The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-15
EXPERIENCE OF ONE DAY AND
NIGHT IN SHREVEPORT
The Excitement a Reminder of the Lynchng of Jones
and F1ill--A Shocking Discovery--Was an
dnnocent Man Killed and Cremated?


whom it is unnecessary to name grinned
sardonically and stamped almost at one
breath the whole story with dlscredlt,
giving in words the assurance that the
right man had been killed, and there
could be no doubt about it. Against such
conclusion it were sense1ess to reason,
but as we have said and repeat, it is sig
nifcant that the coroner's jury, comprs-
ing FIVE as intelligent, prudent and con-
servative men as can be mustered for
such duty in Caddo parish, not only hes
itated but have called on the grand jury
for a more thorough investigation? If
these five men had believed that the
man killed was the man who had COM
mitted the murder, would they not have
reached their verdict accordingly?
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES
WAS THE MAN KILLED.
The man killed, Albert Washington,
was in a railroad cut of the K c. S.
about five miles from Shreveport. He
was walking briskly. He was carrying
his coat He no doubt had espied some
of the policemen who were scattered in
that that vicinity Under mental he
was easily intimidated, and when halted
by the officers who confronted him, he
became excited and when asked about
blood as alleged being on his person, he
started on a run, pursued by the officers
by whom he was shot and killed.
OFFICER sJUsTIFIED.
Under the circumstances the officers
were justified in law and reason TO shoot
1t is to be regretted that they could not
take him alive. The officers acting under
authority of the law could not permit
the escape of man who they had every
reason to believe, especially by his run-
ming away, was the man they were seek
ing. If under the same circumstances
the negro had been met by a sheriff's
posse and had ran away he would doubt
less have been killed. Viewed therefore
from every reasonable standpoint the
officers are justified. Had they permitted
this man to escape they would have been
censurable. But to emphasize how easily
and readily negro may become intimi-
dated and stampede under the strain of
fear, it may be recalled that soon after
Mr.. Foster had been murdered a squad
of armed men appeared in sight near
Bossier City. In stable was an old ne
gro, who, on seeing the crowd, jumped
out Of the stable and ran away. When
called to stop he only increased his
speed. He was fired at and shot, and then
taken to Schumpert's Sanitarium. He re-
covered and is attending to his func
tions as usual in Bossicr. He had no
connection whatever with the crime, but
lost his senses and stampeded at the
sight of the armed men. The sense of
stampede is uncomfortable, and some
brave men have been known to run away
when stampeded.
BLOODY HAND AND FINGERS.
One of the strong points of the au-
thorities in maintaining that Albert
Washington was the murderer of Mrs.
Matthews is that when shot and killed
his finger nails and hand were bloody.
Can it be said positively that when
this man was halted before he started to
run away that his hand was bloody and
that his clothes were bloody? But Mr.
Vance and Mr.. Stinson are confident
that there was no blood on the hands Oh
the clothes of this negro when he got or
the train Saturday morning at 10 o'clock
and the negroes, his companions, give
the same assurance. This is somewhat
perplexing, but let reason be applied
Men familiar with blood and shots ant
wounds, men for instance who were sol
/ diers during the days of the Confeder
acy, will concede from experience tina
when a man is shot, unless completed.
disabled or killed, that the first impuls
is to throw the hand to the wound if
can be reached When shot, this negr'
was running; he was shot in the back
one of the bullets striking below tn
skull little toward the right of tn
meek. Did not this man throw his han
TO the back of his neck, where shot, an
when running and before he fell, and i
! putting his hand to this wound did nc
| his hand and his fingers become bloody
Is it not probable that the blood tricklin
from the wounds down his back an