The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-23
FILLED WITH BUCESHOT.
Joe Davis Murdered at IhundGTbOlt
by William QuaTteTman,


and Quarterman Followed Davis
With a Double-Barreled Shotgun.
Davis Breast Filled With Shot.
Cause Of the Quarrel Not Known.
The Murderer's Escape.
A crime that appears to be plain case
of murder resulted in the death of Joe
Davis, well-known mulatto carpenter,
at Thunderbolt last night.
The killing occurred shortly before 10
O'Clock on vacant lot next to Charles
Augustus barroom, Davis body being al
most completely filed with buckshot,
from the effects OF which he died within
less than five minutes after the shooting
occurred.
hemurderer, William Quarterman, and
his accomplice in the crime, Bristoe
Hunter, who had been engaged in the
quarrel in the saloon which led up to it,
escaped Immediately after the shooting,
and it is supposed that they went of in
the direction Of the Isle Of Aope.
THEY QUARRELED IN THE BARRooM.
Quarterman, the man who did the
shooting, was at the time a waiter in
Augustus bar. Bristoe Hunter and Joe
Davis were in the bar during the evening,
drinking but just what was the cause Of
the difficulty, or what led up to it, could
not be ascertained. 1t probably grew out
of the too frequent drinks as much as
anything else; the negroes in that con-
dition begin difficulty on the slightest
provocation.
Sciplo Maxwell was one of the negroes
in the bar at the time, and he was arrested
later for some other otfense. He was a
witness of the early part Of the difficulty,
but did not know for what reason the
negroes were quarreling
The first intimation of the difficulty was
some hot words between Bristow Hun
ter and Joe Davis. What they said,
Maxwell did not know but in a few min
utes he heard pistol shot, which he said
was fired by Hunter. Others say also
that Hunter drew his pistol while in the
barroom and fred on Davis. August, the
proprietor Of the place, says there was
no shot fired in the bar, but several
others, who were there, or near the place
at the time, say that the report of the first
shot fired came from the saloon.
This shot was without effect and struck
somewhere in the side of the building
Maxwell says that Davis then caught
Hunter and wrenched the pistol out of
his hand.
THE FATAL SHOT FIRED,
Hunter then ran from the bar with
Davis after him, but none of the witnesses
seen state that Davis had the pistol in
his hand at the time They ran out of
the bar into the yard, and out into a
vacant lot from the side gate.
Then CHURCHMAN'S part Of the tragedy
comes in. He left the bar with q double
barreled shotgun, and said, or shouted
something to Hunter to never mind, that
he would take care of Davis. From that
point Primus Green, who lives at Thun-
derbolt, waiter in Somer's restaurant,
was witness of the affair.
He was standing in the road at the
edge Of the vacant lot just as the men
ran out, one behind the other. Quarter
man ran down inside the lot and jumped
the fence with the shotgun in
his hand 1t was then that he
made the remark above mentioned to
Hunter. AS he jumped the fence and
reached the ground he brought up the
gun to his shoulder and said to Davis
Halt! IL you don't halt I'll kill you"
Davis had stopped and confronted his
slayer replying to his threat:
Well If tonight is my night to die, l
will die"
He had no sooner spoken than the re-
port of the shotgun was heard, and Davis
staggered and fell to the ground, saying
as he fell:
well that's all right"
He never spoke after that. Those near
the place ran to him as quick as they
could, but he was unable to talk when
they reached him. He lived only two or
three minutes after the shot was fired.
and before any one had time to think
about the murderer or murderers they
were gone.
FILLED WITH BUCKsHOT.
Davis fell to the ground on his back.
and an examination of the body showed
that his breast had been filed with buck
shot from the gun. His breast was com
pletely covered with ugly holes made.by
the shot, and his shirt was saturated
with the blood that oozed from the wounds
before he died The coroner was
notified at once Of the killing,
as were also the police. The inquest will
be held this morning. The car lines and
other approaches to Thunderbolt were
watched last night, and a search was
made for the murderers, but no trace of
them could be found. They took to the
woods Immediately after Davis fell, and
before any one had arrived on the scene
of the killing, and it was thought by the
officers who were looking for them last
night that they had gone towards the
Isle of Hope.
DAVIS WAS UNARMED.
Just exactly why Quarterman did the
killing is not known. He is known to
have been a friend to Hunter, and took
his part in the disturbance chat preceded
the killing, but why he fired the fatal
shot is mystery. Davis was searched
just after his death, but no weapons of
any kind were found on him. and heis
thought to have been completely unarmed
during the difficulty. If he took Hunters
pistol he must have dropped it, or he
would have shot rather than have been
killed by Quarterman. Quarterman car
rled OF the shotgun with him, and it is
likely that Hunter got away with the
pistol, which they may want to use In
case they are too closely pursued
Quarterman is gingercake-colored
negro about six feet in hight. and about
IS years Of age. He lives on the dirt road
about mile from Thunderbolt, and is an
oysterer by trade. He has been in sew
eral rows at Thunderbolt and was known
as q pretty tough character at that place
On Sundays he was sometimes employed
In Augustus place as a waiter
Davis was a bright mulatto about 80
years OF ace and was a carponterby trade.
He came TO Savannah from Charleston
about two years and half ago.
Hunter and Quarterman are both known
to the police as bad and dangerous charac-
ters.