The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-24
TWO SHOT AND WILL DIE.
Love and Jealousy End in Attempted
Murder and Suicide.

Howard Shot Himself Rather Than
Meet the Punishment He Knew
Would Follow if He Lived-The
Shooting a Bold one-Both Victims
Still Living Last Night, but Likely
to Die at ANY Time.
A most peculiar case of love and zeal
ousy in cOlored life terminated yesterday
morning in a shooting that is almost Ger
tain to prove fatal for both the man and
woman concerned.
Sometime between 10 and II O'Clock
Robert Howard a mulatto, went to tine
rear gate of the residence of MIR. Inger-
soil Washbur No. s. Henry street, and
knocked. The gate was opened by Grace
Rhodes, to whom Howard called. After a
few words, the woman seeing pistol in
his hand ran toward the steps. Howard
fred two shots at her and two more as
she was going up the steps, one of which
struck her in the back just below the left
shoulder and entered her lung She
reached the house, ran through the din
ing room and fell to the floor in the hall
way.
FOLLOWED her UP THE STEPS
When the first two shots were fired Mr.
Washburn ran to the back yard. AS he
reached the top of the steps the third
shot was fired, and it came near striking
him. 1t hit the side of the house, and
glancing, struck a gutter pipe. The
fourth shot is the one supposed to have
taken effect When the woman ran into
the house Howard followed her up to the
window of the dining room, where Mrs.
Washburn and her children were, and it
was all Mr.. Washburn could do to pre-
vent him from firing at the woman again
right there.
he HIMSELF WAS TIRED OF LIFE.
While he went to look after the woman
who had fallen in the hall Howard went
into the kitchen and fired one shot into
his own body. This not proving sufi-
cient to accomplish his suicide.
he went into the yard, where
he is supposed to have loaded
his pistol again, as it was only a five
chamber revolver. 1t was found empty.
and it is believed he put two more more
cartridges into it, both of which were
fired into his body entering his breast
just above the heart This must have
been the case as three bullet wounds
were found on his body, two in his breast
inst above the heart, aud one in his left
shoulder.
FELL EXHAUSTED IN THE LANE
He managed to get up the steps into the
kitchen, dropping his pistol at the top of
the steps He went into the kitchen and
dropped to the floor laying there for
awhile, and as MIR. Washburn came out
again he started for the yard, trying TO
pick up his pistol as he passed it. Mr.
WaShburn secured the pistol, however
md afterward turned it over to Police
man Masters. Howard made his way
down into the yard and out the back gate,
reaching the lane, where he fell ex-
hausted
The woman was taken into her room In
small house Just in the rear of Mr.
Washhurn's residence, and Policeman
Masters telephoned for the ambulance, in
Which Howard was taken to the Georgia
lntrmary, where his wounds were dressed
by the attending physician. DR. j. G.
FARRELL was called to attend the woman
and after dressing her wound which was
severe one, had her removed to the in
Urinary in the afternoon.
WANTED TO LIVE WITH HER.
Howard, it seems. was enamored of the
woman and wanted her to live with him.
This, it is said, she refused to do unless
he married her, and he being married
could not do so. She repulsed his atten-
tons, which seemed to make him furious
at times, and he sought her out Yesterday
morning, it seems, with the deliberate
purpose of getting from her a favorable
answer or putting an end to both her life
and his. They had some words at the
gate which did not give him satisfaction;
the pistol was d rawn which frightened
her, and she ran, with the result stated
SAYS SHE NEVER LIVED WITH HIM
The woman denies that she ever lived
with Howard, and states that at one
time she was boarding in the same house
with hlm, when he constantly annoyed
her by his attentions She says she has
never lived with him as his wife. and
WhlIe he wanted her to do so, she told him
she would not unless they were married
Howard being already married, this was
impossible, but he wanted her to live
with him anyhow, and this, she says, she
positively refused to do.
SAYS HE WAS DEVOTED TO HER FOR FIVE
YEARS
Towards story differs from this ma
terlally He says he has been devoted to
this woman for seven years, that he has
spent his money on her, and that far
more than four years he lived with her as
husband and wife. About two months
ago, he stated, between gasps, as he lay on
what IS probably his dying couch.
he became i'll and her atten-
bAOuS W nun ceased. Nlen he re-
covered he found she was living with an
other man, ana that that man was wear
ing his clothes and using property that
belonged to him. This, he says, he could
not stand. He accused her of it, but She
denied it. Taking her word with half a
doubt. he says. he watched her for awhile
until he found that his suspicious had
been correct, and then he did not hesitate
as TO what course he would pursue
He states that he went to the house
where she was serving as cook with the
avowed purpose of getting from her a
favorable answer or shooting her and
then himself She would give him nc
satisfaction, and he did as he had pur.
posed.
FEARED LIFE MORE THAN DEATH.
Howard said the reason he shot himself
was that he feared punishment in this
life, Of which he was certain should he re.
main alive. He seemed to feal
the punishment of the law more
than that after death, and. as
he said, both were bound to follow
and as he did not know what that after
death would be- he preferred to risk that
and go straight to it. His only regret
was, he stated to those around his couch
that he had not struck his heart as he
intended and died at once He was suf
ferlng great pain yesterday afternoon
which did not seem IN bayo haep r,,,,,k