Thursday, September 17, 2015

Louisa Johnson, Industrious, Hard-Working, Kind and Accommodating Woman, Killed in Accidental Shooting, 1905

“Accidental Killing” from The Gold Leaf, Thursday, Sept. 7, 1905.

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.

 

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