The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1909-08-14

Warwick CoIored Man Nor
tally Wounded BY Anoftsr'
On Excursion From Freder-
fckfoNH

Clarence Rhodes. coIored. OF the
Warwick section. was brought TO Tn
ion Hospital, on Sunday morning.
mortally wounded by a pistol shot.
flrcd by Eugene Emerson, alias Rack
Polk, OF Fredericktown. on the
steamer Annapolis on which they and
some three hundred other negroes
were returning from an excursion
from Fredericktown to Annapolis. on
Saturday afternoon He died later In
the day. Meanwhile, Emerson, who
had gone to Baltimore on the Annap-
oils. surrendered on Sunday morning
on Pennsylvania avenue. near the
Northwestern Police Station. to two
policemen. saving he had shot a man
named Clarence Rhodes. and telling
of row on the boat during which
Rhodes fiourished pistol which EN-
erson snatched from him. Rhodes
pursued him with knife. when he
blindly pulled the trigger and shot
him
Coroner Frazer held an inquest
here on Monday at which Drs. Nor
rison and Cawley and number OF the
excursionists testified. DR.. Morrison
said that the bullet. 81 calibre. entered
at the upper margin of the fifth rib.
two inches below the nipple. and pass
ed inward and backward through the
left lobe OF the river and walls OF the
stomach and lodged in the tenth DOR
sal vertebra. When told that he could
not live Rhodes made a brief state
ment portions OF which Drs Morri-
son and Cawley heard. II was TO the
effect that Emerson. or Rack Polk had
shot him. standing about 10 feet away
from him. He had been drinking, but
was not drunk. had not been quarrel
ing with Rock. and had not been play
ing crap. DIR. lamar asked him IL
woman was connected with the trouble
lie smiled and said he guessed one
was. William Tillotson. Frank Will
liams, Marshall Bowyer. Jerry Sauis-
bury. Edward Moore. and Rhodes sis-
ter. Mary. who were on the excursion,
told OF the shooting. but varied In
their statements. They all agreed
that il occurred before the steamer
reached Fredericktown. Bower said
4 happened between Colchester and
Sandy Point. and Williams said be-
fore rounding Howeil's Point The
boat left Annapolis at half past three,
Crap playing and wranglng began
soon afterwards Tillotson and Sauis-
bury saw the shooting. The former
saw Emerson running with Rhodes
after him Emerson wheeld and fired,
after sliding down the steps to the
lower deck. Salisbury said Rhodes
had razor and that Emerson loaded
the pistol. got behind the steps and
shot Rhodes on the lower deck. Sauls-
bury told the Coroner on Sunday that
he knew nothing of the shooting. The
jury found that Rhodes came to his
death from a pistol wound at the
hands OF Emerson. alias Polk on the
steamer Annapolis, on August ;.
Officers of the steamer told States
Nitorrey Constable and Deputy Sheriff
cNlliSter on Monday that they cali
ed on Emerson, as member of the
committee in charge OF the excursion,
Ia quiet Rhodes. who had been drink.
ing and was flourishing a pistol Frn-
erSon got the pistol. and Rhodes
chased him with knife for the length
at the boat when Emerson turned
| md fired Emcrsnu ], held in Balti-
more. and may be tried there. The
shooting occurred on the Bay. The
c1dc provides that the offender in such
cases may be tried in the county in
which he Is arrested or in that where
the yictom dies.