The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-23
SHOT TO SAVE HIS LIFE.
HENRY REILS KILLS JEFF LOWE
IN wENDELKsN'S GROCERY.

Reils and John Wyness Followed and
Attacked By a Crowd OF Drunken
Negroes-Lowe's Desperate Assault
Upon Mr.. Reils With a Knife-Four
Shots Fired and Lowe Falls Dead-A
Mob Demands a Young Clerks Ar
rest for the KillinR-Mr Reils' Story
Of the Affair-Ths Coronsr's Investt
cation.
JEFF Lowe, negro longshoreman, was
shot and killed last night by Henry Reils,
cashier Of the Savannah, Florida AMI West
srn railway, in Wendelken's grocery at
Liberty and East Broad streets.
The shooting, according to Mr.. Reils'
statement, and his appearance at the police
barracks indicated that he was telling the
truth. was clearly in Selt-defenss. Mr..
Reils and a friend, Mr.. John W. Wyness,
manager of the Nelson Morris company,
were walking along East Broad street, near
Harris, about $3.50 o'clock when Lowe and
three companions, all under the influence of
liquor, tried to push them from the sidewalk.
Mr.. eilsremonstrated with the negroes for
their conduct and they Immediately began
cursing him. Toavoid any trouble hs walked
away. The negroes, however. were bent
on fight and followed. cursing and ebus-
ing. Mr.. Reils asked Mr.. Wyness to 60
with him to his office and get his revolver to
protect himself They went to the Office to-
gether and Mr.. Reils put his pistol In his
pocket. When they came out the negroes
were not in sight, and thinking all danger
Of fight was over Mr.. Reils asked his
friend over to Wendelkens place for a glass
Of beer before going home.
THE FATAL MEETING.
Lowe and bis partners had been Watching
the movements of the two men from the OPP
| posite side of the street, and when they en-
tered the saloon the negroes crossed over
and took their positions outside the place.
Mr.. Reils came out first, and as he reached
the door Lowe rushed in, and Selling
him by the collar Of his coat
began pounding him in the face. Mr..
Reils made hard fight against his assail-
ant and the other negroes started to loves
assistance, Mr.. Wyness fought them back
into the street and left Mr. Reils aud Lowe
struggling inside. The negro was
more powerful then Reils and
threw him against meat
counter. AS he did he pulled knife and
began to ply IL on Mr. ReiI's face. Seeing
his life was 10 danger. the young man
drew his revolver, aud fred four times at
Lowe. The fourth shot struck the negro.
and he staggered to the East Broad street.
door, where he fell backward into the
street dead
ALMOST MOB.
The shooting attracted an immense crowd
of negroes to the place and fearing violence
Mr.. Reils and Mr. Wyness ran through the
store into the yard and escaped over the
fence. Policeman Masters was the first
officer to reach the scene and he found several
hundred infuriated negroes gathered around
the body. Every one of them seemed to be
sure that Dick Siemes, the young German
clerk at Wendelken's, had killed Lowe and
they demanded his Immediate arrest. The
boy protested his innocence, bot Officer
Masters had no other alternative than 10
arrest him. He notified Coroner Dixon and
sent to the barracks for squad Of police
to keep back from the sidewalk the steadily
increasing crowd.
Lowe was lying on his back half
way in the store and half way
out with a little pool of blood
under his right arm. The ball had pene-
trated his right SIDE Every body was ask
ing who had killed Lowe, and no one could
tell. Wendelken knew there had been a
row between two white men and Lowe, but
be didn't know who the men were.
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Dixon impaneled jury at once
| composed of six white men and
four negroes and proceeded to hold
an inquest. Wendelkens testimony
amounted to nothing and left everything
surrounded In mystery. Dick McCallabe
| (colored) saw Lowe and his friends follow
Ing and cursing two white men and had
warned them that some Of them would be
killed if they didn't stop bothering tbs
gentlemen.
Siemes was brought from the bar.
racks to tell what he knew, and
he threw little light on the
tragedy. 10 had seen Mr.. Riels and
Mr.. Wyness IN row with some negroes
outside the door, heard two pistol shots
saw Lowe fall, and the two mon run
through the store into the yard. Semes
denied positively that the fight oc.
| CURED in the store and
when asked to account for G
bullet In the wall, opposite the counter, hi
couldn't doit, and tried to evade everything
The dead negroes knife WAS found on the
| floor near the oil tank, where it fell during
the row, by William Atwell, but still th,
clerk denied that fight took place in tht
store
The jury could do nothing under the testi-
mony submitted except find verdict that
Lowe was killed by some one unknown.
Most Of the jurymen were satisfied that Mr..
Reils had killed the negro, but the evidences
didn't warrant the verdict.
REILs ARRESTED.
Detective HanleY and Assistant Chief OF
Police Killourhy started out as oncs to
huat Rsils, and at 1890 o'clock this morn
| ing the assistant chief met the young man
at South Broad aud Reynolds streets on his
way to the barracks to surrender. He was
in exactly the same condition as when be
escaped from Wendelken's store. His face
was cut IN several places and was smeared
with blood. His coat and shirt were
saturated and the right sleeve of his coat