Evening star., 1904-01-01

was enacted at the home of Robert J. Hale,
near the corner OF North Capitol ana j
streets. during the early hours of the morn
ing Of November 20. Hale and his wire
were found dead In bed, side by side.
revolver lying between them told the story
that he had shot his wife and then himself.
A note found on the dining room table ex-
planned that he was responsible for the disr
grace OF young woman by the name OF
Margaret Hale. who claimed to be MS
cousin. and who died several days previous
as the result of an operation. About 3
o clock on the afternoon OF December IL
Mrs. r. A. Beall. sixty-five years old. was
found dead at her home near the corner OF
14th and H streets northeast. shot in SIX
places. The hand of suspicion pointed to-
ward Andrew Weldon. a relative. lie was
arrested and Is in jail awaiting indict-
ment by the grand jury. James Henson
charged with the murder Of Lazier Gozman
in an alley near the corner of I'd ana y
streets northeast during December. iso2.
The authorities did not succeed in fastening
the crime on him, and the case against
him was dropped, leaving another unsolved
murder mystery. During a dispute near
the District line at Broekland In February
Samuel Washington Simms eoiored. WAS
shot and killed by James Williams. colored,
who is in custody. William HI. Matchett
who shot and killed Joseph Cato. bar
Der. at 359 Pennsylvania avenue north
west. during October, 1902. was adJudged
ST. Elizabeths. from which institution he
was on parole at the time of the murder.
Maggie Smith, a colored fortune teller,
was held responsible by a coroner's jury
for the death of Mary Hamilton. three
year-old colored child, who died March 26
as the result of drinking tea which had been
poisoned James Butler, colored, seventeen
years of age, was arrested In June Tor Kill
ing his stepfather, Joseph Green, colored,
with an ak while the latter was about to
strike his wife. During an alteration near
the corner of North Capitol and l. streets
July Tom Joyce colored, was fatally stab-
bed by Henry T. Hall. colored, who Is In
Jail awaiting trial. Jealousy was assigned
as the cause for Herman Denham, letter
carrier killing his wife. Willie, with a pistol
September II. After numbering his wife
Denham committed suicide with shot from
the same weapon. Louis Mortified, paroied
patient from St. Elizabeth, ended his wife $
life and his own in similar manner at
their home near the Baltimore and ONO
depot November 2. Fred Cole and William
Landon, colored, are in Jail awaiting trial
for the murder of Albert Beckwith. colored,
who was found dead with several wounds
on his head November Ia. at the corner OF
14th and B streets northwest. William Be
ron, eighty-two years old. died December Il
as the result of injuries received by being
run down by a bicycle ridden by Joseph
Smith. colored, near the corner of Sth street
and Pennsylvania avenue southeast Smlth
was held by a coroner's jury to await ae-
tlOH Dy the Rrdnu jury Oh d CIldi &c VI hiui
der. During the early part of April Waiter
Jackson, colored, died from injuries caused
by blow on the head with hammer In
the hands of Joseph Hagan, also colored.
Hagan, who was arrested almost lmme-
diately, has not yet been tried. About a
month later Henry Towne was killed In a
similar manner by Walter Wright colored.
Members of the police force were respon-
sible for two violent deaths during the year.
In one case the matter was ignored by the
grand Jury and in the other instance the
authorities arrived at the conclusion that
the death was an accident and the matter
was dropped. The first shooting occurred
March 25 when Policeman j. II. H Sawyer,
who was in charge of the Police Court van,
shot and instantly killed William wheeler,
colored, while he was attempting to escape
from the van in front of a station house.
The officer was held by coroner's jury.
but when the matter reached the grand
jury that body ignored the charge ana the
officer was restored to duty. Bernard Mat
thews, colored, while under arrest by Po-
licemen Donovan and Fletcher OF the iourtn
precinct on a charge of making criminal
assault on a child, resisted the officers, and
Donovan's revolver fell from his pocket
The colored man tried to gain possession OF
the weapon, and during the struggle WMch
ensued he was shot and instantly Killed
while the pistol was in the hands of Police
man Fletcher. An inquiry was held ana II
was decided that the shooting was the re-
suit of an accident.
Policeman William JOnllSou, toioi CH'
while suffering from a temporary lit or m
sanity shot and wounded Policemen Z. W.
Hall and Frank Waters, both colored. while
they were turning in at a patrol box In
South Washington. His arrest followed,
and he was held to await action by the
grand jury. In the meantime, however, he
was adjudged to be insane and the charges
were dropped. John w. Clark, while try
ing front doors and acting in suspicious
manner near the corner of 14th and G.
streets early in January, was shot and
slightly wounded by Special Officer Pum-
phrey, whom he attacked when placed un-
der arrest. Charles Smith, a colored youth,
after holding up the cashier of dining
room near the corner of 14th and G streets
northwest the night of November IA, shot
and wounded two policemen who attempted
to place him under arrest He did not sue
ceed In making his escape, and he was SEN
fenced several weeks later to term of
thirty years in the penitentiary. William
Harper. eolored, is in Jail awaiting trial on
a charge of shooting and injuring William
Griffin, cOlored, in South Washington the
night of December f.
There were a number Of other shooting
and cutting scrapes during the year, and
in the majority of them the offenders were
arrested and dealt with by the law officers
Walter Mccormick. twenty-one years old,
while in jealous rage August 20, shot and
slightly injured Mrs. Kate Buechling
Three Italians employed on the site of the
new union depot were stabbed by one of
tiIcii SouitIy iieH dl luelT camp IN A0acOS-
tia during the same month. He made his
escape and has not yet been arrested
In the early part of November John and
Philip Coleback, brothers had a duel with
razors at their home in Georgetown. Both
men were seriously cut. but recovered from
their Injuries. Esther Archer, sixteen
year-old colored girl, was arrested during
, March and committed to the reform school
on charge of placing carbolc acid in some
medicine belonging to her employer, Hollo-
way Furrow, 727 7th street northeast
The announcement, June 8, that an en-
ploye Of the District government, James NJ
A. Watson, a clerk in the auditors Office
was short in his accounts about $4,000
came surprise. Watson was placed
under arrest, and is confined in Jail await
ing indictment and trial. An investigation
by the District authorities followed, and it
was disclosed that the defaulter had been
engaged in several private business enter
prises in which he lost money.
With the destruction by fire of the gam
bling dens at Jackson City. at the south
end of the Long bridge, the District authori-
ties became aware of the fact that policy
players and bookmakers were plying their
unlawful occupations in the city. A number
of arrests were made, and the conviction of
the guilty persons followed. During April
a pool room was opened up at Wildwood. in
Montgomery county Md, a short distance