Charge of felony — a man resisting arrest — he is shot by the police.
--At an early hour on Saturday morning, a man, named
James Clarke, made his appearance at the lower station-house and reported that he had been knocked down and robbed of forty-five dollars by an Irishman, who gave his name as
William Burch.
A policeman was at once sent to arrest him, and on reaching the door of the house, saw
Burch, and told him he must go along.
To this
Burch consented; but on getting outside of the door knocked the policeman against a lamp-post, and turning upon a soldier of the Twenty-fourth Massachusetts regiment, also gave him a severe blow.
Burch then went into the house and closed the door.
The policeman returned to the station-house, and stated that he was unable to make the arrest without assistance.
Mr. Clarke then went before a magistrate and got a warrant for the arrest of
Burch on the charge of felony, and
Captain Betts sent two policemen to take him into custody.
Clarke himself going with them.
They saw
Burch, and when the policeman presented the warrant, he remarked, with great coolness, that he had likewise a warrant for them; and going into the house, picked up a double-barreled shot gun and fired upon the party.
They ran behind a wall in the vicinity, saved themselves from injury, and subsequently returned to the station-house and reported that it was beyond their power to arrest a man who was so ferocious as
Burch.
Captain Betts then sent a very resolute policeman, named
Harper, in company with the party who had returned.
Harper went and searched the house, but
Burch could not be found.
Harper returned to the station-house to report this fact, leaving the two policemen behind him, and they soon discovered Burch crossing a bridge over the canal at the foot of Eighth street. They got the assistance of
Sergeant Thomas, of the police force, and thus reinforced, they made a demonstration upon
Burch, who left the bridge and got into a boat.
Sergeant Thomas followed, and a struggle ensued, in the course of which
Burch attacked the officer with the butt of the gun which he had previously discharged.
Thomas then drew his pistol and fired, the balls taking effect in
Burch's left arm and right hip, and one making a hole through his left ear. This had the effect of bringing the desperado down, after which he was secured and taken to the upper police station.
Dr. C. W. P. Brock was sent for, who, after examining his wounds, probed them, and extracted the ball from his thigh, but could not get at the other.
The wounds are merely in the flesh, and not considered dangerous.
Burch was subsequently taken to the city jail, where he remains at present.
After his arrest he gave the name of
William Lightfoot.
He is man of immense physical power, and apparently about forty years of age.
Sergeant Thomas was formerly a captain in the
Confederate States army, and at the time of the above occurrence was suffering under the effects of wounds received in the service.
