The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-25

NEW ORLEANS. July Z4.-Two desper-
ate shooting affairs following each other
in rapid succession. in which three police
men, including Capt. John Day. recognized
as one Of the aolest men on the force. were
killed by Robert Charles, a negro have
caused the profoundest sensation known
here since the assassination of Chief OF
Police Hennessy by the Malta. There is a
stfulz, race feeling and bitterness, espe-
cially since it has been learned that
Charles was an agitator and has been dis
tributing literature calling on the crushed
and trampled spirit of the blacks to as
sert itself. It is this fact that makes the
triple murder different from others of the
same kind here, and may lead to increas-
ing the already somewhat strained rela-
tions between the whites and negroes.
For some time past there have been
frequent burglaries committed in this city,
supposed to be by negroes. About mid
night last night several negro women
called attention to two suspicious negroes
in Dryades Street, near Washington Street,
as possible burglars. Sergeant Auckin,
with two policemen. went after the ne
when the negroes suddenly drew rcvoivers
and opened fire on The officers.
One OF the negroes. subsequently idsni-
fed as Charles. wounded Policeman August
Mora fatally. Charles. who was slightly
wounded, escaped during the shooting. The
other negro Leonard Pierce, was captured,
but only after a desperate struggle. Pierce
refused at first to betray his friend, but
finally tDIF where Charles lived
Captain Day, who commands tee pTs-i-cc,
started at once for the place with Sergeant
Auckin and Policeman PeTrier and several
hotel detectives. II was shortly Gftsr ,
a. m. when they reached the cotase.
which opens on an alley. Day ard Aucnn
LED the way up the alley. followed b. fo-
lIeeman Lamb and Trcn hard. They Ia. d
on the door CT Charles room. Another dooT
suddenly opened, aGd from this Charles
fired on the police. His first shot hit-C- p
tain Day IN the shoulder, shattering it. a
second shot struck the captain in tie Re d,
and he fell over face forward. The third
bullet struck Lamb in The head, going
through his brain.
The negro kept or firing with such pre-
cision from behind the protection OF the
door that the other policemen Tetr6aied.
Charles then stepped from his room 10
where the body OF Captain Day lay and,
cursing him, fired three shCts Into the
body Of the dead or dyiEg man. He then
opened fire on Co. poTal Perrier at the other
end of the alley. The police surrounded
the house, fired q number OF shots into Il,
but waited for daylight to capture Cha les.
At daylight they broke into the hOue
only TO find that Charles Rad escaped. His
trunk was broken open, and it wa found
to contain a large amount OF literature On
the race question, including q number Of
pamphlets or the negroes and Liberia by
d. J. PlUmrer, copy Of the natioral Song
of Columbia with Columbia stricken
out by Charles. and Africa substituted,
and various certificates and papers, show
ing that Charles had decided TO 20 to L.
IBERIA, and also that he had organized a
Liberiau society in New Orleans. and p.o-
posed TO take fifteen hundred eui-rants 10
Africa.
B'ooihounds were put on Charles track
and followed the trail for some distance 70
a house where Charles had changed his
coat and shirt, leaving mis- bloody gar
ments behind. The trail was lost there.
So bitter was the popular feeling On the
subject that a white man in the neighbor-
hood. who declared that Charles ought
TO be given fair show, and that a Le-
gro was as human as a white man. was
set upon by the mob and saved from a
threatened lynching only by the iHterfer-
ence Of the police. The white man was
AehSA- ~ A--t PlLlH- 10 yd4A lyI D-DsGN-lJ4.
There he gave his name as Ed. J. Nc
Carthy and said that he was 4 seaman
from New York.
The mob at times showed a ylndictive
spirit, and there we're threats Of burn
ing the house in which Charles had lived.
Later in the day the police searched The
house whore Leonard Pierce lived and
found various Libe-ian pamphlets Of much
the sane character es IN Charles room Os
Pierce's person they found forty car
tridges.
About noon a. large mob surrounded the
police jail. where Pierce was coHdncI and
threats were made to storm the jail and
lynch the negro The police however. an
ucipsted the trouble and removed The
prisoner TO TIE parish prison, which is
safe from the attacks Of q mob.
A party Of six negroes who were re-
ported TO have said that more policemen
ought to be killed, were chased by the
mob. The negroes were finally captured
and jailed by the police as a matter Of
protection.