The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-11-24
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Officer Willis appeared on College
avenue, having been told of the chase
while on his way to the police station
to go on duty. The officer ran down
College and saw Brown, who went
into the college grounds. 1t was then
Willis fired.
There are a number Of persons who
declared two shots were fired at the
time officer Willis gives his state
ment as follows:
Il called three times for the man to
halt. He paid no heed. To me it
seemed certain that he would get to
the Great Northern tracks and be lost
unless something were done instant
ly. After the third cry to halt I
fired. / am told that the bullet struck
him in the small of the back and
came out in front. 1 felt that I was
justified in firing.
Johnnie Hoyt cried You'd better
halt; he's an officer' meaning me.
cried, You halt.
"The man did not cease his run
ming, although he looked at me and
seemed to recognize my brass buttons.
l had on an overcoat at the time and
my star was on my uniform coat in
side. The overcoat was open, how
were in full sight.
After the first command to halt
repeated the order twice. He was
going at a good clip of speed and
didn't stop. oJhnnie Hoyt is a wit
ness who will testify that I gave the
commands to halt, and Coy Henry of
1907 College avenue is another wit
ness who heard the cry, but Henry
heard me give the command only
once.
ANY statement to the effect that
I gave no halt orders is untrue, and
1t is also untrue that I cursed the
man. Neither do I carry my gun
in my hip pocket, but carry 1t in
a scabbard at my side instead"
A. X. Holland, a real estate man,
declares he was one of the witnesses
to the shooting and that Willis did
not order Brown to Halt. In his
statement Mr. Holland says:
II saw the man start from Hoyt's
store with something in his hand and
two or three men pursue him. He ran
up College avenue. I turned on Col
lege avenue to go home, and Officer
Willis came up behind me. He asked
two or three people which way the
man went, and, while he was talking,
the man reappeared across the street
and went into the schoolyard. Officer
VILLAS started across the street, and
I after him. Without calling to the
man or saying anything Willis pull
ed his gun from his hip pocket and
fired point blank at him. The man
dropped
willis went up to where the man
I guess you'll stop the next time
Willis and others assisted the man
to the edge of the fence and the
patrol wagon came and took him
away. I was close enough to Willis
to have heard him speak. and know
ne sdlu uotHitlS DtIOTt ne SflOt. An
other man who was nearby comment
ed to me on the same thing"
Brown was removed to the Sacred
Heart hospital in the patrol wagon
and attended by DR.. Gray. The bull
let from the officers heavy revolver
entered the back near the spine and
came out near the navel. The sur
geon at once pronounced the wound
fatal.
Brown Is known to the police as
"Dopey" Brown by reason of his ap-
petite for morphine. He has been
guilty Of numerous petty thieveries
and has been repeatedly Arrested for
stealing and selling goods in order
to get money to buy the drug.
He claims to have a mother living
on East Indiana avenue, but during
the last trial in police court the police
were unable to locate her.
At the hospital this noon II was
stated that Brown was stil living.
but that his death would be only a
matter OF time.