The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-23

Morris Gathers Shot by an Unknown
Man aod May Die.

Morris Gathers, q colored laborsr, was
shot with 4S-caliher pistol in Washington
square about II o'clock yesterday forenoon.
| Gathers was drunk and he cannot tell who
shot him, but he says that il was white
man. Gathers aud two Others, one former
constable in the late Justice Mohna's
office, and the Others, 3 coloroi seilor and a
white sailor were at Anne Pendcr's restsu-
rant at BAY lane and East Broad street.
| The sailors were drunk and were cuTslug
the woman. When she went out Of doors
| to cut some wood she said that the cJlored
sailor whipped pistol out Of his pocket ana
| Haunted 1t about, telling his white com
pani1n that he ought TO shoot the 'nigger.
Tho woman said that she was afraid that
| the men might shoot her and she sent
Gathers up the street after a Policeman
| The ex-cOnstable, who went to the restau-
rant with the two sailors and acted upon
what they said, went with them when they
| followed Gathers off after the officers. The
men went down East Broad to Bryan street,
and. turning into Bryan, went as lar as
Houston street. There they turned
into Washington square in front OF the
Southern Express COmpany'S stables aud
began quarreling. The Ponder woman fol-
lowed them down East Broad street as far
as BRYAN and watched them. After turn
ing into the square she lost sight or them,
but the next moment she heard the report
of pistol and saw people running across
the square A minute later the white and
the cOlored sailor came running down the
street as fast as they could, pursued by
crowd of people.
The sailors outran the crowd, ard after
getting into the Fort in the neighborhood
of the gas works they escaped. Gathers
staggered into the square aud fell. The
crowd ran to him and the man told them 10
send for a doctor. that he was shot. His
shirt caught fire where the bullet entered
and blazed up. A bullet hole. out of which
was beginning to run blood, was discovered
near his heart. The wounded man was
taken to the corner Of Bryan and Houston
streets, and DR.. Elliott, who was passing in
bis buggy, stopped and dressed the wound.
Swelling had already set in, and the ply
stefan did not probe for the ball. Gathers
was removed to his home at the corner of
South Broad aud Habersham streets.
The police were notified, but long before
any of them arrived the negroes we're out
of their reach. Three or four hours later
the two sailors came back to the Fender
wonau's place. She had them arrested
Officers Reilly and Lang took the men in.
The woman did not see the shooting aud
she preferred against them the charge of
cursing and abusing her. No weapon was
found on either of them aud there is no
witness against them as to the shooting.
Gathers was suffering very much when
MORNING NEWS reporter saw him last
night. He said that he did not know either
party with him He bad never seen them
before, and it is doubtful, intoxicated as he
was, if he could identify them.
The ex-constable, the woman said, came
to her afterward, and expostulated with
her. thinking that she had lodged the charge
of shooting Gathers against the sailors. He
told the woman that she had the wrong
men arrested, that he saw the sho ting and
hat a sailor boarding house runner did
the shooting. He refused to give the name
of the man that shot Gathers, but tod the
woman that she could prove nothing on
the two sailors whom she had arrested.
The woman said that she believed that
the white sailor is clear of the shooting.
She is inclined to believe that the negro
shot Gathers, but she said that she will not
prosecute them except for cursing and
abusing her. The clerk and one of the
feeders at the Southern Express office
stables, near where the difficulty occurred,
saw the men when they passed the Office
and they we're talking very loud, and the
express stable employees thought that all Of
them were drunk AS soon as the express
company employees heard the report of the
pistol they ran out in time to see the negro
fall and the others run away.