Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20
ONE OEAD,TW0 INJURED
Shooting ARRAY at Virginia End
of Aqueduct Bridge.
INQUEST TO BE HELD TODAY
Result of Quarrel Which Began in
Washington.
SHOT BY CONSTABLE vEITCH
John Jones, a Colored Man, Killed
While Undertaking to "Shoot
Up" Crows Hill.
'H0T BY CONSTABLE vEITCH

One man was killed and two others
wounded one probably fatally, last even
ing. in the course OF shooting affray at
the Virginia end of the Aaue,1uct bridge
Uncle John" Jones, co.ored, seventy years
old, 1t is said, started the trouble when he
essayed to Shoot up all of Crows Hill
in Rosslyn. He was himself killed by Con-
stable Edward Vietch. Jones severely
wounded Terry Godsey, also colored, thirty
five years old, and slightly wounded Ras-
tus Ransom, twenty years old, before he
was brought to bay. An inquest will be
held over Jones' body at II o'clock this
morning. Godsey is being attended at the
Georgetown University Hospital, and the
doctors have slight hope of his recovery.
AS far as the authorities were able to
learn last night, a quarrel between Jones
and Ransom started in Washington late
yesterday afternoon. when they were on
their way to their homes In Rosslyn 1t was
either continued or renewed when they met
a crowd Of friends in front of the Wash
ington and Great Falls electric railway
car barn. about one hundred yards from
the Virginia end OF the Aqueduct bridge.
None of the men, it seems, was armed at
that time. but Jones, who was intoxicated,
ran to his home. tiny cabin at the foot OF
Crows HILL secured his revolver and re-
turned to the scene with the wildly shouted
threat that he intended to kill everybody
on the hill. His first shot was aimed at
Ransom. and 1t grazed the latters shoul-
der. According to the story he afterwa rd
told the doctors at the Georgetown Hos
pftaI, Godsey interfered In Ransom's behalf
and was himself made the target of Jones
bullets. Five shots in all were fired One
of them struck Godsey in the right breast,
nXIya arf1 and Dx~1
penetrating his lung. He was SO weak last
night that the doctors at Georgetown Hos
pftal feared to search for the bullet They
scarcely expected that he would live
through the day.
Starts on Rampage
1t was only few minutes after 6 O'clock
when Jones started on the rampage and
at that time Constable vietch of Balston
happened to be on Crows Hill working on
another case. He heard the shooting and
fastened toward the scene. Jones was run
ming away then and Vietch followed. over
taking the aged negro just as he reached
the dooryard Of his little home.
You are under arrest" the constable
cried, put the negro was desperate and he
defied Vietch to come step nearer All
the shells IN Jones' revolver had been -ox.
hausted, but he was busiIy loading the
weapon as he ran, and when hailed bv
constable Vietch he turned and warned the
latter not to move Both leveied their MS
lois AT the same time, but Vieteh fred first
Jones spun around and fell face downward
on the ground with bullet In hjs hraIn
He was dead when picked up, and his body
was carried into his home and nlacaI -,
the floor, where 1t viii be allowed 10 remain
until viewed by Coroner s. T. Ashton a,a
the jury this morning
Uncle john Jones, as he was eenara,,v
called, was negro of the old school ana
general surprise was expressed by citizens
or Rossyin, who had known him well
Tor year, that Uncle John should
have been mixed up In such an affair ~
was generally conceded that the % shnc.,n. :.
was inspired by drink. Uncle John. was
a basketmaker, and when he left his hon,a
earlier In the day he carried an arm InaS
of his wares to be sold in Washington A.
parentiy he was successful, and a no,.tior
OF the proceeds probably went toward fhe
purchase Of liquor. More of the money
was used to buy provisions for the S,Indav y
meals, for Jones threw basket f,1u of
meat and vegetables into the lap of his
housekeeper Mary Jones. when he rnshns
into the house after his pistol
Fight Precedes Shooting.
Mary Jones said last night that .ITneIe
john had been struck on the head by a
beer bottle In the fight which preceded the
shooting, and that he was bleeding from a
wound on the head when he started on his
deadly mission. When Jones' body was ex-
amined last night a large swelling was yis-
ibie on the back OF his head, and this
seemed to lend color to his housekeeper,s 8
story. Constable Vfetchs shot struck tina
~ of>s<rk< l.