The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-09-20
PRIVATE JACKSON TELLS
OF TRAGEDY NEAR PRISON
Says He and Capt. Blackman
Fired When Eisy Was, Raising
Rifle to Strike Them

JAChSONI Mlcn1 SEPT. l5.--At tnls
mornings session OF the court OF I'm
quiry into the killing OF John Eisy.
Howard Jackson, private In Company
|, OF Ann Arbor, who fred one OF the
three shots at Eisy. was called TO
witness stand. He gave his aged as
20 and said he had been In the service
year and eight months On Friday,
Sept. 13, he and. private McArdle were
accosted by two foreigners one OF
whom was Eisy. He said Eisy asked
TO buy guns ofthem and he told how
the deal was made.
Jackson testified that at the time he
told Eisy he was under arrest ant
ordered him to throw up his hands
he (Jackson) drew his revolver.
Blackman fred when Eisy was rails
ing the rife, and both he and Black
man shot again about the same time
as the rifles were raised to lever
with the head
Couldn't you have stopped him
from hitting you with those guns?"
mot very well.
why not?"
you take fellow who Is light
against a thick heavy set fellow like
ed by our overcoats."
Jackson said he shot at Eisy's arms
to cripple him and prevent him from
striking him. Witness said he did
not see or hear any one there with
Eisy, but said while he was not posi-
tive. 1t was his impression that the
man who was with Eisy on the street
when the bargain was made was
Joseph Owen, the Syrian who has
been sworn at this inquiry.
las soon as Eisy paid over the
money" said Jackson, Il drew my
revolver and ordered his hands up,
keeping an electric spot light on his
all the time"
What orders have you received
from the warden relative to the outs
side?"
He told me he thought my judgment
was good and that knew what to do,
and he said he feared that someone
on the outside would send in explo-
sives, and to use great vigilance to
protect the prison"
What talk did you have with the
warden about the plans the evening
the shooting was done?"
Il told him, as / recollect 1t now,
exactly what we intended to do.
toll him | thought they were trying
to get him."
What did the warden tell you to
do?"
The substance OF II was that he
thought II would be a good thing TO
go ahead and arrest these men. Mr..
Frensdorf said he didn't think any
body ought to be hurt, and said,
There won't be anybody hurt / don't
believe, took OF my uniform and
put on my other clothes. Each OF us
took our service revolvers and we
went down the back way to Mechanic
st. We passed a couple OF men that
looked like the men McArdle and
Jackson had told us about"
'1 told Sergeant OF Police Hudson
thought there was job up to get
somebody with those rifles and was
going down to arrest them. / said
Don't you think IL would be advisable
to let me have some plain clothes
mem He said, How many OF you
are there said, There are four
Of us
How far were McArdle, Jackson
and Eisy from you when they metz"
About rod in front OF me and
fifteen feet to the north"
when he was talking to these two
soldiers was he facing you or was his
back to your"
At first his back was almost toward
me. was sitting under a wagon,
They handed the rifles over to him
and an electric spotlight. He went
all over the gun with the spotlight
examining 1t. Then he took the other
and did the same thing. He said
something to them about the ammuni-
ton. and reached into his pocket and
turned the money over to one OF the
privates, | didn't know which one, IL
was so dark. The two rifles lay
across his right leg with his barrels
to the rear. Then he reached down
and picked them up. One OF the pri-
Yates said. Hands up, we have got
you He swung around like that
witness illustrating while standing
on his feet), and fired: thought 7
didn't hit him, and fred again. He
went down the alley pretty near to
the sidewalk, and dropped. He Rugged
his arms over his stomach and drop
led. ! told Smith to go to the police
station and call the ambulance and
take him to the hospital. We took
him to the hospital as fast as we
could turn the wheels around"
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