Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-28
RErHIBUrIoN AT LAST.
A Murderer Oaptured-Attempt 20
Escape and Is Killed.

Our readers will recollect that one sun
day afternoon in May last Mr.. Patrick
Reagan, a respectable citizen Of Savannah,
was walking along the banks OF the canal
with a friend, when he came upon crowd
Of negroes who had got into row while
gambling, and in attempting to pass out OF
the way was fred upon and killed. AT the
inquest information was ELECTED which
fixed the crime upon one VIM. Graham,
alias "sporty BILL" who made his
escape. There were several others who were
concerned In the affair who disappeared
at the same time. A reward was offered
by the Governor for the arrest OF the muir
derer, and officers have been on the look
out for eSportY Bill,n but he managed to
keep his whereabouts secret until recent
ly, when Mr.. Thomas Follisrd, the stepson
of Mr.. Reagan, and a well-known consta-
BILE, heard chat "Sporty" and two others
implicated in the murder were
located at a saw mill few miles from No.
IL on the Central Railroad. Mr.. Folliard
Immediately wrote to Mr.. John Montmol-
lilo, who lives at No. ~, requesting him to
ascertain If the TumOr were correct, and,
IL the parties were there, to have them ar
rested and held until some one could go up
and bring them down here for trial, as they
had been indicted at the last term of the
Superior Court of Chatham county for
murder. MIR. Montmollin made the neces-
sary inquiries, and learned that the report
was correct. Fearing that "Sporty Bill"
would hear Of the inquiries, and, becoming
frightened, would skip the county, he ar
rested that individual himself. Sporty
Bill" desired to know why he had
been arrested, when he was informed
that he was wanted in Savannah
for the killing of Mr.. Reagan. This infor-
nation startled him, and, breaking loose
from his captors, he started In
rapid run for the woods. he was called
upon to halt, but he paid no atten-
ton and increased his speed. He was pur-
sued, with threats that If he did not stop he
would be shot. "Sporty Bill' was, how
ever, pining for liberty and continued his
run. He was then fired upon, and large
rife ball struck the flying fugitive
in the back part of the head max
tearing half the skull off. The parties were
apprehensive that he would escape, and
thus adopted this summary method, to
bring him down. Immediately after, Mr..
Montmollin telegrsphed parties here the
result of the arrest, and then notified the
officials of Scriven county Of the occurrence,
and the necessary steps were taken.
several OLlceTb III SaVdDUau VOluuI66T6u
to go out to "a and render what service
was necessary, In reply to telegram from
this city yesterday, as to what had been
done, Mr.. Howell Sasser, Justice of the
Peace, living near to where the shooting
took place, returned the following: "Sporty
BillY's remains taken to South Carolina, and
1t is all right"
"Sporty Blll'' was known here as a des-
perate character, and, it seems, was deter
mined to make his escape II possible. He
was also reported to be an escaped convict
from South Carolina, and officers were on
the lookout for him when the tragedy on
the banks of the canal occurred. The par
ties who fired upon him feel that they were
fully justified in doing so,
as he was a desperate character, and
his escape from just punishment
would have been a misfortune. The other
negroes, who are under suspicion, have
not been arrested, managing to get away
during the excitement incident to the ar
rest of "SportY Bill" and his subsequent
death.