The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-19
SHOT AND KILLED.
A Midnight Tragedy Reported from tho
Forest CITY.

SAVANNAH, Ga, June 12.-[Sp Special. Police
man ID. J. Cronin shot and killed James
Brown, negro, near the corner of Sims and
Lumber streets, last night. The locality
Where the shooting took place is known as
Frogtown. 1t is black district, and the police
have had good deal of trouble there.
Oflcer Cr0nins attention was attracted by
bosterous language in front of house where
dancing was going on, and he went to the
place, finding quite q crowd collected on the
sidewalk. lie told the crowd that it must
keep better order The negro who had been
doing the loud talking persisted in it, and
finally the officer told him he must either stop
or move on, or he would have to arrest him.
The negro crossed the street, and with an
oath said that the officer could not stop him,
and If he attempted to arrest him he would
kill the officer. Cronin crossed the street and
told the negro TO consider himself under ar
rest, and was about to take him by the arm
when the negro caught Cronin by the throat
with one hand and reached for the officers
club with the other. BY this time crowd
numbering about two hundred had gathered
and Cronin found himself backed up against
the house He called upon the crowd to assist
nm, but number answered back with
an oath that he would get all tho as
sistance he wanted directly. The no.
gro's hold on Cronin's throat was
loosened in the struggle, but the officers shirt
collar and shirt were torn to shleds, the negro
still trying to choke him. The latter after
revolver finally succeeded, and fired once
The negro loosened his hold and started to run
Cronin ordered him to halt, and fred again
at short range, running rs he fired The
crowd followed with threats. and the officer
hurried over to Stewart and West Broad
streets and blew his whistle for assistance.
The news reached West Broad street that
the negroes were killing or had killed q white
man over in Frogtown, and n posse of white
men, headed by Mr.. Westcott with double
hnrrpllnI on hffpnr info
lance, and shortly after Policemen McQuade
and Floyd arrived The timely arrival Of this
force prevented further trouble. Meantime
Cronin, as he came into West Boundary
street, overlook James johnson, a negro who
was trying 10 stir up a riot, and he said: "The
negroes i'll Frogtown amt worth a
-, or they would have killed
you dead" Cronin promptly arrested John
son, and the lattor tried to rouse the negroes
who began to gather, by saying Hes going
to shoot mo- and "Slloot me, too" Cronin
then returned to the scene of the shooting and
found n crowd gathered around the dead body
OF the negro, near the corner of Lumber and
Sims street. Up to that time he did not know
that the man was shot, and he was unable to
say, whether the first, the last or both shots
had taken effect. johnson was lodged in the
barracks, charged with melting riot.
SAVANNAH, Ca, june 12.--[Special Cor
oner Dixon held an inquest this morning on
the body of Sam Brown, colored who was shot
and killed by Officer Cronin at Sims and Lum-
Der streets last midnight. A jury was empan-
eled in the back room of the one-story shanty
where the man resided. a big crowd of ne
groes filled the room, the yard and the streets,
talking over the matter and muttering impre-
cations against the policeman. The witnesses
in several instances fatty contradicted each
other, and their evidence was evidently di-
rccted as far as their imaginations could carry
them, to fix all the blame on the officer Tho
coroner however,, brought out sufficient evil
dence to prove the justifabiity of the police
mans action. Brown was tho leader of q
crowd of disordery negroes and tried to take
the policeman club away from him.
The mob surrounded the officer and he shot
twice, the second shot, however, was not in
self-dcfense, as tho negro was running away
when il was fred
Isaiah Brown, the step father of the do
ceased, stased that he knew nothing of the
difficulty. He recognized an open penlnife
with blade about three inches long which
was found in his sons right pocket by the cor
oner, together with a good sized rock and an
empty pocket book found in the other
The jury, after few minutes deliberation,
brought in verdict exonorating the officer on
the ground Of self defense.