The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-04
The ARRAY Took Place on Columbia
Avenue. Where Whites and
Blacks ConGregate.
THE PROPAGATION WAS SLIGHT
MANY THREATS MADE BY WHITE
MEN AFTER THE SHOOTING.
Miller Delivered to the Police by His
MOther-Wallace Pickett Also
~SIightly Injured.

Henry Mills, a w%ell-known character in
the northeastern part of the city, was shot
at Nineteenth street and Columbia avenue.
last night. by Henry Miller. a negro living
at 1929 Columbia avenue. He was until a
late hour in a critical condition, and DR..
H. S. Leonard, who attended him, said
there was little chance for his recovery.
The negro escaped from the scene of the
shooting and the police did not find him
until several hours later.
Mills was taken into the home of j. f.
Morse, at Ills Columbia avenue. The City
Dispensary ambulance was called for, but
upon its arrival DR.. Leonard and DR..
Devaney, accompanying the ambulance,
decided it would be unsafe to move Mills.
A few minutes later there was a report
to that effect among those composing the
large crowd gathered on the corner, and
there were immediate threats of lynching
the negro if he should be caught.
An hour later the crowd had not lessened.
and when a report was circulated that
Mills was dead the threats of violence were
renewed with vigor. Among the young
men and boys there was considerable ac-
tivity. Up TO that time there were in the
crowd, which numbered 200 or 500, quite a
number of negroes, but after it was re-
ported that Mills was dead they quickly
left the corner. 1t was at one time re-
ported that the negro assailant of Mills
had been caught two squares away, and
about twenty OF the younger men and
boys left hurriedly for the place where
he was said to have been captured. They
did not hesitate TO express their determine
tOn TO take Miller away from the police
If they could. The fact that no clash &C.
Cured was no doubt due to the fact that
the negroes left the scene and the presence
OF the police.
CAUSE OF THE SHOOTING.
The shooting was without cause, except
that it followed an attack upon another
negro by a number of the whites. At the
southeast side of the intersecting streets is
a large vacant plot of ground. On two
corners are saloons. The corner is, and for
a long time has been, a place where work
ingmen and loafers congregate. The num-
Der during the last week has been in
creased because a merry-go-round was put
in operation on the vacant lots. There is in
that part of the city a natural race preju-
dice, increased by the events at Fairview
Park and other places. Frequent clashes of
little moment between the whites and
blacks have occurred nearly every night
since the merry-gO-rOund started doing
business. Monday night several negroes
were chased from the place. They threaten
ed then TO get even. Last night the usual
crowd was there. A few words were passed
between the whites and blacks. One negro,
as one OF the white gang expressed II, got
a little too gay and we run him"
The trouble started near the merry-go-
round and back in the far corner of the
vacant lots. The negro was chased several
squares by about a dozen whites. Some of
the young fellows participating in it said
afterward that the negro was one who was
with Miller at the time of the shooting,
and that Miller took the matter up tc get
even for the attack upon his pal. The
latter's identity could not be clearly estab-
lished. After the excitement of the chase
had subsidized some negro threw rocks from
the street over toward the merry-go-round
On rock struck a little girl. but did no
harm. A few minutes later a young negro
ran from the corner south on the Columbia
avenue sidewalk. The sidewalk was clear
and as there was no one pursuing, there
was no apparent cause for his running. Mil
Ter was about his house. About the time
started out TO the street. About the same
time Mills started south on the sidewalk.
So far as could be learned there was no
connection between the three incidents.
Miller told Mills that he could not run
over him and had better not try 1T. The
men. it was said, had had personal differ
ences before. Mills turned around and while
in the act of turning was shot. Miller fired
three shots. two of which took effect.
DROPPED TO SIDEWALK.
After the first shot Mills dropped to the
sidewalk and said to George Grover, who
was near: My God, George, I'm shot"
Before Grover could reach Mills the negro
had fired two more shots, one of which
took effect while Mills was on his knees.
Grover started toward Mills, and to him
Miller said the same as he had said TO
Mills. About that instant a number of men
and boys from the large crowd, which had
retreated toward Nineteenth street. came
running up and Miller ran across the street.
Two shots were fired from across the street,
but 1T was not known whether they were
fired by Miller or some one else. John s.
Nolan, who runs the nerry-gO-round, ran
from his machine and fired two shots at
Miller as he was running across the street.
He dropped to the ground. and it was re-
ported that he had been shot. The atten-
ton Of most persons was directed TO Mills.
and when search was made for Miller he
could not be found.
One OF the bullets which struck Mills in
flicted what is thought to be a fatal wound.
1t struck him just above the heart, and its
course could not be traced. He told his
friends he was fatally injured, and asked
to. be left there on the walk until the am
bulance arrived. Later a mattress was Sc
cured at the home of j. +. Morse, and upon
il he was carried to the Morse home. Some
of the boys in the crowd said Miller had
been seen after the shooting about his
home, from which he came just prior to it.
No one seemed TO know his home address,
and the police We're delayed. 1t was not
until Detectives Splan and Haley visited
the house at 1923 Columbia avenue that the
identity of the negro who did the shooting
was really learned. He had returned to
the house and told his mother what had
happened. After much persuasion she ac-
companied the detectives to the place on
Baltimore avenue where he had told her
he was going. They found him there, and
he was sent 10 headquarters. charged with
shooting with intent TO kill. He said he
had been attacked by some OF the whites,
and that he saw them reach into their
pockets as if to draw revOlvers, and he did
the same. Later Detectives Gerber and
Lancaster went to his home and secured
the revolver he had used. Only two of the
cartridges had been discharged. Most of
the witnesses agreed that three shots had
been fired by him. Later it was learned
that a negro named Wallace Pickett, living
on East st. Clair street, had been shot in
the head by one OF the bullets, which it
was thought had not taken effect. He got
away from the place and went to the
Physio-medical Dispensary before the fact
that ne had been shot was known TO per-
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