The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-07
PUT THREE BULLETSN HIN
William RaWlS Shot Down in the
Street By Lem Davis.


Condition Davis Wife Swallowed
a Letter Said to Have Been Written
to Rawls and Then Took Laudanurl.
An Emetio Brought Up Both-Story
of the Tragedy.
William NJ Rawls was shot. and per
haps fatally, by Lemuel Davis yesterday
morning at $3.50 o'clock at the corner Of
West Broad and BrouEhyon streets.
Both men are well known. Rawls is q
son of Hon. Morgan Bawls, Of the United
States agricultural department Davis
is well-known barber and chiroVodist,
and has an Office at No. so Bull street
The shooting was on account Of az
intimacy which Davis believed 10 exist
between his wife and Rawls Davis lives
at No. 27l5 West Broad street. second
door from the corner Of Zubly street.
Rawls boards on State street. and is en-
ployed as a clerk at the Central railroad
wharf. He was coming down the east
side of West Broad street on his way to
his work at the wharf yesterday morning.
CALLED HIM TO HIS HOUSE.
As he came opposite Feeley's stables
Davis, who was standing on his stoop on
him to come over, saying he wanted to
speak to him. Rawls crossed to where
Davis stood. The latter charged him
with interchanging notes with his wife,
which Rawls denied. Davis repeated
the charge and Rawls called him liar.
Davis then drew his pistol and
common ced firing. Rawls was standing
In the gutter with one foot on the curb
stone The first bullet is believed to have
struck him in the groin on the right side.
Rawls began backing away from Davis,
and partially turned, presenting his left
side. DAVIS fired two more shots, one
striking Rawls in the left side above the
hip, and the other in the right side of the
head After firing the third shot, Davis
turned and went into his house and closed
the door.
STAGGERED INTO THE STREET.
Rawls, who had staggered out to the
middle of the street, did not fall, but at
tempted to make his way toward Young
love & Goodman's stable, at the foot of
Broughton street. MIR. Goodman, who
had heard the shots, ran out and seeing
Rawls covered with blood. caught hold of
him and assisted him to the stable. AS
Mr. Goodman reached Rawls, the latter
said
John, Lem Davis called me across the
street and shot me without giving me
showing"
He asked that DR. R. G. Norton be
sent for and Mr.. Goodman sent a boy on
horseback al once for the doctor The
wounded man bled profusely and tainted
before the doctor arrived. DIR. Norton
and his son DIR. w E. Norton, arrived in
a short while and gave their attention TO
hp m q roc f0 va
were applied and the blood was washed
from his wounds.
ONE BULLET CUT OUT.
The ball which penetrated the right
side OF the face was cut out behind the
ear, having passed about three inches un-
der the skin. The wounds in the side
and groin were probed for the bullets,
which had evidently penetrated inward
but without result The physicians were
satisfied that the bladder had been pene-
trated and quantity of bloody
water was drawn off. The wounds
were bandaged and Rawls was sent to
the Savannah hospital in the police am
bulance. DR.. W. H. Elliott, the Central
railroad surgeon, was called into consul
tation, and it was agreed to perform an
operation in the effort 10 locate the bull
let's in the afternoon. 1t was decided at
a consultation in the afternoon to which
DR.. Duncan was called, to postpone the
operation until to-day.
GAVE HIMSELF UP.
Great excitement was caused by the
shooting and a large crowd gathered in
front of YounglOye x GOodmans stable
in a short while. In the crowd were
several Central railroad policemen, who
were off duty The policemen were
called upon to arrest Davis and two of
them went to the door of his house. They
were told by his wife that he had gone to
the Jail to give himself up ana they did
not attempt to make any search.
The shooting was seen by T. J. Grice
who is employed at H. Traubs, on West
Broad street. Mr. Grices story agrees
with the statement already made. He
said he could see Rawls finch as each
shot struck him. He thought it was the
last shot that struck him in the head.
The shooting occurred shortly after
$3.50 o'clock. Twenty minutes later Davis
entered the Jail and gave himself up to
Assistant Jailer Strickland.
Il have Just shot man and want to
give myself up, he said.
REFUSED TO SEE ANY ONE.
Davis was evidently laboring under
great excitement, and spoke rather inco-
herently. He said that he had warned
Rawls to cease his attentions to his wife
and that he had promised to do so. but he
found he was continuing them Rawls'
IOuuuGU Lt1Q utANGu MIN 10 ueS-
peration, he said, and he had
shot him for breaking up his
home. Davis was placed in a cell on the
third floor. He asked that Hon r. q. Cu-
Bignon be sent for, which was done lie
held long conference with Mr. duBig-
non. Davis was in a very excited state
all day. His nerves seemed to have gone
all to pieces. He refused to see any
callers except his physician, Or. r. q.
Norton, who advised him 10 keep as quiet
as possible and converse with no one con
corning the affair. A MORNING News re-
porter called to see him at the Jail in the
afternoon. Davis sent down word, how
ever, that he did not wish to see any
one.
WHAT LED TO THE SHOOTING.
There is an interesting story leading VI
to the shooting. Davis and his wife had
very bad time Of it together Thu sday
night. Davis, SO a friend of his said yes
terday, began to suspect undue intimacy
between his wife and Rawls some time
ago. One night on coming home he me-
Rawls in the hallway. There was scene
between himself, his wife and Rawls. and
he used some very harsh language toward
the latter and ordered him not to come
there again The next morning he con
cluded that he had been unnecessa