The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27
"CHAPPIE" JOHNSON UNDER ARREST,
CHARGED WITH THE CRIME.
A Row at the MaIIeable Castings
Company Plant Early i'm Even
ing Probably Responsible.


avenue, less than a square from his home,
and died within three minutes after being
carried into William Zinkand's saloon at
HS6 West Michigan street, in front of which
the shooting took place.
The negroes whose identity could not be
learned with certainty, after several hours
investigation by the police. made their es-
cape by running north on Sheffield avenue.
there separating so that no trace of them
could be found last night.
Henry Smith. colored. 9i6 fremont ave-
nue.: Louis Redding. 1890 fremont avenue;
William Wright. living at Wilcox and Bel
mont avenue; Bud" Ross and William
Zinkand were in the latters saloon. Out
side were Coombs. Frank Henry, George
Woodward. A. Minich, colored, and sew
eral boys, three of whom were sitting on
the saloon steps. The other boys were out
in the middle of the street. About o'clock
five or six young negroes, who seemed TO
have some definite object in view. came hur-
riedly from the east. They stopped in front
of the saloon and looked searchingly about
them as if looking for some particular per-
son. They went into the saloon and looked
carefully at each man there. Henry
Smith, who was playing pool, stepped for
out here for?" One of them replied,
Come outside, and well show you"
Smith had cue i'm his hand.
JOSEPH COOMBS SHOT.
He placed one end on the floor and one
of the negroes as he went out stumbled
over it. a moment later those in the sa-
loon heard shot and heard someone say
I'm shot A few seconds later Coombs
Woodward. entered the door. Coombs was
bent forward and his companions being
unable to hold him he fell to the floor. He
was picked up by Louis Redding and others
and carried into the dining room. where he
lived for about three minutes He did not
speak after saying, I'm shot" Within a
few minutes a large crowd had gathered
about the place and number of those who
were witnesses to the shooting had gone
away. The police were, therefore, unable
TO get at the details of the shooting as
quickly should have been done after
they arrived.
Frank Henry. of 52S Bismarck avenue.
who was with Coombs, said: Il was stand
ing there on the street with COombs and
Woodward. L saw five or six negroes come
from the east. They looked if they were
i'm hurry. They looked around outside and
| then went into the saloon. They were in
| there about a minute. l should think, and
came out into the street. They got to the
middle of the street, where some boys Were
| and one of the negroes struck Albert Smell
| He was little fellow and didn't do any
thing. Joe stepped away from me and
| said to the niggers You oughtn't TO dc
| that One of the niggers stepped back from
1 the others and pulled out revolver and lei
| Joe have IL. He just said I'm shot anC
| started to fall. 1 caught him and helped
| carry him into the saloon. The niggers raT
| up Sheffield avenue | didn't know any oil
| them and L don't know whether / would
| know them not again. / think 1 might
| know the fellow who did the shooting"
| The first clew the police could get Of tn,
| negroes was from a gardener named Mink
| ner. He said he saw two negroes running
| across his garden about the time of tn,
shooting. One of them said to the other
| You wait for me. 'Chappie.' "
| young man whose name was not
| learned told Louis Redding that aftel
young Smell had been struck one of tn.
| negroes said, That amt him. after which
! Coombs made his remonstrance, when on,
| remarked, That's the -
- and the remark was Immediately fol
| lowed by the shot.
NEGRO CHASED BY WHITES.
1t was learned later that a negro en-
ployed at the National Malleable Casting
Company plant had been chased early il
the evening by number Of white boys
after a fight which started in the plant
The fight started because George Faber
a boy employed there. while counting hi.
| money dropped a silver quarter and tn,
negro put his foot on it, A moment latel
he picked up the money and put it into hi:
pocket.
1t appeared to the police that this Incl
dent was the beginning of the events lead
ing to the death of Coombs. 1t was though
the negro who took the quarter had secured
the assistance of others working with hin
and went to Haughville last evening look
ing for some of the white boys who ha'
chased him. The shooting of COOmbs wa
thought TO have been because of his inter
ference at the time young Smell was as
saulted and through possible mistake il
| identity.
| The remark of Henry Smith was take1
by the police as significant. Smith elaine,
to know nothing of the negroes to whom
| the remark was made. but in itself 1T in
I dictated that he knew them and that the
| lived in a part of the city other thar
| Haughvile He gave the officers seVera
| unsa tisfactOry answers and was sent Z
headquarters and charged with lettering.
! Bicycle Policemen Hauser and Trimp
| found five negroes all of them about eight
cen years of age. at Sheffield avenue an
Tenth street. Several OF them answere,
| well the meager descriptions given of thOs
! who entered Zinkards saloon. and the
were taken TO the place. but no one coul
! identify them. The detectives secured iron
| the Malleable Company "A list OF the name
| of all negroes working in the department
where the fight at that plant originated
| Several of them We're thought 10 have bee
| implicated i'm the murder of Coombs Harr
| Hancock. 92l Rhode Island street an
| Henry Alexander. az Lock street Wer
| found at their homes and sent To head
quarters. also under charges of lettering.
"CHAPPIE' JOHNSON ARRESTED
Superintendent Hyland. Captains Kruge
and Gerber and the whole detective force
| Bicycle Policemen Hauser and Trimpe an
a number OF patrolmen worked hard on tn
case and at o'clock this morning Super
intendent Hyland and Captain Gerber sen
10 headquarters negro known as Chap
| pie" Johnson. who was charged with IN
murder Johnson was identified by Tor
Griffin, one of the negroes. as the man VIII
did the shooting. RE also tailed with tn
description given OF him by others. He ao
mitted before seeing Griffin at headquaI
tiers having been with Griffin hut denie
having been in Haughville
Griffin appeared about 1880 o'clock at III
| police station and voluntarily told the OFT
| GERS that he had been one Of the PARTY Ia
! which the police We're looking and that a
| he had nothing TO do with the shooting h
wanted 10 make things as easy as possibl
! TOR himself. lie said he was one of an
negroes who had been in the fight earle
/ In the evening and got silver quartz
which he had dropped, but which Il wa
claimed had been dropped by a white DO,
| He escaped from the crowd of angry whit
boys at that time by getting passin
| ear. Another negro ne said. had bee
chased across the river. lie met the fou