Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-01-19
CORONErS JURY FINDS A NON
COMMlIvrAL VERDICT IN
POLICE KILLING,

Inquest into tho death of Harry
Gayle, fatally wounded while on the
premises of II. NJ. Wingllcld GA
North Thirty-fourth Street, last Thurs
day night. January 9th, developed
the finding that the killing was done
ny some person unknown to the jury"
rails oXoncratcd Fatrolman /. G. Cou-
sins, of the First Police Precinct, so
far as the investigation Of the Cor
oncr extends. The hearing in Police
Court yesterday afternoon at 4 O'Clock
dragged along until after 6 o'clock.
when it was continued in order to
hear DR.. j. ID. llinchman, who OK
tractcd the bullet from the breast of
the boy just after he died.
Tho inquiry before the Coroner
brought to light the circumstance
that the bullet which killed the boy
was .3S caliber, and that the pistol
which Patrolman Cousins had in pos
session and from which he fred was
regulation 80 caliber Cousins testi.
fled that he fired six shots.
a statement which promises to de,
velop much interest is that ii. Nj.
Winglcld ran from his house at the
time Of the pursuit of the Gayle boy
and carried with him S .3S-calibcr
pistol. This was produced at the Cor
oner's inquest, clean and bright. show
ing no sign of having been fired re-
Gently. At the Police Court hearing,
DR.. Whitfield produced this pistol and
four cartridges. A puz2ling circum-
stance here was that the cartridges
which Mr.. Wingiicld turned over to
the Coroner were not the same as the
one which DR.. IIinchman extracted
from the wound. Mr.. WingGcld
stated at the inquest that he had not
fired tho pistol in five years, and that
on the night the boy was shot the pin
dropped from the revolver he carried,
and he ran Oh without stopping to
find ii.
WISE ASKS THAT COUSINS BE
HELD FOR GRAND JURY.
At the close of thcl Police Court
hearing yesterday, Commemorative
Attorney Wise stated to tho court,
without making any argument, on &C
count Of the lateness of the hour,
that even If it appears that the bull
let which DR.. H;nChman found APP
pears on his testimony today to be
.3S calibor, he will urge that the case
against Cousins be sent on to the
grand jury.
Patrolman Cousins took the stand
III his own behalf during the hearing
and stated that he carried n .32.cal-
ibcr pistol on the night Of the shoot
ing: that he shot six times, but
never at the boy. He was within two
feet of the lad at one time. he said
and grabbed for him, but missed. He
stated that he did not hear any other
SHOTS, and that he was paying attcu-
ton to what he was doing and not
what was going on about him.
Charles S . Thomas, Clio North
Thirty-third Street, said in Police
Court that he heard six shots, and
that Two Of them seemed to him to
be OH the level between the boy, whom
ho saw fleeing, and IL police officer.
He did not recognize Cousins as the
man. Mrs. j. III. Freeman, witness
who was in her house when she heard
tho shots, was certain that she heard
eight distinct shots fired. Morris
Wingfleld said he pickdi up the
Gayle boy, and that Mt the timc Of
tho chase no other person was in
sight excepting Patrolman Cousins
and himself. He said his father did
not como from the house. Robert
Gayle, father OF tho dead boy, said
that his son would have been fifteen
years cid Tuesday. This was all the
testimony asked Of him. Police OH
cials testified as to regulations with
regard to tho caliber OF pistols issued
TO patrolmcn. This testimony cor
roborated the statement that Patrol
man Cousins carried 80.