The morning news., 1888-07-21
SHOTTHR0UGH HIS BRAIN
WILLIAM P. SMITH SLAYS HIS
WIFE'S ANNOYER.

ting In His Sulky at Bolton and West
Broad Streets-H,s Slayer Stands by
the Victim Body Until Taken Away
by the Po!ice-Rustin's Infatuation
with Smiths Wife the Cause of His
Death-The Avengers Confession
He Tells the Story of the Crime.
William P. Smith shot and killed Frank
B. Rustin at Bolton and West Broad streets
a few minutes after o'clock last night.
Rustin, who is employed as collector for
McGillis, Mercer q Co., furniture dealers,
No 199 Broughton street, was on his way
home in his sulkv At the northwest cor
ner of Bolton aud West Broad streets he
was lied by his cousin, Knox Rustin, a
POLICEMAN at the Savannah, Florida and
Western wharves, and he stopped his
horse Knox Rustin had one foot on the
hub of the vehicle and was talking with
his cousin, when Smith came up from be-
hind aud opened fire on Rustin with a
Smith &, We,son No. IS revolver The
first shot took effect in the mans head and
he fell out of the sulky. He half straight
ened up as he struck the ground, TO receive
a second shot in the head, and in Rustin's
death agonies, Smith stood over his victim
aud fired three more balls into his brain
Having emptied his revolver, Smith turned
TO Knox Rustin and said
"Will you walk down to the barracks
with me'"
Knox replied: mo, sir; l am cousin of
the man you have shot"
Smith, evidently thinking that his vic
TINS relative might avengo his death,
coolly removed the shells from his weapon,
reloaded it, and crossing over to the east
sideof West Broad street, patiently awaited
the appearance of an officer.
WAITED FOR THE POLICE.
Very soon after, Mounted Policeman
James Michael rode up and took Smith into
custody. He stood guard over the body of
the dead man until the arrival of Policeman
Dwyer Officer Dwyer was then put in
charge of the body and Michael boarded a
street car with Smith and took him to the
barracks. Smith gave up his weapon, and
coolly said that he had shot Rustin, and
had shot to kill
Coroner Dixon was out of the city, and
Justice Molina, acting coroner, was noti-
fed and Immediately proceeded to the
scene Of the tragedy, where he gave orders
for the disposition Of the body, which was
removed to the residence of the dead man,
on Anderson street, and witnesses were
summoned to appear at the inquest, which
will lie held at o'clock this morning,
by Coroner Dixon, at Justice Molina's office
THE SCENE OF THE MURDER.
When a MORNING News reporter reached
the scene of the killing Rustinss father had
put the body in charge of a friend of the fam
lily. 1t lay where it had fallen, about fifteen
feet from the sidewalk, and had been COW
cred by a sheet The limbs were drawn up
and pool of blood and brains had oozed
out on the sand. Three or four policemen
with difficulty kept the crowd back from
the dead The murdered mans hat
lay beside him, and it had
been penetrated by one Of the balls
The sheet was removed from his head, and
a hasty examination by the light of a
match disclosed the fact that all five of the
balls had entered the head. Either of the
wounds was mortal. A brother OF the dead
man 7, essed forward to look upon the face
of his relative, but the sheet was ag ain COW
persuaded him to keep back.
WITNESSES OF THE SHOOTING
Interviews with whito and colored wit
nesses of the shooting do not vary except in
minor details, but the circumstances Of the
shooting as given above are confirmed by
all the witnesses, and are corroborated by
the confession of Smith.
Washington Brown (colored) heard the
shooting, and when he came up he heard
Smith confess that he did it, still holding
the weapon in his hand.
Luke Fraser was standing on the opposite
corner OF the street He said that Smith
walked out and hailed Rustin as he was
driving past. This is mistake, as it was
Knox Rustin who stopped him Fraser
said that when Smith pointed the pistol, the
man in the buggy cried out murder" and
that he repeated the cry when he fell. This,
too is clearly a mistake as the first shot
was from the rear, was unexpected, and
was fatal shot.
TIRE CRY OF MURDER.
Theory was evidently that of Knox Rustin,
who got out Of the way whom the firing
began, and the women in the store cried
Murder" Fraser said that four shots
were fired when the man fell from the
sulky. Fraser was detained at the barracks
last night as a witness, by order of Justice
Molina.
Willie Dufour, white lad who was sit
ting on the opposite side of West Broad
street, heard the first shot and saw Rustin
fall from the sulky, and saw four shots fred
after the fall. He heard the cry of murder.
but did not attempt to say who cried out
John Cooper was sitting on the stoop Of
his house near the scene and hoard the first
shot He saw Rustin fall out of the sulky,
and when tae horse came running by he
ran out and caught it. He heard the other
four shots
Knox Rustin said that he stopped his
cousin and they were engaged in conversa-
tion, when the shot was fred from tie
rear at time when he had one foot on
the hub Of the right wheel, and that
his cousin fell out. Smith then fired four
more shots into the fallen mau, aud then
turned TO him and asked him 10 walk down
to the barracks with MIN. When he told
Smith of the relationship existing between
himself and the dead man, he said that
Smith reloaded his revolver and walked
across the street.