Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-28
SERIOUS TROUBLE AvERTED
ARREST OF A COLORED MAN DIS
PERsEs A CROWD.
Trouble Arises Over the Refusal Of
q Merchant to Lend Money
to q Customer.

The circumstances Of what came very
near to being a serious row Saturday after
noon, in what is known as Boston," will
be heard tomorrow in the Police Court.
when John Lewis colored, aged twenty
three, a coachman. will be charged with
profanity, preferred by Mr.. B. F. Harper
Of 1910 NJ street. Charges Of profanity and
Of throwing missiles, with deadly intent,
preferred against Isaac Duskins, another
colCred man, for whom a warrant has been
issued will also be heard. 1t Is understood
the colored men will place a charge of as
ssult. with intent to kill, against Mr.. Har-
per, in retaliation for the charges preferred
by him.
The trouble occurred about O'Clock Sat
urday afternoon. Mr. Harper keeps a
store at the above number, and, 1t Is al
legged, Duskins owed him bill. The latter
made a part payment on the account, and
then demanded the loan of 81 to pay his
expenses to Rockville. This was refused,
and 1t Is said Duskins became obstreperous
In the store He was elected without cere-
mony, and when out on the sidewalk he
cursed the proprietor Of the store and dared
him out, but fled upon the approach Of Mr..
Harper, running down 33d street and across
the canal. About ten minutes later he re-
appeared on the sidewalk in front of the
store when there were a number of Gus
toners and INDUCED in a flow of profanity.
Mr. Harper started toward him, and he
drew pint flask of whisky from his peck
ct. which he evidently intended to use as a
weapon, but was prevented from SO doing.
and he again ran away.
Throws a Stone.
Within few minutes after this occur
renee Duskins again appeared in the vicin-
ity Of the store. The proprietor was on the
outside measuring up some vegetables,
and the first he knew of the close proximi-
ty of Duskins was when a heavy cobble-
stone fell at fis side. The stone was
thrown by Duskins but fortunately was a
little bit high and struck the flap of a can
vas, which was used to keep the sun from
vegetables. Mr.. Harper followed Duskins,
Selling a gun before starting, and pursued
him as far 3ith street. AS Duskins ran
down the street. Harper fired twice at him,
1t Is said, both bullets going wide of their
mark,
The affair created considerable excite
ment in the locality. and there was a good
deal of criticism of what was termed
reckless shooting in the street which en-
dangered the lives of innocent people,
There was no policeman in sight, and none
arrived until some time later. Four col
ored men assembled in front of the store,
and a little later another colored man in
formed Mr. Harper that the arrangement
was for DuskinS to reappear al his store,
and, if he (Harper) started after him the
four men at the curb were to trip him up
and beat him.
wen OFOefeO away.
With this information Mr.. Harper or
dered the four men away, ard they began
cursing him. One of the number John
Lewis. showed fight at the start. and it
was while Mr.. Harper was subduing him
that policeman appeared and took the
cclored man in custody. The charge
against him was preferred by Mr.. Harper.
The police kept the matter very quiet and
V.
The arrest of Lewis is said to have been
made by Policeman Van Horn, Who was on
duty a the time, but the credit of the case
was given to Policeman Minor Furr. This
morning at the station house, however, he
claimed to know nothing of it.
With the arrest of Lewis the crowd grad
ually dispersed, and although it looked for
time If there would be further trouble,
serious consequences were happily averted.
It is said the news of the race riots in
New York and down south has so infiamed
the cclored population of the section that
they were ready for anything.