The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-20
TRAGEDY AT WAYCROSS.
W. E. DONALDSON SHOT BY O. A.
SLgDGB.

Sledge Claims That he Did the Deed
y in Defense of His Dead Wife's
HonOr-The Victim Had Been Drink
ing-His Wound May Prove Fatal
sledge's Statement.
WAYcRoSs, GA. Jan. 19.-About 200
yards from the Savannah, Florida and
Western railroad passenger depot stands a
large two-s tory building, which is the prop
erty of the railroad company. This build
ing was used as the hospital aud morgue
for the dead and injured from the Hurri-
cane creek disaster. and was still further
made notorious by a tragedy to-day.
The building is rented by a Mrs. Brown,
and is used as a boarding house for railroad
men. G. A. Sledge is an engineer on the
Savannah, Florida and Western railroad.
Last Monday Mrs. Sledge died, and
was buried on Tuesday afternoon.
The couple had one little SON
the little one who caused the mothers death
by ycoming,prematurelyi into the world. Since
the death of his wife, Mr.. Sledge has broken
up housekeeping, and taken quarters at the
Brown house. Sledge had run his engine
all night, and at o'clock this morning,
after breakfast went to his room for rest.
STARTLED BY SHOT.
During the morning young w. E. Donald
son, night hostler in the railroad yard at
this place, called at Sledge's room, and it is
| supposed began drinking. He remained in
the room until o'clock in the afternoon,
when the other inmates of the
house were aroused by the
crack of a'plstol, breaking the otherwise
| stiffness of the sabbath afternoon. In a
few minutes young Donaldson staggered
out Of Sledge's room and started down
stairs, meeting young Clements at the
head Of the stairway. He exclaimed, "My
God, Pm shot; go for the dootor.n When
Donaldson reached the bottom of the stair
way he fell on his face
A MORTAL WOUND.
The doctor reached him in ten minutes
and after examining the wound pronounced
it mortal. The ball was from a 32-caliber
Smith and Wesson, and entered two
inches below the breast bone aud
in the pit of the stomach, and
glanced downward toward the left. Prob
ing for the ball failed to discover it, and the
opinion is that it entered the cavity of the
abdomen.
Donaldson is unconscious, and your cor
respondent could not get a statement from
| him. He stated, however, before losing
consciousness, that Sledge had shot him for
nothing.
sLEDGE's STATEMENT.
In an interview with Sledge, he would
only make this statement. He stated that
donaldson came to my room somewhat
under the influence Of whisky, and, after
/ being in there some time, began talk
| ing in a disrespectful manner of
Mrs; Sledge, who was not yet cold
in her grave, making statements that
were exceedingly damaging to her virtue
and calculated to arouse the indignation
and infiame the spirit of revenge, and in
sulting the sense of honor Of any man, and
when he saw that l was indignant and
angered he reached for an iron frog which
l had used as door weight, and which
stood on the mantel, with which he doubt
less intended to do me bodily harm. l
went to the head of my bed Il was in my
underclothes) and got my pistol and aimed
for his breast and fired, hitting him
little below my aim. |: consider
it case of self-defense and in defense of
my dead wife's honor, and am no moro
alarmed than you are. After the shooting
| went to the window and gave the Masonic
and brotherhood signal to two friends pass
ing. did not attempt to get away and
Will give bond If anyis required"
IN CHARGE OF THE SHERIFF.
Mr. Sledge is now in the custody of the
sheriff, awaiting the result of the injuries to
Donaldson. Sledge has heretofore borne a
| good character, and, so far as is known, his
wife's character was unimpeachable, and
there is no known cause Of the damaging
remarks made by Donaldson against her
| memory.
Sledge is a prominent mem ber Of the loco
motive brotherhood. Donaldson is origi-
nally from Thomasville. The affair has
created q tremendous sensation here