Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-07-10
JURY EXONERATES
"SHEL" FA|RCH|LDS
No Criminal Liability Upon De
tective Who Killed Colored
Man, Coroner's Men Say.

| colored. on Saturday by Shel fHif-
chllds. ms City Detective Sheldon W.
Farchlds is known TO his fellow sleuths
and friends ended in verdict exonerat-
ing him from all blame OF criminal
nature The text Of the Iury.s findings
says
THAT the sand Eugene Gaines came
IN his death IN the city of Wilmington,
Del on Saturday morning, July D.
| between the hours of q and ! q clock
| from the effects oi n gtnshot wound
| inflicted at the hands of one Sheldon
" FairchiIde. a member Of the police
departm ent Of the city OF Wilmington
| Del while in the performance ot his
duties in irving to arrest the SAID Eugene
| Gaines for the crime OF felony nder
the laws of the State OF delaware we
| hereby cNoncrate the SAID Sheldon sh
Fairch,lds from all criminal liability IN
| connection with the latter, hs the act
| was justiiablc
Charles " Coulbourn, one 81 VII
mingtona prominent Negroes, WIS fore
man of the jury and served with tW"
other colored citizens
| Detective Fairchilds although warned
by Deputy Attorney-t General W
! Green. who was present, TINT what he
| aaid might be used against himself.
volunteered to tell all he knew OF the
ahooting and this he related IN manner
showing that he felt his position kceniy
| That the officer prior to the shootng had
called on Gaines repeatedly 10 halt Was
| the evidence of several witnesses ana
| Detective FairchiIde himself stated that
while he snw Gaines shortly hotore ne
fired. he did not rec the fleeing man
the instant be pulled the trigger Of the
gun
? I,Il,,-,,,, tho announcement nf The
| verdict which WAS arrived n alter short
delibcration those present irrespective
az race congratulated Detective fmr-
| childs. who IL being held under f5,Hb
hail on a charge Of nanslanghtcf
THE EyIpFScF ADpUCFp
The first witness called nj the inquest
vas Albert Games father Of the dead
man who told Of his son forcing an
entrance INTO his home, 10 West Sey-
enth street on june II tins Year and
takirV clothing and shoes " hen asked
| Nv Deptlfv Attornrv1 General Green II
his son had stolen anything he hcs lated
saving the boy was dead and to let the
mntter rest
Dr. 7. 4 NJ Rovitti coroner's phvsi-
cian was called and told Of performing
postmortem GA the body Death, he
said Was due to q bullet entering the
lack OF the head plouRhlng through the
braun and splIDtcring the frontal bone
Sergeant Of Detectives Green was called
and produced letter from AdIutant-
General l. F. Wickersham. showing that
Gaines was rated as a deserter from the
.rmv Sergeant Green also related that
Cannes was wanted for a felony, having
been charged with breaking and entering
; the home of his father.
Mrs Ella Logue. q storckceper ol
Twenty-seven nth and Tatnall streets, theE
related how. on last Saturday. while
! Gaines was in her store, Detective Far
childs, who lives opposite the store
entered 10 make a purchase. and Gaines
:. recognizing the officer ran out. DetectN
!, Fairchilds, she said followed
Mrs I.ogue said that an instant late
she heard a noise and Cranes lett tn
!, house 10y jumping from an upper window
The officer. she said left the building ~
running down stairs and after the man
She said that prior to leaving the uppe
: floor. however, she heard Fairchllds vel
! at the man to halt and heard repor
! of pistol.
). Mrs Logue also identified sn opeI
= iackknife that she said she found IN tn
= room on the second floor Games ha'
been in. This knife was nus.
e Early Saturday morning, the wltnes
:, said she spied Gaines outside the stor
: and she went TO the officers home an
= reported the matter TO Elmer Solomon
: father-in-law of the officer. DetectIv
: Fairchilds, she said came TO her hom'
and, after placing two chairs across Tn
diningToom door he left the building az
II entered by the front door as t,ai mes VA
. standing near counter IN her store
/ Gaines, she said, on seeing The otlcel
:, bottled through the door into the dining
room. and up the stairs To her he1ircoI
,, at the same time throwing chair at tn
legs Of the pursuing officer
Edward Gibson OF 270l Tatnall street
: who witnessed the colored man $ eseap"
from the bedroom window OF the Logu
house, also said the officer called on TIA,
man 10 halt, and said he heard one shot,
II oh HAVE KILLED HIN
e James klnsello Of 5 last Twenty
fifth street stated that be was III IN
bedroom and. hearing shouts Of halt
two or three times. looked out and SAY
two men running ACROSS a field. On
man, he said, after calling halt hrrd |
the air knsellA told Of JOINING tn
! officer IN the chase for the fleeing ma
and Of the detective jumping INTO u
z automobile operated by fhurston Lowe
: a milk dealer kinselIa also related how
when he and the officer With Low
stumbled across h. body oi the dea
{ man, Detective taIrchllds drew bac
and sad oh, have killed him
! Thurston Lowe from whose auto
mobile the fatal shot was fired relate,
how he heard the officer call twice t
the man To halt and saw hun shoe
twice IN the mir At the time hc aho
the last time, Lowe claimed that Game
was 81 andlng on pile OF rubbish III tn
lot ard then he ran down the incline
Lowe vas inclined 10 think that tn
officer shot at the man 5 egs and when h
jumped down he incline in the lot th,
bullet struck him in the head
Detective FairchId4 then took til,
] stand and stated that he could nav,
shot Gaines when he first jumped iron
the window at the Lowe home had h;
wanted TO- He also said that hc called
10 the man repeatedly to halt, but thai
+ he continued to run and that when ht
. fired the last time he FIRST shouted Halt
/ or II shoot After finding the body o.
e the eolored man in the bushes he SAID It
j sent Lowe 10 call the Phoenix ambulance
[ and told the operator OF that machine
10 make all speed To hospital
Deputy Attorneys General T. " Green
who was present, then read extracts from
: The State laws on iH.tlaable homicide
aud the jury retired to return short
time later with the verdict