The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-16
DAVIS VICTIM IS DEAD.
RaWlS Dies From the Shock Of a
Surgical Operation.

Three Hours Under the surgeon s
Knife-The Shock too Great for His
Physical Systematic Physicians
Gave Him No Assurance ofRecovery
William NJ. Rawls, who was shot by
Lemuel Davis on West Broad street Fri
day morning, April . died at the Savan-
nah hospital at midniyht last night.
The immediate cause Of Rawls' death
was the physical shock resulting from an
operation performed by his physicians
yesterday afternoon 10 relieve an aneu-
rism Of the common lilac artery.
The physician had little hope at the
time that Rawls would survive the opera
ton and so stated. but they did not seem TO
expect that his death would occur imme-
diately. The operation was necessary 10
relieve the aneUrism which might prove
fatal at any moment.
For several days after he was removed
to the Savannah hospital Rawls pro
crossed favorably, and appeared to be on
the road to rapid recovery. On Friday,
however, his physicians discovered that
q false aneurism of the common lilac
artery had developed, due to the bruising
of the artery by the bullet which passed
through the groin.
AN ANEURIsM FORMED.
An aneurism, as DR.. w II. Elliott ex-
planned at the hospital yesterday after
noon, is the result of the dtstention of an
artery by its becoming gorged with blood,
the walls of the artery forming the walls
of the aneurism. A false aneurism is
where the walls of the artery gave away
and the flesh forms the wall of the aneur-
ism The latter is what occurred in Mr..
Rawls' case
The physicians realized at once the Sc
rious nature of the development and the
members of Rawls family were notified
that an operation would be necessary to
ligate the artery. They were informed
that the operation was a very dangerous
one and liable to result fatally, particu-
larry as the location Of the
of access. 1t was the discovery
of this serious development in the case
that caused the rearrest of Davis Friday,
after his release on bond the previous
day, certificate being given by DR.. r. G..
Norton that Rawls was in dangerous
condition.
A DANGEROUS OPERATION.
The physicians explained TO Rawls'
brothers that while there was no pros
pect of immediate fatal results from the
aneurism, if allowed to remain,
fatal result would be certain, and
should the aneurism burst he would
bleed TO death in three minutes.
Mr.. Rawls' brothers told the ply
sicians that the case was in their
hands, and that it was for them TO go
ahead and do what they thought best.
The operation was performed at the hos
pital yesterday, beginning at noon and
consumed three hours. DIR. w. II. Ell
liot was the chief operator, assisted by
Drs. Duncan Charlton; Owens, r. G.
and W. E. Norton. DR.. NJ. L. Boyd was
present by request of the family.
MIR Rawls was conscious at the
beginning Of the operation and under
stood its serious nature He was, of
course, placed under the influence of an
aesthetics during the operation. The
hemOrrhage was very severe, the guam
tity of blood lost being very heavy 1t
was necessary to tie the artey in six diff
ferent places before the hemorrhage
could be stopped.
STOOD THE OPERATION WELL.
The common lilac artery of the body is
the femoral artery of the thigh, being the
same artery under different names ac-
cording TO It's location Mr. Rawls bore
the operation well, and rallied rapidly at
its close. He was resting in a sort of
stupor when MORNING News
reporter called at the hospital His
physicians said that the circula-
ton in the leg being entirely
cut on by the femoral artery, it rested
with nature to restore the circulation by
way of the minor arteries.
For several hours after the operation
Rawls appeared to be rallying, but
shortly before midnight he began to sink
rapidly and died at exactly - o'clock.
his three brothers, who are in the city
and who have watched by his bedside
ever since he was removed to the hos
pital, were with him at the time of his
death.
Rawls was young man of SPLEEN
did physical appearance and of a
lovial, hearty temperament. He had
lived 10 the city for several years, being
employed as a clerk at the Central rail
road. He was son of Hon. Morgan
Rawls, of Eftingham county, and was
about 80 years old. He had many friends
in the city, who will regret to hear of his
sad death. number of his friends
called at the hospital yesterday TO in
quire as to his condition.
WHAT LED TO THE TRAGEDY.
Davis and Rawls had been very friendly
with each other for a long time Recently
Davis began TO Suspect Rawls of being too
intimate with his wife He forbade his
wife from seeing Rawls, but she persisted
in doing so against his wishes, coming out
on the stoop to speak to Rawls on his way
to work. On the night before the shoot.
ing Davis discovered his wife writing a
nate to Rawls, and he at
tempted to take it from her.
She resisted and succeeded in chewing UP
and swallowing the note Davis called
in physician and had him TO give his
wife an emetic, which brought up pieces
of the note. Davis attempted to preserve
these, but his wife succeeded in destroy.
ing most of them. Davis and his wife
had very bitter quarrel, he openly
charging her with intimacy with Rawls
THE FATAL MEETING.
The next morning about $3.50 O'Clock
Rawls was on his way to the Central
railroad wharf. Davis was standing on
his stoop at No. 2715 West Broad street
Rawls was on the opposite side of the
street. Davis called to him to come over
that he wished to speak TO him Rawls
went across the street, and Davis charged
him with receiving note from his wife
This Rawls denied. The charge was
again made and again denied, and ther
Davis fred three shots rapidly al
Rawls from IS caliber pistol
The first shot made a slight
wound in the left side Of the head. One
of the other two shots struck Rawls in
the right side of the abdomen near the
hip bone and passed across the body in q
downward direction coming out in the