Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
Fate of a Negro Desperate Who Re-
sisted Arrest.
EXCITED CROWDS IN new ORLEANS
Three More Victims Added to the
Murderer's List.
VIOLENCE OF THE MOB

| ice jail, and Alfred J. Bloomfield a younp
boy fatally wounding Corporal John F.
l-ally, John Banville, ex-Policeman Frank
n. Evans. A. 8. Loclere, one Of the leading
conIectloners OF the city, and more or less
| seriously shooting several citizens, the
negro desperate Robert Charles. who killed
| captain Day and Patrolman Lamb and
| oadiy wounded Officer O Brien, was smoked
out OF his hiding place in the heart of the
residence section of the city and literally
| shot to pieces
The tragedy was one of the most re-
| markable in the history of the city, and
@ooVo people. soldiers, policemen and citi-
| zens, were gathered around the square in
Mnlcn Charies was finally put to death
dfemendous excitement reigned in New
orleans as the battle went on between the
ponce and citizens and the negro with his
winchester. After the tragedy was over
and Charles was dragged from the mud
and slush in which he had fallen with the
moo 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 ac-
curately seem to leave little doubt that
the right man was put to death.
Used His Winchester.
Sergeant Gabe Porteous, one of the best
known officers the force and Corporal
John F. Lally, who has a fine record for
bravery, were informed during the day by
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 patrol
men to their assistance and went to the
house where Charles was supposed to be in
concealment. The negro informant of the
policemen accompanied the officers They
entered the side alley of the house. and
were SURPRISED in nracticallv the
as were Day and Lamb. Before the Off
GERS were aware of their danger Charles,
who was hidden behind a screen on the
second floor of the building raised his Win
chester and began furious but accurate
fire. Laly fell with a bullet in the right
side of the abdomen. Porteous was shot
through the head, and dropped dead across
the body of Lally. The other officers and
the negro fled from the scene
The reports Of Charles Winchester and
the fact that two officers lay bleeding in
the yard raised tremendous excitement.
Hurry calls We're sent to the mayor, the
chief of police and Colonel Wood, in COM
mand Of the special police, and fast
possible armed help rushed to the scene.
In a little while there was an armed crowd
encircling the square in which Charles was
located In the meantime Father Fitz-
gerald Of St. Johns Church was sum-
moned to administer extreme JUNCTION to
the police officers who were lying in the
alley.
Under a Constant Fire.
The priest responded promptly, and he
was amounting the body of Porteous, with
Alfred ]. 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 Winchester
again, and Bloomfield fell dead. The priest
unhurt. left the scene after pluckily per-
forming the last offices for the dead officer.
At this time the ambulance arrived. and
1,;ti fl,,ot ay.I- fnYn hp a1 1at
and bring out the body of Lally. They en-
tered. 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 alley and afterward succeeded in TAX
ing Porteous' body out also.
In the meantime an immense throng had
gathered in the vicinity. and schemes were
set on foot to get Charles out of the build
ing. Charles, however, did not propose 20
be captured without selling his life dearly.
Time after time he came to the window,
and as citizens one by one. entered the
alley. he blazed away at them. In this man
ner Confectioner Loc!ere. who was of
the special policeman: ex-Policeman Evans,
John Banville and George H. Lyons.
of the head of the biggest drug establish
ment in the south, were wounded.
Fired the Building.
At this time the extra police began to
fire indiscriminately at the negro. Who
shot him will probably never be known.
Andy Van Kurem. keeper Of the police jail.
got a bullet in the body and fell dead. Just
afterward H H. Ball. an old man. aged six
ty-five working for the Mutual Benevolent
Association doing business in the vicinity,
was hit and MORALLY wounded.
About the same time, with Charles firing
his Winchester Unfortunately. Frank
Bertucca received a shot in the left Shout
der and J. w. Boil got hot bullet In the
right hand. Ultimately 1t was concluded by
those who were handling the situation that
the only way to get Charles was to burn
the building in which he was intrenched.
There were, however some scruples about
resorting to this method of getting him
owing to the extremely thickly populated
section in which the house was situated.
Nevertheless 1t was determined that the
fire department should be called out in order
to protect the surrounding property in case
it should be resolved to burn the building.
At the moment Of apparent indecision
some one went TO neighboring grocery,
purchased a can Of oil. and. pouring 1t over
the rear steps Of the building, applied
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 po-
lice, special squads and members of the
militia stationed themselves about the build
ing in order to shoot the desperate as he
attempted to leave the house. A young SOL
der named Adolph Anderson. a member of
the 18th Company OF the state militia, was
one Of the first to Charles he
down the steps leading to the second story.
Charles ran across the yard and entered the
second room. He fired several times at An
derson, and the latter who was armed with
a Winchester rifle, shot the negro in the
breast. and he fell and died soon afterward.
Emptied Revolvers Into His Body.
AS soon as the negro fell numbers of peo-
pie armed with Winchesters and revolvers
rushed in and fired into the body. Charles
was literally shot to pieces. After 1t was
certain that he was dead a mob entered the
yard and dragged the body into the street.
The police and the mob emptied their re-
volvers into 1t, while son Of one Of the
murdered men rushed up and stamped the
face beyond recognition. There were then
loud howls that the body should be taken
to a vacant square in the vicinity and pub
licly burned. At this instance. however. a
big squad of police dashed up in patrol
wagon. There were thousands of people in
the vicinity and it seemed II there might
be clash between the officers and the mob
The police seemed however, to have re-
gained their courage, and they promptly
pushed the crowd aside. picked up the body
and threw 1t into the patrol wagon. The
driver whipped up his horses and the wagon
started off, with 5000 people running after