The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-09
TO ANSWER FOR MURDER
TIE SLAYBRS OF WASH FLOYD
COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

The Preliminary hearing Before JUS
tice Russell Puts the Killing of the
Dutchtown Negro by Constable
Eady and Hill in a Different Light
The Officers to Go Before the Grand
Jury-Ella Flowers Story of the
Shooting.
The preliminary trial of Constables Eady
and Ssymore Hill before Justice Warning
Russell, Jr, yesterday afternoon for killing
Wash Floyd two weeks ago, resulted in the
commitment of the two colored officers to
Jail to answer the charge OF murder in the
superior court.
The whole colored population OF Dutch
town, where Floyd was killed, was in at
tendance at the trial and Justice RusselPs
office was a sea OF black faces. The people
didn't attempt to hide their bitter feelings
against the prisoners, and were very freq in
their condemnation Of the killing Of Floyd.
George w. Owens. ESQ, represented the
state and Judge D. A. O'Byrne aud w. 4.
Morrison, ESQ.,, represented the prisoners.
The case made out by the state was very
strong and differed entirely from that be-
fore the coroner's jury which acquitted
Eady and Hill of any crime for killing the
murderer OF Annie Hill. Gilbert Jones and
Wesley Murray swore that they saw Eady
fire the musket in the road after Floyd was
killed. Both witnesses we're equally positive
that nothing but pistol shots were fired be-
fore the killing
ELLA FLOWERS STORY.
Ella Flowers the woman charged jointly
with Floyd in the murder of Annie Hill by
whipping her to death, and who is now
prisoner awaiting trial in the
superior court, was put upon the
stand by the state and gave graphic de-
scription of the midnight tragedy at Dutch
town. She has very brutal looking face
but told a very straight and determined
story. The woman said when Floyd heard
the officers coming he grabbed a smoothing
iron and ran behind the door, but came out
to surrender, when they told him he was
wanted for murder. Constable Hill. who
was the father Of the murdered child, &C
cording TO the Flowers woman's tale, grabbed
Floyd by the COLLAR and the prisoner
held out his hands to be handcutfed Hill
began beating him in the face with his
pistol, saying he would rather blow his
brains out tnan arrest him.
BEGGED THEM NOT TO SHOOT.
Floyd grabbed the pistol and begged Hill
not to kill him, saying: "Pn go with you;
l am not going to resist" Constable Esdy,
she said, ran up about that time and beat
Floyd on the back Of the head until blood
poured from his wounds Finally Floyd
and Hill struggled out into the field both
holding the pistol and Hill called out:
Eady, the woman said, fired at once and
Floyd fell. He got up, however, aud started
to run and Eady fired second time killing
Floyd almost instantly.
The woman said Floyd never attempted
to strike the officers, never had the musket
in his hand and surrendered at once to Hill
when he WAS told of the charge
,uf 4p, 0lair1ad EadU tOOly tho
musket out of the house after he had killed
Floyd.
Eady and Hill made statements in their
own behalf claiming that they were re-
sisted by Floyd. who swore he wouldn't bs
taken alive. Eady said he had only fired
at the fugitive for the purpose OF soaring
him, and had no intention OF killing him.
Both prisoners fatty contradicted their
testimony before the coroner's jury as to
the gun.
A DIFFERENCE IN TESTIMONY.
Atthat time they said the weapon was
fred by Floyd while they were trying to
take 1t from him, but yesterday Eady went
back on that part of his testimony and said
he took the gun away from Floyd and
! threw it outside OF the house. He didn't
deny firing the gun in the road after killing
Floyd.
Mr. Morrison made brief opening argu-
ment insisting that the officers had right
to shoot the murderer after his attack upon
them aud whiie attempting to escape.
MIR. Owens followed with a strong srgu-
ment for the state, denying the officers
right TO shoot Floyd, except their lives were
absolutely in danger, which he claimed was
not proved by the evidence, but on the
contrary that the man had offered to sur
render, and was murdered wautonly and
without the slightest provocation.
Judge OByrne argued for the acquittal
| OF the prisoners. He depicted the brutal
character of Floyd in whipping to death a
child, and asked if 1t wasn't reason
able TO suppose he tried to
kill the officers when undertook
| to take him into custody for
his crime. Judge O'Byrne claimed that all
the facts and circumstances showed that
the officers we're justified in killing Floyd,
and were entitled to an acquittaL
At the conclusion of the arguments, JUS
tice Russell said the evidence on the part OF
the state made out 10 his mind killing
without any element of justification in it.,
and he committed Eady and Hill TO jail to
await the action of the grand jury. An
effort will be made to get the prisoners out
on bond.
RAIL AND CROSSTIE.