The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-28
A BULLET IN HIS HEART.
CHARLES SUTLIVE KILLS HIM
SELF WITH AN AIR-GUN.


A Mother Finds the Half Naked Body
of Her Son in His Room With a Bull
let Wound in His Breast-Shot Him
self While Preparing for g Bath-It
May Have Been Suicide and it May
Have Been Accident.
Charles Sutlive, II years old. shot and
Instantly killed himself last night shortly
before O'Clock at his home at the south
west corner Of Liberty and Montgomery
streets. The weapon used was S2-caliber
Springfield air-gun. The bullet passed
through his heart and lodged just under the
skin at the side Of bis backbone.
The dead boys family claim the killing
was an accident. He went home shortly az
ter 6oiclock from bis work at the Savannah
Plumbing Company's shops and didn't give
his mother the usual weekly sum for board.
Mrs. Sutiive chided him for squandering
his money instead of bringing it home to
her, and the youth became angry. He
Quoted down, however. in a few minutes,
and assumed his natural disposition. After
supper Sutlive told his mother he was
going to take a sponge bath preparatory 70
retiring, and asked her to get some warm
water for him.
PREPARING HIS BATH.
sfrs. Sutlive went downstairs 10 heat
the water and while there she thought she
heard a noise upstairs. She listened for a
minute or two and not hearing a repetition
dismissed the matter from her mind. Il
cook her about ten minutes to heat the
water. and when she went up to her sons
room she saw him lying. naked 20 the waist,
upon the floor, with his face resting DOWN
ward upon chair.
Thinking he had tainted, the mother put
down the water and went quickly to him.
As she did she saw a stream of blood run
ming from his breast. Horror-stricken, she
ran downstairs and across the street 10
Henry Suffers store for assistance. One
of the clerks hurried over, and. picking
the body up, placed it upon the bed
He saw that the boy was dead and so told
his mother. She hardly believed it at first.
and when it finally dawned upon her in all
fits terrible reality she became hysterical.
THE CoRoEER's INQUIRY.
Officer Patterson of the Central railroad
police took charge Of the house and notified
Coroner Dixon and the police barracks
The coroner. after viewing the body and
examining the wound, postponed the inves-
tigation until this morning.
Sutlive's brother and sister said that the
dead boy seemed to have a peculiar desire
TO always be fooling with firearms. The
air-gun with which he killed himself was
purchased by him year ago for the pur-
pose OF shooting cats and practicing at the
target. Many times the rest OF the family
chided him for his carelessness In handling
the weapon, but ne only laughed at their
fears. saying he understood firearms better
than they.
The theory advanced by the fam
lily is that after Charles had stripped theup-
per portion Of his body and was waiting for
his mother TO come up with the warm
water, be began playing with the gun and
1t accidentally fired.
DON'T BELIEVE IRIS SUICIDE.
They scout any idea Of suicide, saying that
he was not of disposition 20 think Of put
ting an end to his life. The only way by
which the boy could have shot himself as he
did, II 1t was accidental. was by throwing IL
In an upward fashion by the muzzIe, when
1t might possibly have exploded.
The grief OF the dead boys neither was
pitiable. To every one who came in she
would remark in hysterical fashion HHe's
my baby boy" and almost Immediately
burst into tears She hardly seemed to
understand exactly the affliction which
had befaIlen her. and would often inquire
If her son was really dead.
The dead boy was splendidly developed
Tor his age and was rather good looking.
He had been employed by the Savannah
Plumbing Company for several months.
having previously worked with Edward
Lowelrs Sons. His funeral will take place
this afternoon.