The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-08
NEGROES FIGHT
FATAL DUEL IN
SHOP OF SMITH
Armed With Horseshoes,
Teamsters Battle Furious
lv in Early Morning.
CRUELTY TO HORSES
CAUSE OF STRUGGLE
Older Man, Disarming Ad-
versary, Hands Back
Weapon, Then Worsts
Him.

A duel, probably fatal, with horse
shoes as the weapons, was fought in
the blacksmith Nshop of Christopher
Rickard, truckman. 534 Howard ave-
nue., by negro teamsters at O'Clock
this morning.
James Nixon, aged s5. is in Bridge
port hospital, his skull fractured,
probably. fatally hurt.
John Henry Coleman, aged Sd, is
under arrest, held in bail Of $4,000,
on the charge of assault with intent
to kill.
Coleman has told the police thrill
ing story of the duel in the black
smith shop frankly admitting having
inflicted the probably fatal injury up
on Nixon. whom he accuses Of cruelty
to his horses. His inhumane treat
ment Of the animals precipitated a
fight today after two days of quar-
re1ing, according to Coleman's state
ment. which contains many details
showing the fight to have been most
unusual
Nixon's custom had been to lash his
horses as the teamsters drove out of
the yard, each morning. He took pride
In being the first out, Coleman often
demonstrated. Today he grabbed
Nixons arm and again urged him to
be more gentle with the horses.
Coleman says, Nixon, angered at
from his wagon and struck him on
the head Coleman attacked Nixon,
and the latter fed into the black
smith shop There they grappled,
and as they rolled over the floor. Nix
on picked up a horseshoe for defence.
Coleman AYERS he overpowered Nixon
ana tore the horseshoe from his
grasp -
Then, Coleman SAYS. he thought it
would be only fair to give the younger
man a chance to defend himself, and
seizing another horseshoe, he handed
back to Nixon the shoe he had taken
from his grasp. Then the two made
battle frriously-sHhile tearnsters and
biacksmiths looked on, and saw Cole
man vanquish Nixon.
Coleman drove of about his work,
and Nixon, badly norsted, but appar-
emily not dangerously hurt. also start
ed back towards his team A few
minutes later he asked his foreman
for the day of, went to his home, 1924
Railroad avenue, and collapsed His
wife caused a call to be sent to the
emergency hospital, for the ambulance
corps.
DrE B. Weldon found that Nixon
was suffering from a fracture of the
skull He was rushed to Bridgeport
hospital where an operation was per-
formed upon the skull at 10 o'clock.
At a late hOuf IoQay t1lLe nope was
entertained for his recovery.
Bridgeport hospital authorities COM
mnnicated> the facts and the nature
of the assault to the police and De-
tectives James Bray and James Doo-
ley placed Coleman under arrest,
while he was at his work in the
Bridgeport Brass Co.'S foundry in
Housatonic- avenue
in a. statement given the police
Coleman told a straightforward story
and admitted assaufting Nixon, saying
he +wha1ed the daylights'' out of
Nick because the latter had been
cruel to his team of horses and had
assaulted him
Nixon is married and has two
children Coleman came here from
Charleston, S. G., about, one year ago.
He admits being arrested on a similar
charge in Charleston about 10 years
ago. He said that at that time he
had been robbed by. another colored
gentleman and that. to make things
eyen'' he whale the daylfghts out of
that gentleman" He was later re-
leased ~by order OF the court of that
place. He is trusted employe and
said to be peaceab1e workman and
his actions of this morning came as a
great surprise to his fellow work
men. -