The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-09-06
Michael Coleman, Colored,
Driver of Coal Wagon,
Kills Son in Front of Home
in South Side.
ATTEMPS TO ESCAPE
Gives Himself Up to Police at
Farm House About Five
Miles South of Richmond,
Sunday Afternoon.

Booze and thirty-eight calibre re
volver caused the death Sunday after
noon of six-year-old Eugene Coleman
at the hands of his step-father Michael
Coleman. 80, colored, 654 South H
street, who for several years has been
employed as driver by the Hackman
klefoth Coal company
The shooting came as a climax OF
a quarrel between Coleman and his
wife at their home. The boy was
standing in the yard in front of the
house at the time he was shot Cole
man, who gave himself up after first
attempting to escape, says that he &C.
cidentaly shot his stepson.
In statement Mrs. Coleman made
to Prosecutor Keller, she does not
charge that her husband was prompted
by malice in shooting his little victim
She says Coleman was drunk at the
time and the police substantiate this
assertion.
Fiees After Crime.
Eugene Coleman, an illegitimate son
of Mrs. Coleman, was shot through the
groin about l o'clock Sunday after
noon when he started to run from be-
hind pile of tiles. Coleman rushed
to his victim and carried him into the
house. ...-.-.--~-
In the meantime Mrs. Coleman, fear
ing her husband would kill her, had
fed out of the back door to the house
of a neighbor. After Coleman had
placed the child on couch he also
fled, followed the G. & O. railroad
tracks as far as Locust Grove.
Then he went south on the Boston
pike to the farm of Walter Bulla,
where he telephoned to the police to
come and get him. He offered no
resistance to Chief Goodwin when he
arrived at the farm in Fire Chief
Millers runabout.
Boy Dies at Hospital.
Mrs. Coleman returned to the house
shortly after her husband had left
and physician was summoned. The
boy was taken to the hospital and
operated upon. He died at 6 o'clock
evening. His intestines had
been punctured in nine places by the
bullet.
Mrs. Coleman states that the quarrel
started Saturday night. Mr.. Coleman
told her he intended to leave her and
attempted to board train, but was
put off. He went to north end
saloon and about midnight found his
wife at the home of Maggie Ralston,
who was nearly stabbed to death by
her lover recently. Mrs Coleman
went home. Coleman and the boy re-
mained at the Ralston home until
Sunday morning
Asks for Revolver.
Arriving home Coleman began to
drink again. His wife had hid his re-
volver but gave it to him when he
said he wanted to sell it. Then he
to shoot her Eugene left
the house and Coleman told him to re-
turn. the woman says. She told the
boy not to do so. Then Eugene started
to run, she says, and Coleman fired,
Telling the child.
Coleman says he did not know
Eugene was in the yard and that he
fired without aiming at anything.
AS the woman does not charge mali
cious intention on the part of her hus-
band. and as Coleman tenderly carried
MS victim back into the house after
he shooting, Prosecutor Keller will
bind Coleman over to the grand jury
on a charge of involuntary man
slaughter. The murdered is the son
If Mrs. Maria Coleman, known in the
north end as the witch DOCTOR and
who recently organized gold hunt
ng'' expedition into Henry county.