The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-23
He Had Been Taunted by Other Ne
groes Because of a Slight Phys
fcaI Deformity.
SOME MYSTERY IN THE CASE
POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING ALL
PHASES OF THE MURDER.
Wright Probably Jealous of Cora
Carr, a Negress-Trouble Earlier
I'm the Evening.

As the result of a battle royal on East
Wabash street last night two negroes.
man and a woman. were shot to death. and
two more, a man and woman. were badly
wounded.
Allen Wright. a colored man, who has
borne heretofore a good reputation, con-
verted a little one-story hovel at 426 East
Wabash street into bloody shambles. Mrs.
Lora Jefries. twenty-five years old. and
John Willis, thirty years old, were killed
by Wright, and Frank Rouden. twenty
eight years old. and Mrs. Lucy Coleman,
forty-five years old, the mother of the
Jeffries woman. were each shot in the arm.
Cora Carr, young negress from Jeffer-
sonvilie. who, il is said, was the cause of
the trouble, escaped bullets, but was
frightened into Mysteries.
Wright, the murderer, escaped, and the
police are searching highways and byways
for him, as well as for Ollie Fisher. who
was also mixed up in the tragedy and who
hears an evil reputation with the police
Wright is a partial cripple and it is inn
probable that he can escape. He is a mid
dle-sized negro. weighing about 160 pounds.
His skin Is very dark and he wears a small
mustache. He walks with difficulty, the
toes of both feet having been frozen off.
He wore a long dark overcoat when he did
the shooting and a black soft hat.
ELEMENTS or MYSTERY.
Various elements of mystery enter into
the murders Those who know most about
the shooting are dead or badly wounded,
and Cora Carr, the black enchantress, who
is said to have set Wright and the other
negroes at each others throats, was full
of gin and terror and unable to talk. The
negroes living in the neighborhood were
apparently terrorized. They seemed afraid
10 open their mouths about the affair and
several Of them said that il they talked too
much they might be killed themselves or
have their houses burned over their heads.
From the stories told the police however,
by those who saw part of the trouble, and
from stories picked up from the negroes
living near, reasonably correct story of
the wholesale shooting has been evolved.
The house at 426 was occupied by Mrs.
Lucy Coleman. Mrs. Lora Jeffries. the dead
woman, Cora Carr and Frank Rouden.
Mrs. Coleman has baby three years old.
The house bears a bad reputation, even
among the negroes. and was a resort fire.
quented by Wright, Fisher and other ne
groes. 1t is miserabe-looking shack, one
story in height. containing three rooms,
placed Immediately behind each other. The
negroes lived in these rooms, huddled to-
gether like so many rats. The shooting
took place in the front of the house. on
Wabash street. and in the two front rooms.
Willis was shot through the eye and fell
dead Instantly in the street. The Jeffries
wor.an was killed in the front room. She
was shot through the heart and fell in
heap by a bed Rouden intercepted a bullet
intended for the Carr woman, who had fled
to the rear room. Mrs. Coleman was shot
as she crouched in corner at the head of
the bed In the front room. Wright fired
five shots. four of which took effect. The
fifth bullet missed Cora Carr. the only one,
save Fisher. who escaped without injury.
Fisher was in the house when the officers
arrived but slipped out the back way before
they learned his connection with the shoot
ing. The police had to break in the front
door to gain entrance to the house.
PEACEMAKER KILLED.
From all accounts Willis met his death
as an innocent peacemaker. Just preceding
the shooting Mrs. Coleman and Cora Carr
had returned from a dive on Fort Wayne
avenue, where they had been drinking.
Entering Wabash street from New Jersey
they met Wright. who tried to get the Carr
woman to go away with him. She refused
and they spat at each other in the street
The two women walled on down toward
the house with Wright at their side.' and
at the door Wright renewed his demand
that the Carr woman go with him. She
again refused and the Coleman woman
insisted that he go away and leave them
alone. At this juncture the Jeffries woman
came out Of the house and slapped Wright
in the face, telling him to go away and
let the Carr woman go in the house. The
blow infiamed his already aroused passion.
and he drew a revolver and threatened to
kill tSem all. John Willis, who was passing
through the street. on his way to his room,
witnessed the trouble. and stopped to argue
with Wright.
He walked up behind Wright. touched
shoot the women. For an answer Wright
turned and fire point blank at wiIlis's
head. The latter sank In heap without a
sound
Screaming with terror the women ran
into the house All got inside save the Carr
woman. who was just in the door as Wright
fred the second time. The buler went
wild. but found lodging place In the arm
OF Frank Rouden. who had been attracted
20 the front OF the house by the sounds of
the fight. Rouden and the Carr woman
yan back into room, while the
murderer, Wild with frenzy. pushed on into
the house after them In the front room
he found the Jeffries woman and her moth
er. Sfrs. Coleman Turning the smoking