Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-26
MURDERED AT MIDNIGHT.
TRAGIC ENDING OF A DRUNKEN
CaROUSE.

Emil Phuger, q Young Gerraau Bar
keeper Shot and InstaDtlT KILLED az
An Array en- West Broad street-E8is
Supposed Iurderers Arrested within
q stones Thrcw er she Scene ~ the
Crime-Action of tire Cosoper- Prank
Dsvine and JAMES o'Rsirv Char9 81
With the Eiliine.
TIE western nast of the ci-T was ul
aee1a eariT Yesterday ucr.i-s ~ ne OF
ne a'lcLest tragadie. eyer acted in
1av tErah. The aa En.i Pfuger. a
4uiet, iuoher German, was
snlt ,lEor- ain by murderous
ass8r lowed him ia the dark,
to0dy hand directed the bull
S fatal course. The scene ~ the
ser was Moessner's saloon, a well
Anown resort al 10. 90 We broad 7treet.
A few minutes before midnight
went into tle Dfl-e with party
I frieuds. ana was sitting at table watch
F iuz game 1l cards, when TWO men-one
- tra11 eank Devine, master car build
Il 81 e Central Railrpad, and his BROTH
--ia.law, James O'Reilly, young man
tbout q years old, in Devine's employ
as a carpenter - entered and walked
uD to the har and began drinking.
After a few minutes they turned to the
table where Phuger and his friends
we're sitting. O'Reilly, after addressing
one or TWO of the party whom he knew,
turned to Pfuger with the abusive epithet
WUpIlO. YOU .v The young man
looked up and said, ''Do you mean to in
suit me:' O'ReilIy stepped back and
answered Yes and at the same moment
| struck him
AHEAvY BLOW IN THE FACE.
/ Angered by the insult Phuger
/ Jumped to his feet and put his
/ hand threateningly behind his back as If
/ To draw a pistol. His assailant turned to
| his companion and said, 'LOOk out, he's
/ got a pistol" Il have ana Pm going 70
/ get rid Of it." was the reply, and as he
] uttered the words he walked behind the
Tar, and. taking the pistol from his
| rocket LAID it out of reach on a shelf, and
/ started back. AS he came out from the
bar he met O'Reilly, who struck at him
| with his fist. Both men clinched and fell
! TO the floor in close embrace. DeVlnel
who had been standing near by and up TO
I this time had taken no part in the
7 disturbance, interfered and attempted to
stop the fight. AS soon as O'Reilly could
| free himself from Pfuger's grasp he
Jumped up, and turning to Deyine said;
s.DOn't stop him. Give the fellow a
show" BY this time PfugeI's friends
had interiered and took him out into the
street.
The crowd left the saloon, but Devine
and O'Reilly remained. The proprietor
stepped out to put up the shutters before
closing for the night, leaving the two men
at the bar. When he returned Deyine
/ had the pistol which P1uger had laid
away, in mis- hand and was struggling
| with O'Reilly, who was trying to get II
away from him. The two men buried
/ into the street, and moment later the
[ firing began.
POUR SHOTS
/ i'm quick succession were heard, and then
I the cry Of sspOlice." \ crowd gathered,
| aud the body Of young Pnnger was found
/ about twenty Yards from the saloon lying
I in the street with the blood pouring out of
| a pistol wound in the back OF the head.
/ The man was not yet dead when discOV-
/ cred, but breathed but a few times. The
/ bullet had entered just back of the left
ear and going through the brain had
/ lodged Just at the base of the right eye.
Officer Spann, who was patrOlling Charl-
I ton street, heard the shots, but thought
nothing of IL as il is not an unfrequent
| occurrence for the watchmen at the
wOOdyaTd5 and warehouses to
| fire their pistols at night. As
/ the firing continued the rapidity of the
shots caused him to pause. He then
heard the cry OF police, and started to run
| down West Broad street in the direction
/ irOm which the reports came. After
passing the Central Railroad Passenger
| depot. and between the cotton yard gates,
be saw a couple OF men crossing
I towards McDOnOugh street. The officer
/ followed them, thinking to obtain some
information OF the disturbance. The men
walked as far as Perry street and sat
down on the cuTbstOne. As they did so
the officer. stepped up and inquired II
they knew anythinE about the fuss.
OFFICER sPANN's DISCOVERY.
One of the men, whom the officer at
once recognized as Devine, jumped up,
ard in an excited manner replied,
THEY'RE crying police down the street,
/ and you had better hurry up and get
there. They are kicking up -. We had
nothing to do with it." His companion, who
was afterwards recognized as O'Reilly,
I and who was apparently too drunk at the
| time TO know what he was about, got up
| from the curbstOne. and staggered up
| against the officer. Both men admitted
I they had been in the row, but said they
| were assailed and ran away. Their ap-
pearauce indicated that they had been
/ fighting. and the officer took. them in
/ custody on suspicion, and carried them
| TO the saloon where the affray occurred.
The following diagram will show the In
/ terror OF the saloon where the atfray be-
/ gau and the spot where the murdered
/ mans body was fOundg