3 NOV 1881. Austin Daily Statesman.
SERIOUS AFFRAY. JOHN STOKES GETS INTO THE WRONG HOUSE AND IS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.
Last night, a little after nine o'clock, a shooting affray occurred between John Stokes, a colored man who works at the Hotel Brunswick bar, and George Carpenter, a colored barber who works at the Hawkin's barber shop, on the Avenue. The shooting resulted in Stokes being wounded twice.
George Carpenter lives with his wife, Ellen, on Brazos street, between Pecan and Bois d'Arc, and the following is his version of the affair:
On returning home from work he found the house dark and the front door unlocked. He heard a noise inside, but paid no attention to it, and entering found his wife asleep on the bed with her little girl. He prepared to make a light, and as he was doing so heard a noise in the back room, but thought it was a dog, and still paid no attention to it. As he struck a match, he saw a man trying to get out of the back door, who turned around when he saw that he was discovered and rushed past him out of the front door. He did not know who the man was, and picking up a pistol that was on the table he rushed in pursuit. On reaching the street the man turned and fired at him twice, and he returned fire, making two shots. The man then turned and ran off down the street.
Stokes, after being shot, ran down to Duff's saloon on the corner of Pecan street, where he was taken into a back room and a physician sent for. Dr. Johns soon arrived and, after examining the wounded man, had him placed in a carriage and taken home. Stokes, when questioned, refused to say anything about the shooting or to tell who had done it. He admitted having fired twice himself. Several parties who saw where the shooting was done informed special Policeman Oberwetter who went to the house and arrested Carpenter, who admitted having done the shooting. He was taken to the police station, where he gave a Statesman reporter his version of the shooting. He says that he had some money in his room, and thinks Stokes was trying to get it. He says some one got into the room last Sunday and tried to open his trunk, but failed.
Ellen says that she was asleep when the shooting occurred, and was aroused by the noise of the firing.
Stokes was shot through both thighs, but the bones were not broken. His wounds are serious, but not dangerous. A barkeeper who works at the Brunswick, says that Carpenter shaved him a short time before the shooting occurred, and while doing so inquired if Stokes had quit work. It would seem from his asking about Stokes that he was interested about him, and that he went home expecting to find him there. The general belief is that Carpenter was waiting for Stokes to visit his house, and went home in time to catch him there.
AFTER AN OFFENDER. -- On yesterday City Marshal Ben Thompson received a circular from the detective department of Liverpool, England, offering a reward of $500 for the arrest of one Richard Coates, who absconded in May last, after haven stolen a quantity of wines and spirits from Mr. Alderman Reyby, of that city. The circular states that Coates was traced to Australia, and is supposed to have come to America. The goods stolen did not amount to much, but the English have a way of following up a criminal "even unto the ends of the earth." If Mr. Coates is not captured soon, he may consider himself a lucky man.
