Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-11-15
Kills Three Men in AsheNllc,
N. c., and Escapes
HE IS A DESPERATE CRIMINAL
Mecklenburg Desperate
Unprovoked, Starts on = Death
Dealing Rampage With = Savage
Rifle, Killing One Negro and Nor
tally Wounding Another Kills
Two and Wounds Another Of the
Officers Who attempt to Arrest
Him.

Asheville, n. G., Special,--Figghtlng
bravely in defense Of their police cap
| tain, Patrolmen Charles Blackstock
and William Bailey, two of the most
| efficient members Of Asheville's po-
lice force, were shot to death on South
| Main street at IL 80 o'clock Tues
day night by a negro, who proclaim
ed that his name was Will Harris, Of
c. Charlotte, i desparado, for whom a
large reward has been standing for
some time. Prior to the death Of the
| two officers, a negro restaurant keep
er, named Ben Allen, fell dead at the
hands Of Harris, who, handling a
Savage rifle, killed him without pro-
vocation. Another negro named Tom
Neil lies MORALLY wounded, he, too,
being shot before the officers took a
hand in the melee.
Fired Into Houses Wantomy.
Harris started out on his death
dealing tour from a negro house on
Valley Street. He fired into two
houses as he made his way to South
Main street, n Of the principal
streets of the city. AS he reached
Eagle street he fred at and wounded
Allison.
On South Main street the desparado
encountered Tom Neil and fred point
plank at him. The noise of the
wounded captain called upon Black
stock to fire, but before the officer
could do so fell dead with a bullet
In the chest. Harris then started on
q run for the square, where Patrol
man Bailey was waiting for him. Bail
! ey fired twice, but missed his man,
and the negro, turning his rife on
the officer, sent, a bullet crashing
through the latter's brain. The officer
lived but a few minutes after he fell.
Harris Still at Large.
The negro then ran down South
Main street toward Biltmore, and At
midnight was still at large.
The greatest excitement followed
the killing Of the officers. A general
lire alarm was turned in by the Chief
of Police Bernard for the purpose Of
calling out the militia companies, an6
several posses quickly formed to taxi
up the pursuit Of the murderer. TIL,
store Of the Asheville Hardware Co
was broken into by police officers ant
the posses were armed with Winches
ter rifles and shotguns.
Officer Blackstock who come
from one Of the oldest families in tn
State, leaves a wife and child, an,
Officer Bailey leaves a wife and thre
children.
i A Desperate Negro.
Charlotte, N. c., Special.-Wi
Harris is-a Mecklenburg negro an
was serving a term on the chair
gangs Of this county for highway rol
berry, when he made his first dificr1
escape. He had committed a deadl
, assault upon an aged negro on IVES
l Trade street because the old fello'
: refused to surrender a jug Of whiske,
After his escape from the gang,
was the terror Of the Derita sectio
of the county for Mnnths and WI
= often hunted, but he always evade
the officers, being assisted in h
= flights by the negroes, who were
afraid Of him that they would refu,
Is him nothing.
= Finally he left this county and W;
captured in the North. He was D
on the gang again and it was not lol
before he was free again. Later
was re-captured and this time w
81 sent to the State prison at Raleic
where he spent a few weeks .befo
- bidding the prison officials good-b,
~ Since that time it has been report
w that he was seen in many section
=. and two Or three times that he W
- captured, but he has managed to ste
clear OF all prisons and chain-gan;
81 Notwithstanding. He is regarded
20 the most desperate negro in the Sta
he has been outlawed by Govern
70 Glenn and there is a reward of Sc
>, for his capture, dead or alive.
To Enforce 8-Hour Law.