The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-08
SHOT By A FLEEING THIEF.
Detective HUMPHREYS Wounded by a
Fugitive Negro Burglar.

The Wound a Serious One - The
Shooting the Result of an Attempt
to Arrest A. B. Smalls.
Detective James HUMPHREYS was shot
and dangerously wounded by a. B.
Smans, a notorious burglar, who is
wanted for several recent robberies, in
Jones' field about o'clock last night. The
ball entered the left cheek, cutting the
facial artery, and passing downward
through the neck, coming out behind the
left shoulder II was taken from under
the skin by DR. Joseph d. Handy, who
dressed HUMPHREYS wounds.
Detectives Wetherhorn and HUMPHREYS
have been on Smalls trail for the last
two weeks. By means of the arrest of
Scott Childs, colored, yesterday morning,
they discovered what they had suspected
for some time, that Smalls was one of a
gang of thieves that has been engaged in
the numerous burglaries around the city
recently. Tt was this gang that burglar
tied w. B. Brannon's store, at West
Broad and Congress streets, and j. Row
linski's jewelry store on jefferson street,
about TWO weeks before Christmas, and
the store of Timer & Creameron Mont
gomery street, and Moses Gardner on
Harris street last week.
THE ROBBERS FENCE.
When Scott Childs was arrested yester-
day morning at his house, at No. Is Purse
street, the house was found filed with
the proceeds of the robberies, including
groceries and canned goods taken from
Timer & Creamer's, and watches and
jewelry which had been taken from Row
linski's There was also a shotgun be-
longing to Mr. Ulmer. Childs said that
his accomplices were Walter Wilson and
A. B. Smalls. Wilson was sent to the
gang for twelve months on Saturday for
chicken stealing.
Childs carried the detectives to the store
of E. J. Crane, the colored Ieweler on
Broughton street, where he said he had
left two of the watches TO be mended.
MIR. Rowlinsh recognized the watches as
two of those which he had lost in the rob
berry. He also recognized a third watch
which Crane said had been left by Smalls,
as another one Of those which had been
stolen from him.
After the detectives left the store
Crane sent boy to tell Smalls to come
for his watch.
ON THE WATCH FOR sMALLs.
Detectives HUMPHREYS and Wetherhorn
decided to arrest Smalls last night, and
secured a warrant from Justice Naughtin
for that purpose.
Smalls secured large amount of money
in the West Broad street robbery in De
cember, part of which he invested in a
small grocery business at No. l21f Jack
son street Detective Wetherhorn
went to this place and
waited for some time for
Smalls to appear. About o'clock he was
relieved by Detective HUMPHREYS, Wether-
horn going out to Childs' house on Purse
street, thinking he might find his man
there. Detective HUMPHREYS did not
know Smalls by sight and had with him
negro boy, who knew him, TO point him
out They had been at the place only a
short while when Smalls came up. He
caught sight of the detective, however,
and turned off suddenly commenced run
ming and yelling as If he were chasing a
dog or some other animal.
FIRED ON HIS PUBsUERs.
The detective and his spotter followed
him. Near the corner of Guilford and
jackson Streets which is on the edge of
Jones field, Smalls turned and fired at
the negro boy, who was about twenty-five
yards from him. The shot missed him,
but struck Detective HUMPHREYS, who
was several yards in his rear. After being
shot, HUMPHREYS walked from Jones' field
to McBride's saloon, at the corner OF
South Broad and Price streets.
Lu6 1OuuR6ES around bQe place
were considerably surprised when Hum
phries walked in holding his hand to his
check and the blood pouring from his
wound. Mcbride at once sent for ply
sician, and to the police barracks for the
ambulance. DR.. Handy responded and
dressed the wound after extracting the
ball, which was a 45 caliber. He then
sent the wounded man to the ambulance.
HUMPHREYS lost considerable blood and
was very weak when taken to the hos
pital. The wound is dangerous
one, but not necessarily fatal.
Detective HUMPHREYS has done
good work in breaking up the numerous
gangs of thieves that infest the city. and
he will receive general sympathy in his
misfortune.
GOOD DETECTIVE WORK.
Detectives HUMPHREYS and Wetherhorn
did good piece of work in breaking up
the gang to which Smalls belonged
Smals, Childs and Wilson were the
principal members of the gang, but are
believed to have had accompliees On
last Wednesday night Child s and Wilson
robbed Dreamer & Ulmer's grocery, at
81 Montgomery street. and on Saturday
night they robbed Moses Gardeners
grocery at No. l03 Whitaker street, Sc
curing from each place a quantity of pro
visions and small groceries. At Dreamer
& Ulmer's they also secured two guns.
wilson and ChlldS robbed j. ROwliu-
skis jewelry store on jefferson street.
about two weeks before Christmas, and
about the same time Smalls robbed Bran
mons grocery at West Broad and Congress
streets. He broke into the safe here, and
was said to have gotten a considerable
amount of money which he invested in a
grocery business of his own on the west
side of the city.
All three are Carolina negroes. Smalls
served a term in the Carolina peniten-
tiary from Charleston, and Childs was
sent to the penitentiary for two years
from Barnwell county. Wilson is also
from Barnwell county. Wilson has Just
begun to serve a twelve months term on
the Chatham county chain-gang for
chicken stealing. Solicitor General
Fraser will be requested to have him
brought back to the city for examination
as to his completely in the various rob
berries of which he is accused by his COM
paniOns. II is very likely that he will
serve the county for longer than year
Mime. Chastanet Dead.
Nine. F. G. Chastanet died at the resi-