Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-04
sErK1Ne DEATH BY A BULLET.
Probable Attempt at suieide-sho'
Through the Heart and stun Aiife
Coso not Clearly Explained.

Probsb1e Attempt at Suicide-Shot
Through the Heart and stlii awe
Case not Clearly Explained.
The residents of the vicinity of Rey-
noIds street and ThunderbOlt road in the
extreme eastern part Of the city, were
startled late on Saturday night by the re-
mort that a young man named Clifton
SickIes had shot himself and was dying IN
his room. Exciting as the report was 1t
failed to spread with as much raP1d1ty
news of such occurrences generau!
do. The matter was not given 10
the police, and those who were
coguizant Of the affair seemed to have pre-
served a studied reticence as to the par
ticUIars A we'll known surgeon was
however, promptly summoned and ascer-
tanned that a ball from No. - calDfe
Smith and WessOn revolver had pene-
trated the heart and passed into the NIcln-
itv of the fifth rib. where 1t mad lOdged. me
missile was extracted and the unIoftu-
nate man placed under the influence Oh
morphine, as he was nervous ana was
suffering with pain and breathing win
great difficulty. He was called upon by a
reporter of the MORNING NEWS last night
and was found in a comfortable, though
not handsomely furnished, back room on
the first floor of the house on the east side
of REYNOLDS street. one door from the
corner of the road referred to. There
were two women in the room, one OF whom
was the wife Of Sickles, and at
the foot Of the bed on Whlch
the wounded man lay was me looking
infant about three months old, wrapped
in heavy blue wOrsted shawl, and NOV
ing its little hands as if in playful panto-
mime with the light of lamp that sh0ne
over a small clock on the manteI. An
attendant was observing the beats
Of fine wounded mans pulse.
AS the reporter entered the room the
Young man opened his eyes, ana III re-
Spouse to an inquiry. SAID that ne was not
in much pain, but that he was trou9Iea II. III
breathing The doctor had ordered MN
to have "A teaspOOnful of liquid containing
some morphine every half hour, but that
he thought if he could have a table
spoonful then he would rest easier.
Ii was given him, and during the lew
minutes while he was speaking the re
porter took the opportunity 10 observe ms
features. They were large, fouhu anu
full. the forehead high and broad, ana MS
eyes blue. 4 full growth OF sandy mar
completes the description OF Ialf COIL
plexion. which, despite the suffering oil
the patient, showed him 10 De
rather "A fine looking man. At hrst
Glance an observer would judge him to be
about y. years of age, but heis said not to
be over Is.
The Young man was married to a hiss
Barrett over two months ago and it was
rumored that the ceremony, so tar as he
was concerned, was compulsory. This
is, however, denied by his friends.
Ii was stated last night that
be had not been able to obtain employ
ment for some time, and that he was
troubled on that account. 1t is also
claimed that the shooting was accidental,
but this is not generally believed. The
reporter was informed that the pistol was
in his hand and that it went of. Before
the reporter left the room Sickles appeared
to be i'm considerable distress, and quite
nervous, and further conversation mad TO
be deferred. The wound is a dangerous
one. and the condition of the patient Is
rendered all the more serious from tn e
fact that pneumonia set in yesterday al
ternOOn.