Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-22
THE KILLING OF YOUNG HEN
DERSON.
a Verdict of Voluntary Msnslaugn.
ter Rendered By the Coroner's
Jury.


vestigation into the death of young Ed
ward P. Henderson, who was shot In York
street on the evening of the 26th December
last, BY W. G. FairchIld, was resumed before
the Coroner in the Superior Court.
Among the witnesses was the brother
Of the prisoner, whose testimony will
be found below, together with the additional
evidence procured. Several witnesses were
examined in the morning. At hslf-past one
O'Clock the Coroner ordered 8 recess until
SIX O'Clock. At the appointed hour the case
was again opened, and other witnesses ap-
pesred. The testimony closed about half
past seven O'Clock, when, after brief srgu-
ment by counsel pro and con, and charge
of the Coroner, the matter was submitted
TO the Jury. We give herewith full synop-
sis of the testimony taken.
TESTIMONY.
Charles A. Dovell was sworn, and detailed
the circumstances previous TO and about the
time of the shooting. He was in the square
with the bows plsying when they heard that
yourg Henderson was shot and was lying
at Eagan's stable. He proposed to Charles
Gsssmsn TO go after policeman, ano
Bull and Broughton streets, and returned
TO the stable afterwards; went with the
officers to the house OF Fsirchild, at the
corner Of West Broad and Hall streets. The
witness then said: The policeman and ny
self stopped at the corner OF the lane;
Young Gassmau went to the house; Gassman
knew the folks at the house; that is the
reason he went there; In the barracks Mr..
Fa'rchild said It was pity he did not shoot
Bowling instead of Henderson; he made the
remark in a whisper 70 young Wilmington
and myself: Mr.. Fairchild looked Ike
sober man to me; he walked steady and
looked at the crowd: saw Mr.. Fairchild ten
minutes before the shooting walking up
President street west.
Charles W. Gassman testified: l Yves
coming down Abercorn street and met VII
lie Proctor and Joe Bond on the corner of
the lane; Willie Starr passed and said Ed
Henderson was shot; then we went TO the
square, and q gentleman asked for Willie
Proctor and told him his cousin was shot,
and we al ran over TO the stable; / ran in
and saw Ed. Henderson lying on the lounge,
wounded in the side; l went outside and
met Chas. Dowell, who asked me II | knew
where Mr.. Fairchild lived; l told him |
knew where one Of them lived; then he told
me who it was, and said yes, know; then
he said let us go ard have him arrested;
then we went to the corner of Bull and
Broughton streets and met Policeman Ma
lone: we went back to the stable and Ser
gesnt Lingg was there, and told US to wait
till Henderson was removed to his house.
and then he would arrest Mr.. Fairchild; l
saw Fairchild crossing Hall street from
Montgomery to West Broad with Mr.. Ferri'l;
saw him throw flask away, aud heard him
say: "Who resents this ?" Sergeant Lingg
then took him to the barracks; on reaching
J there I remained outside talking to some
friends; heard him ask Prof. Msllette to 90
and get some one to stand his bond; he took
a bottle out OF his pocket on the way and
| took drink and said: "WhO resents this ~
Think he was under the influence of liquor.
Dr. ". 6. Buloch recalled: 1 attended
Mr.. Fairchild about one year ago; be was
threatened with an attack Of delirium
tremens: he had fred a shot and the ball
| lodged in the ceiling; his appearance was
wild and excited; that condition comes
from drinking; an excessive drinker is sub
| ject to delirium tremens; saw him after he
was sober and he had become rational; long
| debauch could bring delirium tremens.
| L. g. Fsirchild testified: l am brother
| 70 W. G. Fairchild: saw him on the 26th OF
December; just came from my duties about
| two or half-past two O'Clock; while sitting
at the dinner table heard Christmas horn
blow; It was raining very hard, and looking
towards the gate top buggy had stopped A;
| this was something very unusual at my
house, between the eleven and twelve mile
post sent little boy out to the gate; he
| then told me it was my brother; / went out
| and opened the gate and let him in; sent
| him in the house and took bis horse out; he
| insisted on taking it out himself; we then
went in the house, and the first thing he
/ wanted was a drink; / told him no,
| thought he had enough; there was plenty of
whisky 10 the house, II be won : wait 8
\ TTrrhs he1f
| ed a pint flask out of bis pocket: he then
| insisted on having the drink, and 1 and Mr..
| Arthur Conway took one with him; be then
| pulled out 8 pistol and wanted to shoot; l
| told him to wait a little while and / would
fix target for him to shoot at; ne consent
| ed TO that; took an envelope out OF nay
pocket: 1 tore It in half and pegged it up
| against an oak tree, about as far
as sixteen or eighteen feet; he then
/ gave me the pistol to shoot at the mark;
| l took it then; he told me it was self
| cocker; all l had to do was to pull the
| trigger, which did, and he laughed at the
way nv hand was shaking; l then asked
| him If he could not cock II; he said yes, and
| laughed at me for wanting It cooked; my
/ reply was that there was not one man in q
/ hundred that could hit the mark, let him
| fire at II hundred times; after cooking the
/ pistol, | took deliberate aim and fired;
| ONLY grsEed the tree on one side; be then
| gave It to Mr.. Conway to try; he found the
| sane fault with it as l did, and wanted 1t
| cooked: he shot and grsZed the tree on the
right side; my brother then grabbed the
/ pistol from him aud said: "Here is the way
| to shoot this" and fred three times as fast
as could count, and never hit the tree at
| all: put a mark at the back OF the house
the other half Of the envelope-for fear
he might shoot some one on the road; he
| fred At that a number Of times and never
/ struck 1t: about that time we had some egg
nog prepared: he went In aud took 8 glass
while l and my wife and child, and
| his wife ard Mr. Conway were sitting In the
room together the pistol went eff; jumped
| mn and said ''My God, Bubbs, what have
| Won done" his reply was "Nothing;" look.
ing around l found be had shot two holes
| through the foot tub; he then wanted a
drink of LIQUOR; l tried to keep him from
drinking as much as l could; tried to per-
shade him to stay all night with me; be
would not consent to that; l then told him
| IL he intended to go to town to start at once
so that night would not overtake him on
the road; he finally concluded to go TO town
/ after a great deal of persuasion, but first
wanted me to load his pistol to shoot 1t
again: loaded it with Smith & Wesson
| cartridge, unimproved; although l did not
know II. he tried those cartridges and he
| found out the pistol would not shoot them
he or some one else reloaded 1t with Smith
| 81 Wessonis improved cartridge; the cart
ridges that he tried to fire off are at my
house; hitched his horse for him; he then
insisted on Mr.. Conway and myself having
drink; told Conway, to pacify him, let US
| take It to get him off sooner; Conway then
| said to ne be knew his wife has Just said he
| had taken two since he had come out here;
the flask Of whisky was then taken away
and hid from him; he wanted 1t any way:
we had a great deal OF fuss about It; be con-
sented, IL we would let him fill little bot
/ tie with It, to go; a vial was procured about
| the size Of a gill, and he filed 1t with whis
| XIV: after getting out In the road and going
| a short distance he turned around and came
| back sgain: l then said to him, of you are
| going 10 town, go; but, il you will come in,
you are welcome to do 500 his wife then
prevailed on him to 90 to town, and he left.
Cross-exsmined: Ny brother was drunk
when he left my house; liquor makes him
crazy man; have seen him often In that con-
dftion before: never seen him do any acts
Of violence, only to himself; he would resist
any one meddling with him; when sober he
was quiet aud peseesble; l have told him Of
things he has done when he was drunk
when sober and he would not believe me;
he came to nv house with his wife; be lives
on Hull and West Broad streets; be arrived
at my house about 2:30 or 3 o'clock, and left
about in the afternoon; he had taken
FIVE or six drinks Of whisky between 2:30
and O'Clock.
Sergeant Henry Lingg testified: On
the night OF the 26sh December, between
and O'Clock, Mr.. Charles Carol came TO
the police barracks and stated that Ed.
Henderson had been shot by W. g. Fair
child: / was sent down there: found Ed,