Life in the Old City - Woman Shot At Eighth and Sansom - Inquirer 7 Aug 1871

Colored Woman Shot

The Affair Takes Place At Eighth And Sansom - The Wound A Fatal One

About half-past ten o'clock last night's disturbance took place on Eighth street, above Sansom, in the course of which a pistol was fired, the ball taking effect in the body of a colored woman passing on the west side of Eighth street. The name of the wounded woman is Eliza Anderson, sixty-five years of age, residing at No. 6 Liberty court, near Tenth and Vine streets. 

She was going home from church, in company with an aged colored man. She was taken to Helmbold's drug store after the occurrence. 

After waiting there nearly half an hour for a physician to arrive she was placed in a carriage and driven to the Pennsylvania Hospital.  

An examination showed that the ball had entered under the right shoulder and passed diagonally across, lodging in the left breast. It is expected that her injuries will result fatally. The surgeons think there is no chance of her recovery. 

A young man named Albert Goodyear, 20 years of age, has been arrested charged with committing the offense. After a thorough search, however, no pistol was discovered on his person.

The statement of the injured woman is to the effect that while she was passing a dispute took place among some gamblers, and during the melee the fatal shot was fired. 

Although the affair occurred at a comparatively early hour of the evening it was impossible to obtain any information on the spot. Everybody expressed their utter ignorance on the subject and suggested that it must have been the result of an accident. It is not a very likely story that at that hour in the heart of the city a poor colored woman should be murdered and no one be able to tell how it happened. 

What are our police for, if they cannot attend to their duty and protect the lives of our citizens? This neighborhood has become a resort of all the desperados in the city who, by their actions, have rendered it a terror at night. It is to be hoped that this matter will be thoroughly investigated and the guilty parties brought to justice. 





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