Charles had his first encounter with the police Monday night, in which he
was shot in the street duel which was begun by the police after Officer
Mora had beaten Charles three or four times over the head with his billy
in an attempt to make an illegal arrest. In defending himself against the
combined attack of two officers with a billy and their guns upon him,
Charles shot Officer Mora and escaped.

Early Tuesday morning Charles was traced to Dryades Street by officers who
were instructed to kill him on sight. There, again defending himself, he
shot and killed two officers. This, of course, in the eyes of the American
press, made him a desperado. The New Orleans press, in substantiating the
charges that he was a desperado, make statements which will be interesting
to examine.

In the first place the _New Orleans Times-Democrat_, of July 25, calls
Charles a "ravisher and a daredevil." It says that from all sources that
could be searched "the testimony was cumulative that the character of the
murderer, Robert Charles, is that of a daredevil and a fiend in human
form." Then in the same article it says:

The belongings of Robert Charles which were found in his room were a
complete index to the character of the man. Although the room and its
contents were in a state of chaos on account of the frenzied search for
clews by officers and citizens, an examination of his personal effects
revealed the mental state of the murderer and the rancor in his heart
toward the Caucasian race. Never was the adage, "A little learning is a
dangerous thing," better exemplified than in the case of the negro who
shot to death the two officers.