The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-18

Police Officer William B. BurnhanA
one Of the most widely known anG
popular officers connected with thaf
Pensacola police department, waa
shot and killed near the union depot
last night at 9:15 o'clock An uns
known negro, who appeared to be e
stranger here, committed the crime.
and he made his escape, although fOls
lowed by the wounded officer for half
a block. The latter then fell 70 the.
sidewalk and expired within a few
minutes.
The shooting occurred near that
southeast corner of Wright and Tar
ragona streets, almost in front Of the
saloon of w. S. Norman, and occurred
at a time when large crowds Of peo-'
pie were either in the saloon OF on
the streets, but no one seems to have
been an eye witness to how the officer
received the wound.
Negroes Were Fighting.
The negro who shot officer Burn
ham and another negro named Jerry
Lenox were engaged in a fight on the
sidewalk near the saloon, when the
stranger drew a revolver and fred
two shots at LenOx. The latter ran
into the bar, and just as he did so
Oficer Burnham ran up to place the
negro doing the shooting, under ar
rest. The latter, it is stated, turned
suddenly and fired upon the Officer.
The latter staggered back from the
shock and as he did so the negro
wheeled and fed east on Wright
street. Although MORALLY wounded
the officer, as soon as he recOvereds
from the shock, gave chase, and RAM
for half a block before his stTengthf
gave out. He was seen to stop ala
most in front of the residence Of o.
H. Smith, lean against a telegraph
post for a few moments and then faIs
face downward upon the pavement
Died in a Few Minutes.
Several parties ran TO where the Onsf
ficer had fallen, among them beinE
Sheriff Van Pelt, who was north Cd
the depot when the shots were hred@i
When the sheriff reached the officeRs
the latter moved his lips and endeavs
ored to speak 10 him, but he could
not utter a sound. DIR. Blocker was
quickly summoned, but the officer died
within a few minutes after falling 70
the pavement
Entered Above Right Nipple.
The bullet from the revolver Of thu
negro. entered JUST above the right
nipple, and from all appearances must
have severed an artery. The cOJhs9a
of the bullet could not be traced, BUG,
appeared 10 have taken a downward
course.
Coroner Was Summoned.
Coroner Landrum was summoneCh
and upon reaching the scene had a
Jury empaneled, and the body wasT
viewed as 1t lay upon the sidewalk,
Afterwards it was moved 10 POu's uu,S
dertaking parlOrs and prepared forG
burial. The cOroner's jury repaired
to the Office Of Judge Landrum With
the Witnesses, where all were sworn,
the names of the Witnesses takens
and the jury dismissed until this
morning at O'Clock, when the inves-
tigation by the jury will commence.
May Have Right Man.
The police and county authorities
we're active as soon as they reached
the scene. They obtained a descrip-
ton Of the negro from Jerry LenOx.
with whom he had been fighting, and
officers were given this description
and told 10 look out for the man
Lenox did not know the name Of the
negro, who, he said, was a stranger
neither did any Of the other negroes.
who were in the saloon during the
evening. Il seems that for several
hours the strange negro had been in
the saloon and was evidently looking
A a - al to 81 a.
a quarrel with number Of negroes.
at the bar. Shortly before II o'clock
the officers located negro at the det
pot that answered the description in
every particular. He was arrested
and sent 10 jail where he gave hist
name as Robin Boydns, and statedl
that he was employed az the cotton
or,,.4i,,,a5 IN pao. NIL v