The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-01
HAD A RIGHT TO KILL HIN.
The COTOnu'S Jury Says the Shooting
Of Harris Was Unsuitable.

w 4Lu harris = Aob A@E@NA q 80 " S~N
Killed the Only Witness-Her Tes-
tinony Contradiotory-The Negroes
Excited over the killing.
The inquest on the body Of Eddie Har-
ris. who was killed by Policeman Nc
CURE near the Montgomery cross roads,
eight miles south OF the city, Friday
afternoon, was held at the coroner's
Office yesterday morning.
The jury was composed as follows: D.
J. Quinan, foreman, w. II. Wall, j. II.
Vaughan, W z. Bradley, Thomas Moffat
and George W. Titcomb.
Coroner Dixon stated that the body of
Eddie Davis. or harris, had been found
by him with a bullet hole in the side of
the small of the back the bullet having
come out under theright breast
SARAH THoMPsoN's STORY.
Sarah Thompson was the first and only
witness She said that, as near as she
could recollect, the killing occurred about
1o'clock Friday. She was on the road
with Harris at the time.
',HOw did it happenh she was asked
s'We stopped on the side of the road,
talking" she replied. I'VE were there
about an hour When we were about to
part, Eddie said he could not come to see
me until about Sunday. Before he could
turn to walk Off
Before you separated at all"
f'Yes, sir. just as we had finished
speaking the gun was fired. | did not see
any one but Mrs. Moore. AS the gun
fred he tumbled and fell. / ran to him
He was lying on his back ! thought he
had shot hin self as l saw pistol in his
left outside coat pocket. took the PTS
toll out and examined itand saw that there
were no empty shells in 1t. J LAID IL on
the ground and started 10 unbutton his
vest to see what was the matter Just
then this gentleman pointing to Police
man McGuire) ran out of the bushes
across the road. ] did not see him until
he got up to the body. de picked up the
pistol, and put it in his pocket ! said,
you shot this man; what did you shoot
him forl
TIE TALK WITH INQUIRE.
"He asked me how knew he shot him.
told him | knew that he shot him. He
asked me what the dead mans name was.
I said Ed Harris He asked me where
he lived. ! told him upon the county
ground He asked me what he was to
me; was he my husband. l told him
he was not. He then asked
if he We're my brother. I said no. He
then asked what l had TO do with it, l
told him had a heap to do with it; that
Davis was a man who came to see me-"
The witness then identified a pistol
which was produced as the one which had
belonged to Harris. The pistol is of the
American bulldog pattern, 80 calibre.
How far did you have to run 10 get to
Harris" she was asked.
about six yards"
Several questions were asked by the
1urymen.
SAW THE PISTOL IN HIS POCKET.
ibid you see the pistol in Harris pocket
before he was shotin
Yes
why did he carry a pistol7"
''He lived on Grays Island and had to
travel in the night
In answer to questions the witness said
Harris had been back from the peniten-
tiary year. He had served two years in
the penitent iary, she said, but she did
not know what for
You say he was home all the week2"
Eyes. sir -
tol?"
"To protect himself"
The witness was positive that she was
looking right at Harris when the shot
was fired No one else was present, she
said, except Mrs. Moore, who was about
100 yards away.
81 ran up after the shooting" said the
witness in conclusion, conuadicting her
previous statement that she had been
close by when the shooting occurred.
The impression created by the woman's
testimony was that she was not telling
straightforward story
M'GUIRE's STATEMENT.
Policeman Mcclure made a statement
without being sworn He told his
story in a straightforward manner.
his statement was exactly in line with
that made by him to a MORNING NEWS
reporter and published in Yesterdays
MORNING NEWS. He said he would not
have shot the man, but he drew his pis-
tol and jumped for a tree. He
did not take time to consider whether
it was Smalls or not, as he felt that
man who was desperate enough to draw
pistol and jump for tree instead of sur
rendering when there was a Winchester
pointed at his head was desperate enough
TO shoot him after getting behind the
tree.
THE JURY's VERDICT.
After considering the evidence short
while the jury brought in a verdict of
justifable homicide.
Tn e negroes at the Montgomery cross
roads are excited over the killing of
Harris. They are Joined in their feelings
by Others in the city. Many of them are
strong in their desire to have the
matter taken up by the courts.
Three or four of them, who were
apparently committee, self-con-
CbllukCQ VI ObItINlSG EdllGu al bIle ONCE
of the solicitor general yesterday and
asked to be allowed to go before the
grand jury, where they want to push the
matter and, if possible, prosecute the
policeman. Old man Harris, the grand
father of the deceased, was one of those
who was at the solicitor S Office. Mr. Fraser
told them that they would be accorded
that privilege, as they had just as much
right to make a complaint before the
grand jury as any other citizens He
told them that the grand jury of the su-
periOr court would meet next Thursday.
They will appear before that body and
present their case.
ACTED UNDER ORDERS.
Mayor McDonough said yesterday that
he has been in receipt of urgent personal
requests for the last several weeks from
persons living in the neighborhood of
Craigs store 10 send out officers to arrest
Smalls whom the parties stated posi-
lively they had seen in that neighbor-
hood. In response TO these requests a
party Of police was sent out over two
weeks ago. The party remained out two
nights and raided several houses, but
without discovering anything of i'm
portance
Parties living in the neighborhood con-
tnued TO report Smalls' presence and
finally faunaetad tbot nNffar Aa,I,,s.,