The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-07-28
MOB IS BITTER.
Shoots to Pieces the New Or
leans Fugitive Negro
Who Gave Battle to the Officers
in Fortified House.
HAD SEVEN VICTIMS.
With a Winchester Rife the
Negro Created Havoc.
House Was Finally Burned
Over Him.
Reign Of Terror Exists in the
Southern City.
HAD SEVEN VICTIMS.

New Orleans, July 2S.-After a des-
perate battle lasting for several hours,
in which he succeeded in killing Ser
geant G. Porteus, Andy Van Kuren,
keeper of the police Jail, and Alfred B.
bloomfield, a young boy, and in fatal
ly wounding Corporal John s. Lally,
John Banville, ex-Policeman Frank H
Evans and A S. Leclerc, one of the
leading confectioners of the city, and
more or less seriously wounding sew
eral other persons, the negro deSper-
ado, Robert Charles, who killed Captain
Day and PatrOlman Lamb and wound
hiding place in the heart of the resi-
dence section of the city late yesterday
afternoon and literally shot to pieces.
The tragedy was one of the most re-
n1arkable in the history of the city.
Many thousands of persons were gath.
cred around the square in which
Charles was finally put to death.
Tremendous excitement reigned in
New Orleans as the battle went on be-
| tween the police and citizens and the
negro with his Winchester. After the
tragedy was over and Charles was
| dragged out from the mud and slush in
which he had fallen. with the mob
| bowling for 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 that
| he fought SO desperately for his life
and shot so accurately seem to leave
| little doubt that he was the man.
Sergeant Gabe Porteus, one of the
| best known officers on the force, and
| Sergeant Lally, who has a record for
| bravery, were informed during the day
| by a negro that Charles was in hiding
| in a house in Clio, near Saratoga store
Determining to take him alive if pos
| sible, the officers summoned a number
| of patrolmen to their assistance and
ant of the policemen accompanied the
| officers. They entered the side alley
| of the house, and were served like Day
and Lamb. The negro was hidden be-
| hind a screen and began a furious and
| accurate fire. Lally fell with a bullet
in the right side of the abdomen. Por-
| teOuS was shot through the head and
| dropped dead across the body of Lally
The other officers and the negro fled
from the scene. The report of Charles
| Winchester and the fact that the two
| officers lay bleeding in the yard raised
| tremendous excitement. Hurry calls
| were sent to the mayor, the chief of
police and Lionel Wood, in command
of the special police, and armed hosts
were rushed to the scene. In a little
while there was an immense crowd
| armed
In the meantime, Father Fitzgerald,
of St. Johns church, was summoned to
administer extreme JUNCTION to the po-
| lice officers who were lying in the alley.
The priest responded promptly and he
was amounting the body of Porteus, with
Alfred Bloomfield, a young boy, stand
ing by his side, when Charles again ap-
peared at the window. The lad saw
| him and begged the desperate not o
shoot him. The negro, however, fired
| his Winchester again and Bloomfield
scene, after pluckily performing the
last offices for the dead officer
When the ambulance arrived, two
men volunteered to go into the alley
/ @fT Foil nx
! entered and while they were attempt
ing to take the body of the dead Off
! Ger from that of his colleague. Charles
| fired again. The men got Lahy' body
out and afterWard took PorteuS pouy
| out also.
In the meantime, an immense crowd
had gathered in the vicinity and a
! scheme was set on foot to get Charles
| did not propose to be captured Time al
! ter time he came to the window and as
men, one by one, entered the alley, he
| blazed away at them. In this manner,
| Confectioner Leclerc, who was one of the
speciaI police squad; ex-Policeman Esv
/ ans, John Banville and George H. Ly-
ons. son of the head of a dry goods es-
| tabliShment, were wounded.
At this time the extra police began to
| fire at the negro and he returned their
! fire Andy Van Kurem, keeper of the
| police Jail, got a bullet in the body and
! fell dead. Just afterward H H. Ball,
| aged 65, working for the Mutual Benev-
| olent association, which does business n
this vicinity, was hit and mortally
wounded About the same time Frank
| Bertucci received a shot in the left
shoulder and ]. w. Bofel one in the right
hand.
Ultimately it was decided that the on
| " way to get Charles was to burn the
| building in which he was entrenched.
| There WERE however, some ScrupleS
| about resorting to this method, the dis
| trict being densely populated. But it
was determined that the fire department
| should be called out to protect surround
| ing property. At the moment of appar-
! ent indecision, some one went to neigh
| boring grocery, purchased can of oil,
| and pouring it over the rear steps of the
| building, applied a match and soon start
/ ed a fire. 1t became evident very soon
| that no human being could live in the
| building and picked men from the police
| squad and soldiers stationed themselves
about the building in order to pick off
| the desperado as he attempted to leave
| the house. A young soldier named
| Ado1ph Anderson, member of the Thir-
teenth company of state militia, was one
| of the first to see Charles as he left the
steps He promptly shot the negro in the
breast Charles fell and died soon after
| ward.
AS soon as the negro fell, numbers of
| persons armed with Winchesters and re-
| volvers rushed in and fired into the body
| Charles was literally shot to pieces. At
ter it was certain that he was dead. a
mob entered the yard and dragged the
body into the street. There the police
! and the mob ernptied their revolvers into
| murdered men rushed up and stamped
| the face beyond recognition.
l There were four loud shouts that the