The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-31
WITH THE NEGRO DESPERATE CHARLES
IN NEW ORLEANS
THE WORK OF HIS WINCHESTER
In q House In the City, He
I'LL Four Men and Wounds several
Others Before He Is shot Down-Hfs
Negro Found In the House Killed.
The Infatuated Mob Attempted to
Burn the Body-Rescued by Police

AoSNAAS AO0AS
in which he succeeded in killing Ser
geant Gabriel Porteo,-s, Andy van
kurem, keeper of the police Jail. and
Alfred j. Bloomfield, a young boy, ia
tally wounding Corporal John F. Lally.
John Banville, ex-Policeman, Frank
H. Evans, a. S. LocIere, one of the
leading confecrFoners of the city, and
more Or less seriously shooting several
citlzens, the negro desperate, Robert
Charles, who killed Captain Day and
Patr,lman Lamb and badly wounded
Offfcer Mora. was smoked out of his
hiding place in the heart of the resi-
dence Section Of the city and literally
shot % pieces.
The tragedy was one of the most re-
markaole in the history of the city n
10000 people-soldiers, policemen and
citizens were gathered around the
square il which Charles was finally
put to death.
Tremendous excitement reigned in
New Orleans as the battle went on be-
tween the LDlice and citizens and the
negro with his Winchester. After trag-
edy was over and Charles was dragged
from the mud and slush in which he
had fallen, with the mob bowling for
1.-THE burning of his body, statements
were made that the man killed was not
really the desperate who had killed
Day and Lamb, but papers found on
his person and the fact tha he fought
SO desperately for mis- life and shot 50
accurately seems to leave little doubt
that the right man was put to death.
Sergeant Gabe P~orteous, one OF the
best known officers on the force, and
Sergeant John F. Lally, who has a
fine record for bravery, were informed
during the day by a negro that Charles
was in hiding in a house on Clio street,
near Saratoga street. Determining to
take him alive if possible, the officers
summoned a number of patroimen to
their assistance and went t. the. house
where Charles was supposed 10 be in
concealment. The negro informant of
the policemen accompanied the officers.
They entered the side ally of the
house and We're surprised in practical
ly same way as were Day and Lamb.
Before the officers were aware of their
danger Charles, who was hidden be-
hind a screen or the second fioor of
the building raised his Winchester and
begun a furious, but accurate fire.
Lally fell with a bullet in the right
oioC VI AC dUOollICll. IOIhtOuS WdS
shot through the head and dropped
dead a LOSS the body of La1ly. The
other Cheers and the negro fled from
the scene.
The reports of Charles Winchester
n the fact that two officers lay bleed
ing in the yard, raised tremendous eX-
| citement. Hurry calls were sent to
the mayor, the chief of police and
Colonel Woo in command of the spe-
| cha police and as fast as possible
l armed help was rushed to the scene
| In a little while there was an inn
| mense armed crowd encircling the
| square in which Charles was located.
In the meantime Father Fitzgerald
| Of st. Johns church was summoned
to administer extreme JUNCTION to the
police officers who were lying in the
alley. The priest responded promptly
and he was Amounting the body of Por-
teous, with Alfred j. Bloomfield, a
young boy, standing by his side, when
Charles again appeared at the window
The lad saw him at once and begged
the desperate not to shoot him.
Charles Immediately fired his Win
cester again and Bloomfield fell dead.
The priest, unhurt, left the scene, af-
ter pluckily performing the last offices
for the dead officers.
At this time the ambulance arrived
and two citizens volunteered to go into
Il III dllSy way dlId bIllS ouI lis DOus
of Lally. They entered and while
they were attempting to take the body
of the dead officer from that of his
colleague, Charles fired again. The
citizens, nevertheless, got Lally's body
out of the ally and afterward, sue
ceeded i'm taking Porteous' body GU
also.
In the meantime an immense throns
had gathered in the vicinity AND
schemes were set on foot to ge'
| Charles out of the building. Charles
however, did not propose to be cap
tured without selling his life dearly
Time after time he came to the win
dow and as the citizens, one by on
entered the ally he blazed away a
them. In his manner Confectione
Leclere, who was one Of the specia
police squad, ex-Policeman Evans
John Banville, and George H. l.. Ly
ons, son of the head of the bigges
drug establishment in the SOUTH, wer
wounded.
> AT his time the extra police begal
10 fire indiscriminately at the negrC
L Who shor him will probably never D
; known. u at this time Andy va
Kurem, keeper Of the police jail. got
: bullet in the body and fell dead Jus
. afterward n. H. Ball, an old man age
60 years, working for the Mutual Ben
%evolent Association, doing business i
the VICINITY, was NIT ana mOrLall
wounded. About the same time, wit
r Charles firing his Winchester indis
: criminately, Frank Bertucci receive
e a shot in the left shoulder and j. "
Bofil got a bulletin the right hand.
Ultimately it was concluded by thos
e who were handling the situation tina
the only way 20 get Charles was I
burn the building in which he was en-
trenched. Some one went to a neigh
boring grocery, purchased a can OF o
: and pouring it over the rear steps c
4 the building applied a match 500
had the building in flames. So fercel
: did the fire burn that il became ev.
dent that no human being could lv
in h building, and picked men iroI
= the police, special squads and member
u of the militia stationed tnemselvt
about the building in order TO pick o
= the desperate as he attempted TO leay
the house. A young soldier name
Adoiph Anderson, a member OF II
Thirteenth company of the state mil
st tia, was one of the first to see Charle
= as he ran down uhe steps leading
- the second story. Charles ran aero!
l. the yard and erected the scond rooH