September 10, 1907
In a quarrel at 249 East Third street last night Mattie Hicks, negress, shot Lotta Holden, negress, through the left side. The injured woman was taken to the emergency hospital. Her condition was pronounced critical early this morning. Mattie made her scape.
NEGROES FLEE FROM SKULL.
Were Called to Tell About a Shooting
Scrape.
In a quarrel at 249 East Third street last night Mattie Hicks, negress, shot Lotta Holden, negress, through the left side. The injured woman was taken to the emergency hospital. Her condition was pronounced critical early this morning. Mattie made her scape.
A little later several witnesses, mostly negroes, were assembled in the "sweat room" at police headquarters. Assistant Prosecutor Hogan was presiding. He stood at a table littered with papers. He commenced the preliminary questioning and in removing the papers from the table uncovered a grinning skull.
"Oh mah soul," screamed a buxom negress. "There's her ghos' now!"
The remaining witnesses echoed her cry and in less than five seconds there was not a negro in the room. They were all rounded up and tremblingly accepted the explanation that the skull was only a portion of the ornamentation of an opium den that had been raided.
