The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-21
A NEGRO SHOT AND KILLED
five BULLETS FIRED INTO HIS
BODY AND ONE GRAZED HIS ARM.
The Shooting Was the Result of N
Dispute over n Fence
Line.

Yesterday evening at o'clock white
man by the name OF Scarrega shot and
killed Eli Johnson. colored. near the cor
ner of Prairie avenue and velasco street.
Mr.. Scarrega fired six shots. five OF which
found their mark. The sixth shot grazed
the arm of the victim. while all the
| others entered the body
The fence which divided the respective
pieces OF property of the two men was
blown down by the terrific wind which
swept through the city on the night of the
Sth instant. and dispute arose betyeen
the two as to where the new fence should
be built. The amount of property involved
was insignificant ''t
The direct cause of the shooting H.
seems from the evidence thus far adduced
In the inquest being conducted by Justice
Nalsch, was an argument between Mr..
Scarregas wife and the man who was
killed. All the evidence in the inquest
Is not vet in. however.
The following is the evidence OF all the
Witnesses thus far examined.
Lulu Johnson--The deceased is my
father; he is about 40 years old. This
evening about 6 O'Clock father was out In
the yard fixing up his fence, when Mrs.
Scarrega came out with "a pistol under
her waist and said to father. Leave that
fence alone" Father told her to 20 on
that he was not bothering hsr, and asked
her what she was going TO do with that
pistol, and she said. This is my fence"
She then turned. went into her house and
met her husband who took the pistol
away from her and came TO the kitchen
door and shot father. They were about
thirty feet apart After the first shot
rather fell and Mr.. Scarrega, es near as
can guess. fired about four more times.
Willis Mays-This evening about $50
] was cutting wood forty or fifty steps
from ELS house. when Mrs. Scarrega
came from town. called me and said, ~
want you to measure the fence that runs
between ELS house and mine" and |
said that l had no rule. She then went
and got one and I measured the SPACE
between the two places and asked her
who had put up the fence. She said that
she did not know. but added that the
fence was there when she first moved
there. l found the space between the
two fences twenty-five inches. / told her
so and went back 10 my work. She then
came down and asked me to go into court
and swear to that effect. / told her thar
Doth of them ought to quit their foolish
ness and drop the affair. | met Eli about
ffteen minutes later and he said that Il
was twenty-four inches instead of TWEEN
ty-two inches. and that he had given up a
foot Of his land / then went home. cam.
back in short time. and found Eli put
ting up his fence on the old line; also
found Mrs. scarrega trying to stop him
from putting It up. Eli said. Woman.
go away. l was not talking to you ana
have not said anything to you" He then
said TO me. you see this woman is trying
TO keep me from putting my fence back"
! said to Mrs. scarrega. Go away and let
the man put his fence back. and stop
your foollshness." I then turned, and had
walked about twenty steps when heard
scuffling In the scarrega house and heard
Mrs. Scarrega say Don't do that" Mr..
Scarrega said Give me that pistol" I'm
medately afterwards Mr.. Scarrega
stepped to the kitchen and shot Ell.