Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-23
DEAN'SSLAYERR RELEASED
A VERDICT OF JUSTIFIABLE
HOMICIDE.


mains Of the murdered man al the mOrgue.
The particulars Of the crime, published
IN the MORNING News yesterday, were
verified 10y dispositions of witnesses and
the statements Of Buf0rd Dean ana his
daughter, made 10 the jury \ Iaree
crowd Of people, the majority Oh "HoHi
were whites, assembled az the ihCIg que
early in the morning and showed their IN
terest in the result Of the inquisitiOn by
until a quarter TO l O'CLOCK
when the verdict of the jury was READ.
Very few cases among the many that
have come before the Coroner IN
Iate wears have attracted 50
much attention. The remains, dressed
i'm the shirt and pair of check pants which
the murdered man wore when he was
killed, We're on the marble slab covered
by a sheet.
The INQUEST.
At o'clock the prisoner, accompanied
hv an officer. arrived from the police bar
racks. when the reporter took the OppOr-
tunitv 10 observe his features closely. He
il about six feet in height, but not fieshy,
with dark hair and gray eyes and nose
and mouth indicative Of deep-set resolu-
ton. There was nothing repulslve IN the
appearance Of the man, but the most cas-
ual observer could not fail 70 notice that
the features were those OF a quiet, pa
tfcnt. and firm character. who would not
De likely 70 act rashly or upon mere I'M
pulse Of the moment. His look was
troubled. and, although disturbed, lt
was not ugly. II was not the look
Of a bravadO. but of a man who had
suffered and been wounded in feeling, but
not coWed. He was courteous, yet reti-
cent.
IMPANELING THE JURY.
When the time came for impaneling
the Jury. the Coroner took his seat at a
desk on the east side Of the room near the
door. while the Jury, as their names were
called. were stationed at the side Of the
slab overlooking the corpse. The panel
consisted Of the following:
Jas. G. Prendersa-t, J. r - MCINTYRE,
Juiius Barth. - W. SWhton,
A. T.. Chadwick. &. T.. summons
Henry suffer, Il. ;. Rowe,
fred. Crosby. Jno. ;. +. Crawford,
EIward J. coffee, W. NJ. STAIRS.
Mr.. }. p. Mcintyre was chosen fore
man.
THE FATAL WOUNDS.
The Coroher showed the jury where the
deceased was shot. He also exhibited
three Of the bullets which passed through
the chest and the weapon which the
prisoner surrendered to the police when
he was arrested. 1t was a 3S-calIbre i'm
proved Smith Il WessOn revolver. lie
then explained the nature Of the wounds
and stated that the one which passed
through the centre Of the chest was SUM-
cieut TO cause death.
JW. Burns. who lives opposite to Dean,
on stewart street, testified that he heard
two reports Of a pistol when he was
coming out Of his house on Wednesday
night. and that before he had got much OF
a distance from his stOOp, b. J.. Dean came
% his door and beckOned him to come
over. saying:
willie, GET ME A POLICEMAN"
Burns went for a policeman at West
Broad street and telephoned from DR.. heli-
fpr's 10 the barracks. An officer happen
ed topass. however. when he told him what
WAS wanted. and on returning towards
Deans he saw two other policemen, one
Of them coming with Dean towards them.
He said that he had never seen Deans
daughter with any other man except her
father and the deceased.
HIS ARREST.
Policeman a. 4. Matthews, who made
the arrest, testified that on wednesday
night al O'Clock he got off the street car,
corner Of stewart and West Broad streets,
and saw a crowd on Stewart street,
and he and officer Herman hurried
to Deans house. b. l.. Dean met him at
the foot Of the stairway and surrendered
his pistol and said he was ready TO 90 To
the barracks. When he reached the cor
ncr of West Broad street with Dean the
latter asked permission to 90 into the
drug store, where DR.. keiffer offered him
a seat and then went across the street and
got him drink Of whisky and asked Dean
To drink it. On the way to the barracks
Dean remarked TO Matthews that he MAS
RUINED MAN;
that he had been deceived by his child,
whom he loved devotedly, and that he
knew nothing of her guilt until short
time previous. The prisoner went on u
saw that when he first heard the rumor
he did not believe it, especially as 1t was
reported that his brother was connected
with the crime; but he investigated the
matter and at an interview with his
daughter and brother they both con-
fesscd it.
RUFORD DEANS STATEMENT.
Buford L. Dean, the prisoner, made the
following statement: 81 am here TO eX-
press my feelings. Some weeks ago heard
"A rumOr that my daughter was ruined by
my brother. / could not believe II.
lady convinced me of the fact. j spoke to
mvdaughter and she admitted it. | went to
know what to do. | came home yester-
day from work with my brother, whom
reared from a child, when l was almost a
child myself. When he had no work he
had ali he wanted from me. / always
rave him the same advice as l would q
child. You know, gentlemen of the jury
the love which a father has for his child
NV daughters mother died when my
daughter was only child, about 9months
old. now nearly sixteen years ago. nave
tolled for that daughter whose character
is all gone-the
CHILD THAT DOTTED ON.
The prisoner pointed to the corpse and
continued: s'He acknowledged to me that
this outrage had been going on about a
wear. Both Of them admitted it. He and
/ came home together yesterday and you
know the rest. / live for my children
all that a father should live for. HeI
mother was lady, and died Christian
woman"
The prisoner then signed his name to
the statement and added: perhaps some
Of the gentlemen do not know me.
served four years in the war and carry
several wounds" He exhibited some OF
the scars and then went outside of the
mOrgue.
THE DAUGHTERS STORY.
The daughter, not yet quite sixteen, on
whose account the fratricide was COM
mitted, then came into a room with a
lady. and while CRYING told the story OF
the crime in which she and her uncle
were the principals. She said: "My uncle
leased and begged me to commit it, and
he promised to marry me. He
accomplished my ruin in that way.
Ii was all kept secret until
dav before yesterday. My step-mother
did not know anything about IT,
| was intimate with my uncle about seven
months. He met me at the house about a
year ago. No one but him ever had any
intimacy with me. When my uncle was
out Of employment my father supported
him and he knew nothing about our crime
The shooting happened so quick l cant
saw anything about it. When my father
and uncle came up stairs ! was in an.
other room. My father asked me how
felt and i'm about three minutes afterwards
/ heard the report of the pistol. When
went where they were my uncle was
dead. held him up in my arms"
The spectators then retired from the
room. The jury remained about fifteen
OF twenty minutes, and announced that
they had agreed.
THE VERDICT.
eve. the jury. find that the said David
J. Dean came to his death from a pistol
shot wound inflicted by the hand of his
brother. b. L. Dean, and we consider it
iustiiiable homicide"
A number of the spectators cOngratu-
lated Dean on the verdict, and he bowed his
acknowledgements to the jury and the
Coroner. who discharged him from Gus
tody.
THE MORGUE.
4 CorOner's Jury Mortified at Its
Abuse.
During the sitting Of the CorOner's jury,
which held the inquest yesterday over the