Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-03-22
Eddie James Mystery Victim of Bullets.

Early Thursday morning Of the
18th Second Police Station received
o call that burglars were entering
the house at 1011a West Jackson
Street. When Policeman Harper ar
rived he saw a man merging from
the rear of the house. The man
refused to obey the officers orders,
and the officer opened fire, wound
ing the man five times.
The man turned out to be Eddie
James, a demented youth, who lived
at z West Jackson Street. This boy
was we'll known by everyone in the
neighborhood and made living by
scrubbing floors, washing windows,
and other general homework for
families in the neighborhood that
needed such work done. Families
that he worked for declared that
they could trust Eddie anywhere,
any place, and that he never took
one cent or a crumb of bread unless
it was given to him. Every night
he cleaned up the Armstrong Con-
fectionery at st. James and Leigh,
and the proprietor never missed any
thing.
The woman who sent in the alarm
lived alone in the basement of the
house. Her movements were little
known, and she led very mystic
rious life. She moved away the same
day of the shooting.
Eddie lived in the rear of Mrs.
Louis Emerson, at No. West Jack
SON Street. She said he never took
anything from her, paid his rent
regularly, and could be trust any
where. Mrs. Emerson knew nothing
of Eddie's people, but heard that
Essie Morgan, of the 600 block st.
James Street, had communicated
with Alex. Minor, at friedrich, and
asked him to find the boys aunt.
Eddie's only weakness was whiskey,
and he was harmless even in this
state unless someone troubled his
money. The night before the shoot
ing Mrs. Emerson was aroused BY
someone tussling on her front porch.
On coming to the door, she heard
Eddie arguing with man he called
Tom, and accused hi moi taking his
money. Eddie appeared to have been
drunk. Another man stood on the
outside of the gate, while Tom and
Eddie were scrapping it out.
Eddie James on being interview
ed in the St. Phillips Hospital was
very weak and could talk very lit
tie because of a bullet in his neck.
He managed to say he was trying
to get his money.
Mrs. Mary Frances Brown, who
occupied the upper part of the house
at 101 u West Jackson Street, said
that Eddie had scrubbed her floor
few days ago, and that he could
be trusted anywhere. She did not
hear anyone scream or an. shots
fired, as her doors were closed and
she was sound asleep. She knew lit
tie, if anything, of the woman who
lived under her, other than her first
name was Hattie.
Our reporter picked up a tip that
this Hattie could be found near
Madison and Marshall with a wo-
man named Martha. Following this
tip he located both women.
Hattie's last. name was Scott. She
was a stout brown skin woman in
her thirties, about five feet tall. 81
ANSu ny my SSl1, oilS oaiu, <tItN SoA-
ly Thursay morning heard someone
trying to get in my back window.
| screamed three times and no one
answered. On coming back into the
room, / continued to hear someone
attempting to break in. | ordered
them away and screamed again. Then
/ left the house and came around
to Marthas. She advised me to re-
port it to the police. So l walked
up to the police station, few blocks
away, and told them my story"
The house man at the police sta
ton was sent to investigate. Hattie
Scott said she arrived home about
the same time the police did, and,
walking to the rear, the police
man ordered Eddie out. When Ed
die came out hire stopped down and
the officer opened fire. When the
woman finished her story her eyes
were full of tears.
lis Eddie James really Burglar?
Who is Tom, and did Hattie Scott
know who was in her house? Will
Eddie James live to clear up this
mystery? Read The Planet weekly,
as these questions will soon be an
severely