New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-19
BLAME POLICE FOR SHOTS
Wounded Persons Say Cain, the
Negro, Had Only a Knife.
NO ONE SAW HIM WITH GUN
Patrolmen Criticise Mayor Gay
nor for Order Forbidding
the Use of Nightsticks.

SHOTS from the revolvers of policemen
were responsible for at least two of the
long list of wounded charged against
John Cain, the negro who ran wild
on Wednesday night. according TO two of
the victims who received wounds in the
general melee that began at the 1Nth
street station of the Ninth avenue elevated
road and ended at lO7th street and Man
haitian avenue when Patrolman Eynon
finally shot the negro
"A shot from polieeman's gun got me-
said John A. Cunningham. of No. s. West
10th street. last night. cain did not nave
a gun | was crossing Columbus avenue
at loath street 10 buy milk for my baby
when the fight started | saw the negro
surrounded by bunch OF white men. with
COP on the outside of the circle tapping
him gently on the head with his night
stick Finally the negro broke away, COM
ing straight toward me. The crowd yelled
10 the cop. Now is your chance-why don
YOU shoot him. Then he turned on the
con. and grabbed his nightstick out OF
his hand.
The cop was backing away. and the
two of them rolled over on the ground.
the negro slashing with his knife The
COP got up and fred shot 1t went
through my leg. Then the cop turned
and ran away. and the negro ran up CO.
lumbus avenue"
The second person wounded was Mary
Donohue. eight years old. of No. SoS Colum-
bus avenue A bullet passed through her
thigh. lust above the knee, entering from
the front Her mother. Mrs. Edward Don
ohue. is sure a policeman shot her daugh-
ter.
MARY is in too serious condition 10 pe
talked TO any more" Mrs. Donohue SAID,
but she saws the negro did not hurt her.
He ran past her and the bullet came from
the opposite direction, My little girl saw a
policeman running toward her, after the
negro. She heard shot. and then she
fell and some men picked her up and car
red her into saloon
No One Saw Negro Shoot.
The police of the lO0th street station
worked all day to determine whether Cain
had a revolver or only a knife. They said
last night that they had been unable TO
find any one who had seen revolver in
his hand. Cain himself, while admitting
that he had a knife and had stabbed with
il all those who received cuts. denied thd'
he had a gun. Patrolman Eynon, VINO ar
rested him. said the negro at that tlihe
was armed only with a knife
Captain zimmerman said that the loilce
had as vet been unable to determine
whether the negro had gun or Whethei
the shooting Of bystanders was done oE
Policemen or citizens He said only one
shot was fired from Patrolman Eynon
PISTOL. and none from DeGraff's No eXaml-
nation had been made of the guns OF any
other policemen. so that there was no way
o. telling whether any OF them had joined
III the shooting.
rs there going to he an attempt 10 hang
something on the police" he asked. Well
whatever shooting was done by policemen
was fully justified by the circumstances.
Among the men themselves the talk was
that there would not have been so many
victims of the nesro's frenzy If the police
men had not been afraid to use their clubs
on account of Mayor Gaynor's strict order'
forbidding them to use their nightsticks
In Harlem Hospital last night it was said
that cain would probably recover. The
same report was made at the Red Cross
Hospital or the condition Patrolman De
Graf who was seriously stabbed in the
back and stomach. The condition of Au-
gust Linblum at the j. Hood Wright Hos
,ital was saidto be still serious.
Cain was Twenty-Five years old in 1901
when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter il
The second degree. and was sentenced L
state prison for the limit Of fourteen year
and three months. lie was released by III
paroIe board in 1909 He stabbed TO dealt