Negro Woman Meets Death by the Careless Handling of a
Pistol…Unfortunate Occurrence in Restaurant Here Tuesday Morning
Louise Johnson, a colored woman, was accidentally shot and
killed in a restaurant here Tuesday morning about 8 o’clock. She was employed
as cook by Randolph Cox, also colored, and was engaged in serving breakfast for
a customer when the tragedy occurred. Two negro boys, Man Allen and Lem
Baskerville, were looking at a pistol which belonged to the former; he was
trying to sell it to the latter. Allen handed the gun to Baskerville who
“broke” it and took the cartridges out. He examined the weapon and replacing
the cartridges handed it back to Allen with the remark that it would not act
right. “I’ll show you how to work the gun,” said Allen, resting it on his left
arm and pulling the trigger, the pistol being a self-cocker. The pistol fired,
the ball passing through a plank partition (which separates the store form the
restaurant) and striking the woman on the other side just as she was in the act
of bending over the table. The ball took effect in the right side of the head
just above the temple and death was instantaneous.
Allen declares he did not know the gun was loaded and did
not know that the woman was on the other side of the partition. He had not seen
her, there had been no trouble with any one and the shooting was the result of
an accident. These are substantially the facts testified to at the preliminary
hearing before Justice of the Peace T.L. Jones by Lem Baskerville and the
defendant, Man Allen himself. Randolph Cox, Paul and Silas Carrol and Ala Bruce
being examined as witnesses also testifying to certain material facts in
corroboration.
R.S. McCoin represented Allen and after all the evidence was
submitted he argued that as no motive was shown and the killing being the
result of an accident, his client ought to be turned lose. While admitting that
no motive was shown and he himself was satisfied the killing was accidental,
Justice Jones was of the opinion that in view of the reckless and careless
handling of the gun the grand jury ought to pass upon the case. He would not
commit Allen to jail but let him give a reasonable bond for his appearance at
court. He fixed the bond at $50 and this was given.
This is another case of death from an “unloaded” gun. There
is too much carrying of concealed weapons and the careless and “biggity”
handling of guns in public places by half grown negro boys—and white ones
too—and the practice ought to be broken up. All good citizens should make it
their business to report all such cases and the violators of the law brought to
punishment. If the pistol toting habit was broken up, there would be fewer
killings, either intentional or accidental.
Louisa Johnson was an industrious, hard-working woman, kind
and accommodating, and it is too bad that her life should have been cut off in
this ruthless manner by the reckless handling of a gun with which this boy had
no business and the possession of which very likely made him more worthless and
vicious than he would have been without it. This unfortunate affair should be a
warning lesson to others.
No comments:
Post a Comment