Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-08-02

to Pieces-Twenty Thousand Peo-
pie, Soldiers, Policemen and Citi-
zens, Gathered Around the Scene
Where the Fight Occurred.
New Orleans, July 29.-After Il dis
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. E. Bloomfield, Il young boy,
T.. Lally, John Banville. eX-Policeman
one of the leading confectioners of the
city, and more or Jess seriously injur-
ing several other persons, the negro
desperate, Robert Charles, who killed
Capt. Day and Patrolman Lamb and
badly wounded Officer Mora, was
smoked out of his hiding place in the
heart of the residence section of the
city yesterday afternoon and
Literally Shot to Pieces.
The tragedy was one of the most re-
markable in the history of the city,
and 10000 people, soldiers, policemen
and citizens, We're gathered around the
square in which Charles was finally
put to death. Tremendous excitement
reigned in New Orleans as the battle
went on between the police and citi-
zens and the negro with his Winches-
ter. Sergeant Gabe PorteouS, one Of
the best known officers on the force,
and Sergeant John e. Lally, who has
fine record for bravery, We're ill.,
formed during the day by a negro that
Charles was in hiding in a house on
Clio, near Saratoga street. Determin-
ing
To Take Hin Alive
if possible the officers summoned
number of patrolmen to their assis-
lance and went to the house. The ne
gro informant of the policemen accom-
panied the officers. They entered the
side alley Of the house and We're sur
prised in practically the same way as
We're Day and Lamb. Before the Off
GERS We're aware of their danger
Charles, who was hidden behind a
screen on the second floor of the
building, raised his Winchester and
began a furious but accurate fire.
Lally fell with 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.
Hurried calls were sent to the may
or, the chief Of police and Col. 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 who were "
ing in the alley. The priest responded
promptly and he was amounting the
body of Porteous with Alfred G. B.
Bloomfield, a young boy, standing by
his side, when Charles again appeared
at the window. The lad saw him at
once and
| Begged the Dcsperndo
not to shoot him. Charles immedi
ately fired his Winchester again and
Bloomfield fell dead. In the mean
time 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 sew
eral men We're wounded. Ultimately
it was decided that the only way to
get Charles was to burn the building in
which he was intrenched. Some one
went to neighboring grocery, pur-
chased can of oil and, pouring it over
/ "a c,to of No J,,1i1 ;ol
a match and soon had
| The Building in Flames.
So fiercely did the fire burn that it be-
came evident that no human being
could live in the building. A member
Of the Thirteenth company of the state
militia named Anderson 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 literary shot to pieces. The body
was dragged into the street. There the
police and mob emptied their revol-
vers into it, while a score of men
rushed up and stamped the face be-
yond recognition. There were loud
bowls that the body should be taken
to vacant square in the vicinity and
publicly burned. At this instant, how
ever, big squad Of police dashed up
in patrol wagon. They pushed the
crowd aside, picked up the body and
threw it into the patrol wagon. The
driver whipped UP his horses and the
wagon started off with 5000 people
running after it and
Clamoring for the Cremation
Of the body of the desperate. Just
about the time that Charles body
reached the morgue the body of an
unknown negro who had been shot
and stabbed to death on Gallatin
street, was carried in. Up to the time
of the tragedy at Clio and Saratoga
streets the city had been practically
quiet. Disturbances had occurred
only i'll isolated instances, and Mayor
Capedeville was confident that the
situation was so wellin hand that he
| would be able to dispense with the
special police this morning. The tragic
scenes, however, here yesterday after
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