ight
hand, and a third struck the small finger of the left hand. Poor Mora
was done for; he could not fight any more, but Cantrell kept up his
fire, being answered by the big black. Pierce's revolver broke down, the
cartridges snapping, and he threw up his hands, begging for quarter.

The sergeant lowered his pistol and some citizens ran over to where the
shooting was going on. One of the bullets that went at Robinson caught
him in the breast and he began running, turning out Sixth Street, with
Cantrell behind him, shooting every few steps. He was loading his
revolver again, but did not use it after the start he took, and in a
little while Officer Cantrell lost the man in the darkness.

Pierce was made a prisoner and hurried to the Sixth Precinct police
station, where he was charged with shooting and wounding. The sergeant
sent for an ambulance, and Mora was taken to the hospital, the wound in
the hip being serious.

A search was made for Robinson, but he could not be found, and even at 2
o'clock this morning Captain Day, with Sergeant Aucoin and Corporals
Perrier and Trenchard, with a good squad of men, were beating the weeds
for the black.

The _New Orleans Picayune_ of the same date described the occurrence, and
from its account one would think it was an entirely different affair. Both
of the two accounts cannot be true, and the unquestioned fact is that
neither of them sets out the facts as they occurred. Both accounts attempt
to fix the beginning of hostilities upon the colored men, but both were
compelled to admit that the colored men were sitting on the doorsteps
quietly conversing with one another when the three policemen went up and
accosted them. The _Times-Democrat_ unguardedly states that one of the two
colored men tried to run away; that Mora seized him and then drew his
billy and struck him on the head; that Charles broke away from him and
started to run, after which the shooting began. The _Picayune_, however,
declares that Pierce began the firing and that his two shots point blank
at Aucoin were the first shots of the fight. As a matter of fact, Pierce
never fired a single shot before he was covered by Aucoin's revolver.
Charles and the officers did all the shooting. The _Picayune_'s account is
as follows:

Patrolman Mora was shot in the right hip and dangerously wounded last
night at 11:30 o'clock in Dryades Street, between Washington and Sixth,
by two Negr