The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-17
SPORTS EXCHANGE SHOTS.
4 Sunday Skin Game Ends DiSaS-
rOuSIy for Two Participants,

-,s Murray, Perhaps, Fatally Wound
Cd by Elijah Keepler - The Row
started over a Ten-Cent Piece
veeplar Has Murray Dancing
Around a Tree Both Negroes
wounded, but Only One Likely to
Die.
A fight between negroes over game of
cards terminated seriously and perhaps
naIly yesterday afternoon.
About five O'Clock a crowd of negro
Gamblers collected out on the Springfield
road lust this side of the waterworks,
and engaged in racy and interesting
came of old fashioned skin.
Joe Murray and Elijah Keepler, two of
these in the game, got into a difficulty
over ten cents, drew their pistols and be-
can firing at each other, Murray was
shot through the back, the ball lodging
undcr the skin over the stomach from
which wound he will probably die. The
other negro was also shot, but his injury
was only flesh wound.
As soon as Detective Morgan was mott
fed of the affair he went out to the scene
of the shooting. He found that a large
crowd of negroes had gathered at the
scene but that the wounded negroes had
been carried off to their homes.
NURRAY's VERSION OF THE AFFAIR.
Detective Morgan went to Murray's
house on Roberts street, near West
Boundary, and found him badly shot.
His injury was so serious that he will
probably die. He was suffering greatly,
hut was able to tell how the affair hap
penad from his standpoint. He said he had
been out with a crowd of negroes
SHINING on the Springfield road
lust this side of the water works, and
that Elijah Keepler, another negro, had
grabbed 10 cents belonging to him. He
told Keepler to put it down, which Keep
Ter refused to do Then the difficulty
started between the two. Keepler drew
his pistol and Murray drew his and they
exchanged shots. Murray says Keepler
fired first. Murray ran behind a tree
and told Keepler that he didn't want to
shoot any more, that he had had enough,
and suggested that they stop. Keepler,
he said followed him up to the tree, say
ing that he was going to get
one at him any how and there they We're.
Murray was lodging around the tree at Il
lively rate trying to keep from being shot,
and Keepler was hot after him trying to
shoot him.
Murray admits having snapped his pis-
toll at Keeplor three or four times while
behind the tree, but said it failed to &c
off keepler was following him at a live
ly rate and trying to shoot at every turn
when Murray ran off and Keepler fired at
him several times, striking him in the
back, the ball passing all the way through
MS body.
KEEPLER's STORY.
Detective Morgan then went up To
keeplerS house on Waldburg street, a
few doors west of Cuyler. DR.. Sheftall
had Just removed the ball, which had
entered his groin and inficting a flesh
wound, came out near the skin on his
back. The ball was from q pistol of IS
calibre.
In explaining the dihiulty Keepler said
it arose over ten cents and that Murray
pulled out his pistol and shot at him
first, both exchanging shots. He then
jumped on the fence and Murray shot at
him again and hit him. Then Murray
ran behind tree; he went after him
and when Murray ran off from the tree
he shot him. He said he had thrown his
pistol in the Musgrove creek.
Murray's pistol was found with two
empty shells and two balls in it. Keep
Ter denied shooting five times at Murray
as was stated by some of the witnesses.
WILL PROBABLY END FATALLY.
DR.. Shcftall, who attended both the
victims of the shooting and removed the
balls. says that it is next to impossible
Tor Murray to live, but that Keeper is all
right and will pull through.
The witnesses in the case are some of
them uncertain as to which fired first,
but it seems to be the opinion that Keepler
drew his pistol on Murray, and that Muir
ray then drew his pistol and shot him.
Murray then ran for the tree and Keepler
went over to the fence, but returned to
renew the attack and perhaps with fatal
sCsultS
There is no possibility of Murray's es-
Gaping, but us Keepler's wound is only a
slight one, it was decided best to keep a
watch on him and a guard was stationed
at his house last night. Keepler is q
dangerous negro with pistol, being the
one who fired several shots at Tony But
Ter at picnic several weeks ago, when
mat negro struck him with pair of brass
knuckS