Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-22
PUT IN CHAINS FOR LIFE.
THE NEGRO WAXMAN FOUND
GUILTY eF RUsO'S MURDER

the Penfteptisry-Story 81 the Crime
of Witch he vaa 0envicted-The Muir
derer's Escape and GApture-His In
difference d airing the TrIal-Ths Jury I
Notwithstanding Sentence
Abram Wayman has the distinction Of
being one Of the youngest murderers ever
tried ia Chatham county. Scarcely i
years Of age, he stood In the prisoner
boxin the Superior Court yesterday morn
ing and pleaded not guilty to the murder
efJGhR Raso.
The accused is a broWn-skinned negro
lad, who about $3.50 e'eleok Saturday
right, Sept 10, plunged the blade Of a
hpoeket~kHife into the heart Of Greek on
Price street, q few yards north Of South
Broad. Rase kept a fruit stand on the
baertheast corner of the two streets, and
when he received the fatal thrust he was
@ittipg In the doorway Of his little store.
sTeR minutes before his death he was IN
Henry Prechps grocery store taking 70
The proprietor. The grocery Is on the
corner of Price streetand \ Ork street lane.
While the Greek and the grocer were CON
Fersing three negro boys passed his lrult
stand. and one OF them stole TWO apples.
Oh was over this trivial matter that knso
was killed. For an hour the crime seemed
VERY mysterious.
The murderer and his companions dis
appeared the minute alter the crime was
leommitted aud there seemed to be no clue
further than that the murderer was
colored boy. By chance Police Sergt.
Eiuourhy overheard a remark made by a
roloTed woman and going to No. 30 south
Broad street the officer pulled boy out
pf bed who saw the blow struck.
Robert smith. a companion OF way
rrra inf form AZ a
tSs to the murderer and put the Officers on
his track. Before l O'Clock Sunday
anornmg Wayman was locked up in the
barracks.
THE PRISONER IN COURT.
Messrs. W. W. Fraser and A. ii. Mac
Doneu were appointed by the court to de-
TEND Ruso's slayer. Wayman WAS neatly
dressed as he sat behind his counsel IN
the court room. lie wore a tie and
rarefully laundried collar, neat fitting
dark coat and light pants. His face has
boyish, unconcerned look, and be seemed
10 be more interested IN the novel
proceedings than In the gravity OF his sit
iauon In general appearance the boy
was bright and fairly Intelligent.
Altogether, fifty jurors were called and
sworn. The State objected to ten, the
BefeuSe 10 sixteen. one was struck Oh
because Of prejudice, and eleven rejected
punishment. The jury selected was COM
posed Of the following:
John J. Backly. Edw. +. WhitcOmb,
Robert CrOnk, w. A. Kent,
q. Il. Cassels. Michael Kopps,
Joseph Thompson, John r. Murtagh,
Barnard Hughes, John Q. Hodges,
Walter @. Lester, John i. MOrrissey.
BEGINNING TIE EVIDENCE.
Solicitor General duBignon called DR..
T.
the STATE. The doctor stated that he was
sum moned TO attend John RusO between
q aud 10 O'Clock Saturday night Sept. 10.
lie found the man lying dead on Price
street, twelve steps from his store door.
An examination showed a small wound
On the edge Of the breast bone over the
base Of tue heart. In that position the
heart is not more than one and one-half
1nches from the outside OF the body. DR..
Stone exhibited a diagram showing the
location OF the wound. Death, in the
opinion Of the witness, resulted from an
Internal hemOrrhage. Solicitor General
nuBignon showed the physician the knife
which was taken from Wayman when he
was captured. The witness was asked if
such a blade could have produced the
wound in RusO's breast, and he replied
that 1t could.
Capt. W. d. Dixon, Coroner of Chat
ham county, identified the knife which
the Solicitor General had as the one that
was turned over to him by the police.
HUNTING THE MURDERER.
Policeman Kelly stated that shortly be-
lore midnight Of Sept. 10 he was called up
for duty. Sergt. KillOurhy detailed him
20 take charge Of a squad 70 go in search
OF Wayman. In the squad besides him
self we're Officers Rogers, Davis and
-Anglin. The last two were mounted
men. They took the patrol wagon and
placing Smith in it drove out TO the south
western section Of the city TO house iDdi-
rated by Smith. They found a young
man standing at the door trying to COM
municate with the inmates.
The man was ordered of, Anglin was
posted at the window aud the witness
and Rogers went inside, Davis remaining
5n charge Of the wagon and smith. Way
man. who was in bed when the policemen
entered his room, jumped out and ran 10
ahe window 10 try TO escape. Anglin,
who was outside, levelled his pistol at the
boy. The latter then turned and made a
dive
UNDER THE BED.
The witness pressed down on the cot and
Wayman stretched out his arm from I'M
der 1t. Anglin seized the boys wrist, and
ane witness turned over the cot. The boy
was handcuffed and placed in the
wagon. The officer stated that he picked
APP a knife from alongside Of Wayman,
The knife-blade was covered with some.
thing very much like blood. Wayman,
when seized, was in his underclothing.
Charles Williams, alias Charles Bass,
said thar he knew Wayman. On the
night Of Sept. 10 the witness met Abram
and Smith in Jim Whitnman's saloon, on
south Broad street. The three boys got a
Brink and talked awhile. Pretty sOon the
witness proposed to 90 around to Henry
frechts and
GET ANOTHER DRINK.
AS they turned the corner of South
Broad and Price streets Wayman was on
The inside. the witness on the outside, and
Smith In the middle. When they passed
RusO's stand he heard the lady inside OF
the store say something, and in the next
few steps be told Wayman that IL he had
taken anything to 20 back and tell the
woman that he was only in fun and beg
her pardon, or 60 OF. smith stood
outside Of PrechDs and persuaded
Wayman 70 90 down the lane. The wit
ness and Smith went in the store and call
ed for beer. Mrs. Russo came 20 the win
dow and called her husband. and told him
that the boys had stolen two apples. Russo
accused the witness and Smith. They
denied taking the fruit, and told Russo %
search them. Tho witness said 70 Russo