James Saunders of Hemingray shot to death, Robert Hemingray gives surety for suspects bail

SAUNDERS SHOT.

A Most Unfortunate Occurance.

Last Saturday night, between half-past ten and eleven o'clock, two pistol shots were heard on Madison street near Fifth, and a crowd was soon gathered in front of Meyer's wire works, when it was found a colored man named Saunders had been shot.

Saunders was found in the gutter, lying on his face, with a large pistol near him, and when picked up by James Connors, the colored proprietor of the confectionery on Madison street, near Fourth, was just able to reply to the question as to who shot him, "A policeman," when he expired.

He was conveyed into the ice-cream saloon spoken of above, and an inquest was shortly after held on the body by Coroner de Gruyter and a jury.

The pistol ball which ended the unfortunate man's life entered the left side ofthe neck, severing the windpipe and cutting the carotid artery, lodging just under the skin on the opposite side, whence it was removed by Drs. Harmon Hays and J. S. Wise, who happened to be near when the shooting took place.

The testimony of Bedford Williams, an intelligent mulatto, and that of Dr. James Wise, the Milk Inspector, was about as follows, which is agred upon by all bystanders as being nearly correct as possible: It seems that ten or twelve colored men were together in front of the wire works, and all were engaged in shouting for Garfield. Policeman Van Worsham came up, and addressing the deceased, more particulary, as he seemed to be the leader of the demonstration, ordered them to be quiet. Saunders asked him why he did not attend to those who were making a noise at Fifth and Madison. Worsham in reply said there was no disturbance there, and added that if they did not behave he would be compelled to arrest them. Saunders made some reply, when Van Worsham seized him. Then Dave Fields, also a colored man, in the employ of Mr. John Ten Eyck, approached, having a cane in his hand, and with a number of oaths said that they would not be quiet, and that had as much right to shout as any one. In the meantime Williams states that Officer Hunter Lawrence approached, and Worsham letting go of Saunders took hold of Fields, and called upon Lawrence to assist him, which he did, and a scuffle ensued, that lasted all the way across the street. The two patrolmen having their hands full had to leave Saunders' where he was first addressed. Upon reeaching the east side of the street a shot was fired from near Saunders' position. A second shot was then fired, this time from the other side of the street, and Saunders fell, as stated above.

A large pistol foound near him was half-cocked, one cartridge was empty, and a second had been snapped, but failed to go off.

The testimony before the Coroner's jury was to the above effect, and until the introduction of Officer Hunter Lawrence as a witness, it was uncertain who had fired the second shot, which killed the colored man.

The question put direct to Mr. Lawrence, "Who fired that second shot?" he answered that he knew, but declined to answer. An answer was insisted upon by some of the jury, however, and the witness then, in a choked voice, replied "I did."

The jury retired and returned a verdict of death from a pistol shot fired by Hunter Lawrence.

Van Worsham's story is to the effect that Fields came up and addressed him as above stated, and he told him to consider himself under arrest. Then Fields struck him on the cheekbone, and afterwards broke his cane over his shoulder and fought him all of the way down to the station house. He heard the shot, when Lawrence remarked, "They are shooting at us," and told him to attend to the crowd and he would take care of Fields, Then Lawrence turned round toward Saunders, and the second shot was fired. Then he and Lawrence continued their way with the prisoner, and did not know that any one was killed until they returned.

Hunter Lawrence has been on the force for about ten years, and is one of the most cool and collected men in the department. This is the first trouble of the kind which he ever had.

He gave bond in the sum of $3,000, Saturday night, with Robert Hemingray and Henry Linneman as his sureties.

Saunders was a quiet, well behaved man, and had been in the employ of the Hemingray Glass Works for eleven years, as "sand washer." His friends are loth to believe that he fired the first shot, as they claim, never to have seen him with a pistol. Still there can be little doubt that he did.

He leaves a wife and several children, the youngest an infant only five weeks old.

Before Squire's McLaughlin and Ewan this morning the case against Lawrence was called and continued till Wednesday morning, at eleven o'clock. Col. Weden Oneal has been secured as assistant prosecuting attorney, and made a vigorous kick against the prisoner being allowed to give bail, but the magistrates allowed him to give bail in the sum of $3,000 for his appearance at that time.