Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-07-31
Stays Four More People Be-
fore He Is Brought Down
Himself.
FINALLY SMOKED HIM OUT
Building Fired and Man Dis
patched az He Flees From
the Flames.
Crowd Riddied HE Body With
Bullets and Want to Have
1t Burned.


perate battle lasting for several hours
| in which he succeeded IN killing Ser
geant Gabriel PorteouA Andy Van
Kurem, keeper Of tho police 3ea, and
Alfred ]. B. Bloomfield, . young boy,
and fatally wounding Corporal John +.
Ially, john Banv1lls, ex.Pohoeman
Frank II. Evans and A. 8. Leolsso, one
| of the leading oonfeotioners OF the city,
and moro. or less wounding several
| other persons, the negro Desperate,
Robert Charles, who killed Captain
Day and Patrolman Lamb and badly
wounded Offioer Mora. was smoked ont
Of his hidingplaoe In tho heart Of the
residence section Of tho city during tho
afternoon and literally shot to pieces.
Sergeant Gabe Porteous, one OF the
best known officers on the force. and
Sergeant John f. Lally, who has q fine
record for bravery, were informed dur"
ing the day by negro that
Charles Was In Hiding
in a house on Clio, near Saratoga
street. Determining to take him alive
if possible, the officers summoned a
number of patrolnen to their assist
ance, 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 before the
officers were aware Of their danger
Charles, who was hidden behind a
screen on the second floor OF the build.
ing, raised his Winchester and began a
furious, but accurate fire. 1ally fell
with q bullet In. the right side Of the
abdomen. Porteous was shot through
the head and dropped dead across the
body Of 1ally. The other officers and
the negro fed from the scene. The re-.
ports Of Charles Winchester and. the
fact that the two policemen lay bleed
in the yard
l. Raised Tremendous Exoitenent.
hurried calls were sent to the mayor,
the chief Of police and Colonel Wood,
in command Of the special police, and
as soon a. possible armed help was
rushed to the scene. In little while
there was an immense armed crowd
ciroling the square in which Charles
was located. In the meantime Father
|Fitzgerald Of st. Johns church was
summoned to administer extreme unc-
stion to tho police officers. The priest
Responded promptly and he was anoint-
ing tho body Of Porteous, with Alfred
G. Bloomfield, = young boy, standing
by his side, when Charles again ap-
peared at the window. The lad saw
him at once and begged the desperate
not to shoot him. Charles Immediately
fred his Winchester again and Bloom
field fell dead.
In the meantime 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 four others were wounded.
At this time the extra police began
firing at the negro and he returned
their fire. Andy Van Kuren, keeper Of
the police Jail, got a bullet in the body
and fell dead. Just afterward H. H
Bait was hit and MORALLY wounded.
Ultimately 1T was decided that tho only
way to get Charles was to burn tho
building in which he was ontrenched.
There were, however, some scruples
against resorting to this method Of get-
ting him owing to the section in which
the house was situated being deneely
populated. At q moment Of apparent
decision, someone went to neighbor.
ing grocery, purchased can Of oil and
pouring it over the rear steps Of the
building applied q match and soon had
the building in flames. So fieroely did
the fire burn that, 1t became evident
that no human being could live n The
building, and ~. @S]'' ~ ''', = -.
Picked Men From ths Police Force
stationed themselves about tbs building
in order to pick or the desperate a. he
attempted to leave the house. A man.
Der Of tho state militia named Ander.
son was tho drst to 500 Charles ~ he
ran to the second door. Anderson shot
the negro in the breast and he fell and
died soon after. AS soon - tho negro
fell number Of people armed with
:Winchesters rushed in and fred into
the body. Charles was literally shot TO
pieces The body was dragged Into the
street There the police and mob
emptied their revolvers into it, whilo a
score of men rushed up and stamped
the face beyond recognition. There
were loud howls that the body should
be taken to vacant square in the
vicinity and publicly burned. At this
instant, however, a big squad of police
dashed mp in patrol wagon and the
body was, with difficulty. conveyed to
police headquarters. When Charles
body was stripped II was foand - be