The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-18
WILLIS BROWN MURDERED.
His Head Filled With Shot From His
Own MuSket.

Eddie Davis Did the Shooting With
out Any Apparent Reason for His
Aotion-The Probable Result of a
Quarrel the Day Before-Davis' Fa-
Their Tried to Secure Him, But He
Made His Escape-The Coroner's
Jury Says the Killing Was Murder.
Eddie Davis shot and killed Willis
Brown near the fve-mile bend on the
Central railroad, at a place known as
Biscuit hill, about 3 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. Both parties are negroes.
The story of the killing, which from all
indications was a cold-blooded murder,
did not reach the city until after 9 O'Clock
yesterday morning, some eighteen hours
after it was committed, so that the guilty
party had ample opportunity to escape.
It seems that Lee Davis, Willis Brown
and Davis Solomons, three negroes, who
were cutting brush for the government,
quit work during the morning and part of
the afternoon and went home with the
intention of going shooting after dinner.
Willis Brown left the house to cut some
wood before he went hunting, and two
or three men went with him. Lee
Davis Eseemed impatient to get off,
and went into the woods, where he
found the men sitting down, talking and
laughing.
THE ASSASSIN APPROACHES.
Without any knowledge OF those pres
emit, Eddie Davis came through the
bushes and, turning to Brown, said:
What kind of a - lie is it you told
on met" and before Brown could make
any reply Davis picked up Browns gun,
which was lying close by, and deliber-
ately fired at Brown, the load entering
his brain. Browns death was almost in
Simultaneous.
Lee Davis, the father of the murderer,
Jumped on his son and held him down
asking one of the men standing by to keep
him while he went for rope to tie him.
When the father had left Davis, by
threatening 10 use a weapon in some man
ner, broke away from the man who was
holding him and succeeded in making his
escape.
The woods were thoroughly searched
and word sent to the city, but up to a late
hour last night he was still at large.
No REASON PoR THE CRIME.
There seems to be absolutely no reason
for the commission of the crime. and as
far as can be ascertained there has been
no animosity between the two men.
Eddie Davis does not bear a very savory
reputation, and is known as a pretty
tough character in the settlement near
the scene of the murder
Coroner Dixon was notified of the kill
ing, and went out early yesterday morn
ing TO hold an inquest. The murderers
father gave very vivid description of
the shooting, which was substantiated by
all the witnesses examined.
When the coroner arrived he found the
dead body Of Brown at the foot of the
stump, on which he was cutting at the
time when the deed was committed
When all the testimony was heard the
jury brought in the following verdict
willis Brown came to his death by
gunshot wound inflicted by gun in the
hands Of Eddie Davis, and we consider it
murder"
Detective Morgan went out to the scene
OF the killing as soon as news of it was
brought to the so icitor's office, which was
shortly after 30 clock yesterday morning
Davis had made good his escape, however,
and he could learn nothing of his whore
abouts.