Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-03
Colored Man Plugs White Man at
Close Quarters.
ASSAILANT CAUGHT BY THE POLICE
Happened at $3.50 O'Clock This Morn.
ing Over Broken Guitar String
Taken 10 Hospital Where 1T is
Thought He Will Recover.

COlOTeQ man named Jim IOQQ or Bur
ton, as he is sometimes called, shot and
for time it was thought had fatally
injured William Riley, a white man
employed at the packing house. The
wounded man was conveyed to the hos
pital in the patrol wagon where it is
said that his chances for recovery are
good. Todd tried to make his getaway
but was recaptured in few hours in a
house on West Main street occupied
by a colored family who have but re-
Gently come to Ottumwa.
1t was an ideal place for crime of
any description. Shanties are huddled
together, most OF the lots being occu-
pied by two and sometimes three dwell
lings and many of the latter furnish
shelter for more than one family. A
Courier reporter first called at Cyrene
Martins residence, a house one and
one-half stories in heighth, occupied by
two families. 1t is situated on the rear
of the lot fronting on Mill street and is
about as slightly place as its tumble
down neighbors. A knock on the door
failed to bring any response but sec
ond and louder one brought an inquiry
as to 'who was dar?" After hesitat-
| ing for moment the door was opened
and a colored woman in scanty attire
appeared. She wore what the police
call a 'shanty" over one eye. BY that
is meant that her eye was swelled con-
siderably, probably from coming into
contact with her husbands fist. She
disclaimed any knowledge of the affair
and kept persisting in the assertion
| that she and her husband were inside
| the house when the shooting took
place. She said that John" would
| know all about it and pointed that in-
dividual out as he passed thru near
by lot. John was hailed and from him
it was learned that two colored men
and one white man saw the trouble
from start to finish and according to
their story, if Riley should die, Todd
would have to stand trial on the charge
of murder, but as it is, the charge will
likely be assault with intent to kill.
| ID. G. Saunders or John" is one of the
colored men that saw the trouble and
according to his statement it was over
a broken guitar string belonging to
Todd which Riley refused to pay for.
! Saunders, who is a laborer employed at
the ballast pit of the Milwaukee road at
Cuba, said that early this morning he
arose from his bed with the intention
i of taking an extra Milwaukee train
back to his work this morning. II
was shortly before 5 o'clock. He was
sitting at the door of This brothers
house when he saw both Todd and Ri.
ley. Both We're evidently in good
humor, Todd playing the guitar and
Riley singing. Both were pretty vel
loaded with whiskey, but Saunders
says that Riley was about in the las,
lstages. In short time Todd went
around the corner of the house leav-
ing the guitar with Riley, and
: instructing him that if any strings
were broken on his return Riley would
pay for them. Riley said he would
pay for every string he broke and upon
Todd's return one of the strings was
not in condition for use. Todd demand
ed payment, some say ST. and some
lsay % cents, and Riley expressed a
Willingness to repair the damage, say
; ing at the time that he did not have
the change just then but that he woul{
get it in Il short time. 1t seemed sat
isfactory and q can of beer was sem
for to an all night saloon near by. At
(, ter drinking the beer Todd again de
(, manded payment for the broken guitar
string and, Saunders says, Riley fatty
refused to make the damage good
Both men then engaged in an alterca
ton, Todd being the aggressor. Riley
pushed him away and it is said STRUCK
at his assailant. At this iuncture Saun
ders turned his head to tell the folk!
Z. on the inside of the house that a quar-
rel was in progress and as he turned
to face the combatanIs he saw Todd
! hand swing from ochind him and saw
/. the smoke of the gun as it was dis
charged. Riley did mot realize that h,
had been shot and squared himself t,
resist the attack OF Todd but in al
: instant he looked at his shirt whicl
was on fire on the left side. He turned
; and walked away about thirty fee
, when he slowly sank to the groun
: bleeding prcfusely from bullet woun,
8 in the left side of the breast just abov
the nipple. Saunders says that Rile
arose in a few moments and wake,
q about ten feet to pair of steps lead
: ing to a nearby house where he sa
s down. Others say that he vas carried
!, Riley seemed to have hemorrhage an
y eNpectorated quantity of blood bu
> on arrived in few moments and Rile
. walked, it is said, unassisted to tn
| wagon where he sat up all the way t
the hospital DR.. A, o. Williams wa
y called but did not probe for the bulle,
as Riley said that he had spit it ou
The wounded man was made comfor
able and this afternoon it is though
he will recover.
= Todd Immediately left the plac,
Saunders says, in company wit
Charles Green, white man who t.
gether with Syrene Martin, were al
rested by the police and may llno
more about it than they will tell. Tod
was captured about ten o'clock in
house on West Main street by Che
Williams, Captain Gray and Office
O'Brien, and was placed in the count
Jail.
Dave Pritchett, another colored MAJ
also witnessed the shooting and toi
practicallv3the same story as Saunder
Green says that he went for porto
of the liquor that was drunk, and fe
moments after his return the shootin
took place but he would talk very littl
Syrene Martin goes by the name Z