought in Pennsyi-
| vanla upon their return. Tharpe sought
| drinking places in the vicinity of the depot
| Claimed the Right of Way.
| 1t was about 1880 o'clock when he stag
gered into the depot to board an outgoing
| train. There was big crowd under the
| railroad shed waiting to board outgoing
! trains, and Tharpe apparently had the idea
| that being from Cuba he had the right OF
way He had been noisy in the depot
carrier in the night and had been warned
with others to keep quiet.
When he reached the waiting room for
! the last time he was evidently very drunk
lie attempted to push his way through the
| crowd as If he wanted to be the first to
| gel on the train Orders had been given
| TO allow no one through the gate until the
| train, which was late. arrived but Tharpe
| ana some of his soldier friends insisted on
| violating this order.
| Gentlemen" pleaded Officer Acton.
please step away from the gate and stop
| this crowding"
The continued appeals of the officer were
| OIL no avail, Tharpes conduct hecornius
| more offensive than ever. He declared he
| would go through the gate and said he
| would soon show how he would do it,
Flnally there was nothing left for the
| ofhcer to do but arrest him, and this he
| proceeded to do.
| TN go through this gate if I have to
"a r3 through gore to do it, he shouted.
| Ihen the officer put his hands on Tharpe
10 arrest him. and in an instant revolver
| was pushed into view There was flash
| ana the leaden missile went crashing into
| the officers arm. So severe was the shock
| .hat 1t staggered Acton, and he fell against
| sergeant kraemer. In an instant Police
| man Payne grabbed Tharpe and had pinned
| MS arms close to his body hoping to dis
! arm him before he could fire another shot
Success ion of Shots.
| Just at this time Tharpe was heard to
| say: GU - =, evidently meaning
| Policeman Acton. The efforts of Police
man Payne to prevent a further use of the
weapon were unsuccessful. It was one of
! the latest patterns and but little effort was
| needed TO discharge it. Shot after shot was
| fired until the chambers of the revolver
| We're empty and by this time the officers
ana citizens had Tharpe down. Clubs land
ed on MS head and made several severe
| cuts and it was not until the excitement in
| cident to the arrest had subsidized that the
off1cerS knew that Bishop had been shot
He was found lying on the floor with n
| bullet wound in his head. That he was
dead no one doubted, but the police sent
| hurried messages for physicians When the
Emet gency Hospital ambulance arrived
| with DR.. MOZART the verdict was that death
| must have been instantaneous.
| detective Cochran, who was in the thick
| est of the trouble, rendered assistance and
! also looked after the body of the dead vol
| unteer Policeman Acton was taken to the
| Emergency Hospital in a carriage and The.
| doctors did what they could to relieve him
| iharpes head was in such condition that
| ne. too, had to be taken to the hospital
where he had his wounds dressed In the
| meantime the body Of Bishop was re-
| moved TO the morsue The dead man. it is
stated. h I'd not been drinking last night
| and. while he was acquainted with Tharpe
| he was not an intimate associate He had
/ nothing 10 do with the trouble in the depot
and was merely awaiting the arrival of the
| train 70 resume his journey homeward. In
| his pockets the officers found more than
| 500 of the money that had been paid him
| by the government when he was mustered
out at Camp Meade.
Tharpe was not so well off. so far as his
| money was concerned. He had spent the
greater part of his pay at Harrisburg.
| Not His First Trouble.
| 1t was stated by some of the discharged
| soldiers that Tharpe had had trouble with
| more than one of his comrades and that
| he bought his weapon in Harrisburg to use
| in the event of his being attacked. Both
| the prisoner and the deceased were men,
! bers of the 9th ImClunes. They reached
| Cuba soon after the surrender of Santiago,
| remaining on the island until early in May,
| when they sailed from Guantanamo and
j arrived at Camp Meade May 10.
! Most of the members of the regiment
! lived in Alabama and Mississippi. num-
| Der of them got drunk yesterday before
| they left Harrisburg. Bottles of whisky
| were taken on the train, and soon after
reaching here many of the men hurried
| to saloons to continue their rotations.
| Police Joseph Acton, who was wounded,
! had narrow escape from being killed.
| The bullet only entered his arm, but when
| the wound was received he had his arm
| raised to prevent being shot in the face.
| 1t was only his quick movement that saved
| his life. Acton has been a member of the
| police force for many years. He once
! served on the detective force and during