The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-28
KILLED WITH A STICK.
ADAM BERRIENs SKULL CRUSHED
BY HENRY NYLRS

Gathered for a Wedding, Compro-
missed With Shouting and Wound
Up With a Riot - Bsrrien Struck
Down Without ANY Provocation
The eoroner's Jury Holds NyIee fol
Murder Magistrate Davidson'e
Quick Work in Apprenending the
Murderer.
Adam Bsrrien. a 17-year-old oolored boy.
Is lying dead at his home In East Savannah
as the result Of q riot at colored shooting
party at Deptford plantation night before
last. Berrisn was fatally wouaded with
club by Henry Nyles. who is now 10 jail
Nothing was known In the city Of tbs
murder until yesterday morning, when
Magistrate George A. Davidson reported it
% Coroner Dixon.
George Tillman, g colored resident OF
Deptford. was to have been married
Thanksgiving night at the house OF his
uncle, Alfred Richmond. aud he invited MA
friends from LePageville and East Savan-
nah to be present Among those who wsnt
was Berrien. When the party gatheredft
was discovered that Tillman. In his excite
ment. bad forgotten the marriage license,
and the wedding had TO be postponed.
The guests weren't at all pleased with The
turn affairs had taken and rather than be
deprived of the pleasure they had aotici-
pated started shouting party. 80.
BEGINNING IoF THE FIGHT.
While the shooting was as its hight Sam
Butler and John Bryan oollided, and q row
followed. Robert Nylss, one OF the singers
and csppers tried TO make peace Butler,
instead of Quieting down, drew . knife and
began cutting right and left Clubs were
brought into play and everybody became
mixed up In the row. The women screamed,
while the men swore, and a general rush
was made for the road.
Outside, alongside the Tybee railroad
track, the row was renewed and all sorts of
weapons were brought into play. Men and
women went down on all sides from blows
OF sticks and pandemonium reigned. Ber-
rien, being unarmed, ran around the house
20 get out of the melee. Henry Nyles.
armed with long stick, went the
other way to head him or. AS
they met Nyles dealt Berriea a terrific
blow on the right side of the head, and the
boy fell TO the ground without even groan.
Blood rushed from his nose and ears Ia
streams. Nyles, seeing what he had done,
dropped his sick and took to the woods.
In G moment word reached the other side
of the house that Adam Berrien had
Teen killed, and the row which had been
IN progress then came TO an abrupt termina-
ton. Berriens friends hurried around to
coo IL bAc ShOIy nGAS Guo 140 AOuu0 tue
boy lying unconscious on the ground.
DIED WITHOUT SPEAKING.
He was taken TO bis home in East Savan-
nah, a quarter a Of mile distant, and although
everything possible was done to restore
him he died in a short time. He did not
speak from the moment he was struck
down.
AS soon as Berrien died Magistrate George
A. Davidson was notified, and be took steps
af N 0aytuTa the YnurdaraF
felt satisfied that Nyles was hiding around
the swarmps of Deptford and at once dis
patched his two constables, James Middleton
and Seymour Hll, armed with Winchester
rifles, to the scene, to- keep a lookout for
che murderer. Yesterday morning Magis-
trate Davidson came into the city and SCI
cured the services of Officers Frank Dunno,
p. G. Brown and Henry Daily 20 assist In
the search.
DAILY, Brown and Hill stationed them
selves at the entrance to the plantation, and
Dunno and Middleton began an inside
search. About o'clock In the afternoon
the two latter officers spied Nyles and But
ter entering Richmoud's house and they
closed in on the place and captured the men,
Nyles showed fight at first, but Mi3dlston's
Winchester and Dunnos pistol close to bis
head were sufficient warning that death
would follow any resistance, so the murderer
thought 1t best TO surrender.
THREATS OF LYNCHING.
Nyles and Butler were brought TO Magis-
trate Davidson's office, followed by an ex.
cited crowd of colored people, many of
whom talked of lynching, After short
preliminary examination Magistrate David
son committed Nyles on a charge murder
end Butler for assault with intent TO muir
der.
Magistrate Davidson and his officers de-
serve credit for the prompt manner Ia
which the case was taken hold OF and Ber-
rIens murderer was unprecedented. 1t Is
seldom such quick and clever piece Of de-
teciive work is done around Savannah, and
the prompt action Of the magistrate, with
out any hope of reward, prevented wha,
would otherwise have been defeat of JUS
tice
Coroner Dixon, accompanied by a MORN.
ING NEWS reporter, went out to East Sa-
vanpah at o'clock to hold an inquest. Ber-
riens body was first viewed and examined
1t was lying, neatly dressed, in the back
room of his former home, and blood wai
running steadily out of the nostrils, satur.
ating the pillow on which The body lay.
THE MARK OF DEATH.
The OILY mark was 2-inch indeution o.
the right side Of the head, which told th.
tale OF death. The yard surrounding tn
house was crowded with colored men anC
women, and Berriens mother walked VI
and down, wringing her hands and crying
They killed my poor boy for nothing.
Every few minutes she would take a look a
the body and then give vent to her sorrow
with wall.
Coroner Dixon made up his jury from
the color ed men present. Only two wit
nesses were examined. Robert Nyles,
cousin of the murderer, after detailing TIL
shouting party and the row between Butler
and Bryan, said: II tried to make peace
Jim Simmons drew a knife and tried to GU
me. jumped back, but the kaife cut iny
shirt in two places. The crowd then RAT
into the street and with IL. As reaohs
the door Webster Maxwell grabbed me b,
the collar. and showing pistol ia 10 my fac
said: You -. II
kill you; mean 70 kin you.' fought hi1
to save myself but there was
crowd around with sticks trying to hi
me. One did strike me on the arm A
this time Henry Nyles rushed up and struo
Berrien, who was in the crowd, with
stick. Berrien fell and the crowd scattersS
didn't see Berrien have any stick, an
after he fell ran homo"
WITNESS OF THE TRAGEDY.
Neptune Miller gave damaging testimon
against Nyles. The row, he said, starte
by one OF the women pushing Samuel Blu
Ter against Jim Simmons. Simmons tol
the woman that IL she pushed Butler G
him again be would "cut out Of SOM
h0dv and at tina aane TINA drAw q k@f