Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-08-03
SOLD 3 & 3 o RIY

TERRIBLE BATTLE WITH "A NEGRO
DESPERATE At NEW ORLEANS,
Kills and Fatally Wounds Seven Persons
While Surrounded in . Residence in q
Densely Populated Part of the City.
Torch Finally Applied to the Building
and the Negro Rtddled With Bullets
in Trying to Escape.
NEW ORLEANS. July 29.-After des-,
perate Battle lasting for several hours
in which he succeeded in killing Ser
geant Gabriel Porteous, Andy Van
Kurem, keeper Of the police Jail, and
Alfred J. B. Bloomfield, young boy.
and fatally wounding Corporal John F.
Lally, John Banville, ex-Policeman
Frank H. Evans and A. S. Leclero, one
of the leading confectioners Of the city,
and more or less wounding several
other persons, the negro desperate,
Robert Charles, who killed Captain
Day and Patrolman Lamb and badly
wounded Officer Mora, was smoked out
of his hidingplace in the heart of the
residence section Of the city during the
afternoon and literally shot to pieces.
Sergeant Gabe Porteous, one OF the
best known officers on the force, and
Sergeant John F. Lally, who has fine
record for bravery, were informed dur
ing the day by a negro that
Charles Was in Hiding
in a house on Clio, near Saratoga
street. Determining to take him alive
if possible, the officers summoned
number of patrolmen to their assist
ance, and went to the house. The me-
gro informant Of the policemen accom-
panied the officers They entered the
side alley of the house and before the
officers were aware of their danger
Charles, who was hidden behind
screen Oh the second floor of the build
ing, raised his Winchester and began a
furious, but accurate fire. Lally fell
with a bullet in the right side of the
the head and dropped dead across the
body of Lally. The other officers and
the negro fled from the scene. The re-
ports of Charles Winchester and the
fact that the two policemen lay bleed
in the yard
Raised Tremendous Excitement.
Hurried calls were sent to the mayor,
the chief Of police and Colonel Wood,
in command Of the special police, and
as soon as possible armed help was
rushed to the scene. In little while
there was an immense armed crowd
circling the square in which Charles
was located. In the meantime Father
Fitzgerald of St. Johns church was
summoned to administer extreme unc-
ton to the police officers. The priest
responded promptly and he was anoint-
ing the body of Porteous, with Alfred
G. Bloomfield, young boy, standing
by his side, when Charles again ap-
peared at the window. The lad saw
him at once and begged the desperate
not to shoot him. Charles Immediately
fired his Winchester again and Bloom
field fell dead. ..--.
In the meantime an immense crowd
had gathered in the vicinity and
schemes were set on foot to get Charles
out of the building. Charles, however,
did not propose to be captured without
Selling His Life Dearly.
Time after time he came to the window,
and as men, one by one, entered the
alley, he blazed away at them. In this
manner four others were wounded.
At this time the extra police began
firing at the negro and he returned
their fire. Andy Van Kuren, keeper Of
the police Jail, got bullet in the body
and fell dead. Just afterward H. H.
Bait was hit and MORALLY wounded.
Ultimately it was decided that the only
way to get Charles was to burn the
building in which he was entrenched.
There were, however, some scruples
against resorting to this method Of get.
ting him owing to the section in which
the house was situated being densely
populated. At a moment of apparent
decision, someone went to q neighbor-
ing grocery, purchased can of oil and
pouring it. over the rear steps of the
building applied a match and soon had
the building in flames. So fiercely did
the fire burn that it became evident
that no human being could live in the
building, and
Picked Men From the Police Force
stationed themselves about the building
in order to pick off the desperate as he
attempted to leave the house. A men,
Der of the state militia named Ander-
! son was the first to see Charles as he
! ran to the second floor. Anderson shot
the negro in the breast and he fell and
died soon after. AS soon as the negro
fell number Of people armed with
Winchesters rushed in and fired into
the body. Charles was literally shot to
pieces. The body was dragged into the
street, There the police and mob
emptied their revolvers into it, while a
score Of men rushed up and stamped
the face beyond recognition. There
were loud bowls that the body should
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