Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-06-15
ANOTHER MURDER.


a member of his race-the third within a
period of four years-occurredin Alexan-
| dria about half past eleven o'clock Satur-
day night on Queen street, between Henry
and Fayette. The trouble originated
over a woman. The murderer was sim
gle man his victim leaves widow and
three children.
The circumstances in connection with
the murder are substantially as follows
Thomas Blanahan and John Green have
been devoting their attention oacolored
woman named Eliza Williams, alias Ford,
and for some time bad blood has existed
between the two men. Blanahan had
become very jealous of Green and, ac-
cording to a statement subsequently
made by the former, he had hitherto in
tended to kill Green.
Shortly after eleven o'clock Saturday
night Blanahan met the woman in the
saloon kept by Ben Lucas, colored, in
the northwestern part Of the city, and
started downtown with heE. They met
Green at the intersection of Queen and
Fayette streets and the latter endeavored
to persuade the Williams woman to leave
Blanahan and 90 with him. The two
men scowled at each other and an angry
coIIoouy ensued, during which the
woman was pulled first by one of the
men and then the other, until Blanahan
brought the scene to close by drawing
a pistol and firing four shots at Green,
three of which took effect. Two balls
entered his body and third penetrated
the neck near the base of the brain.
Blanahan left the neighborhood as
quickly as possible and crowd gathered
around the dying man. Green was
carried into house in the neigh
borhood where he soon expired.
BIanahan made his way to the northern
part of the town, eluded two policemen
at the extreme end of north Washington
street, and went to the almshouse lane,
where, after reloading his revolver,
he lay down and went to sleep. At
an early hour he arose and proceed
ed over the turnpike to Washington.
Charles Thomas, colored, was on his
way to Washington Saturday night and
at the Washington and Ohio junction
was Joined by Blanahan. The latter
told Thomas of the murder, and first
told him that he knew who the murder
er was, and later told him that it was
himself. Blanahan told Thomas he had
hitherto intended killing Green, as he
was Jealous of his attentions to the Will
liams woman. The two men proceeded
to the home of Samuel Gerry, an
old Alexandria negro, who at present
lives at 1923 loves court, northeast
Washington. During the night Thomas
left the house, went to police headquar-
tiers and informed on BanahaD,
and a squad of officers in charge
of Lieutenant Moore went to Gerry S
house and arrested Blanahan. Off
GERS Gill and Beach proceeded to
Washington and returned with the pris-
oner at 2:30 yesterday afternoon. a
large crowd assembled on King street To
witness the arrival of the officers with
Blanahan, while hundreds were gathered
around the station house to catch a
glimpse of him. He was placed in the
cell from which Mccoy was taken and
lvnched in April, 1897, after which the
crowd dispersed. After being locked up
Blanahan seemed disposed to talk and
his version of the affair is substantially
as given above. The prisoner claimed
that Green endeavored to induce the
woman to accompany him, but she de-
cided to continue with Blanahan. This,
the latter states, apparently angered
Green, who started toward him with a
knife in his right hand. He says that
he did not draw his revolver and shoot
until Green was within few feet of
him and, still holding the knife in his
right hand, tried to catch him
by the throat with his left.
No one, however was found yesterday
who could corroborate Blanahan's state
ment concerning the knife incident, nor
was one found on the scene of the shoot
ing.
The body of Green was taken to
Domaine & Sons undertaking establish
ment. Later it was removed TO the
home of his family on Oronoco street.
This is the third murder which has
occurred among colored people in Alex
andria in four years. William Pinkney,
it will be remembered, was shot and
killed by John T. Elzey on Duke street,
near the Stone Bridge, on September l6,
1899. On March p, 1900 Frank
Payne shot and killed Thomas Bryant
on Prince street, near Alfred.
Officers Smith and Mayhugh had been
attracted to the scene by the sound of
the pistol shots, and they started in the
direction Blanahan was supposed to
have fed. He eluded them, however,
and at no time were the officers close to
him. They deny the statement pub
lished in Washington paper this morn
ing to the effect that they found the
fugitive surrounded by negroes and or
dered him to throw up his hands when
he turned and fed They further state
that at no time could there have been less
than a square between them and Blana-
han, and that in the darkness they could
not have identified him without being
brought face to face with him.
About dozen witnesses were sum-
moned before the Mayor this morning
when Eliza Williams testified to the
trouble between the two men originating
in both claiming the privilege of ac'
companying her. She stated that vii,
liam Thomas, who had accompanied
Blanahan, told the latter to shoot Green
applying at the same time an ugly
epithet. Blanahan then stepped back