The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-15
MURDER OR SUICIDE.
William Blake Killed by a Knife
Wound in the Neck.

Had a Quarrel With His Wife, After
Which He Gut Her in the Breast.
Caught in the Door as He Went Out
by Her Father and Brother-The
Women Say He Game to the House
With the Intention of Killing His
Wife and Then Himself-Jesse Burke
and William Davis Arrested on Sus-
picion That They are Responsible for
the Crime.
William Blake, colored truck driver,
died at an early hour this morning from
a stab in the throat, inflicted according
to one story by himself, and according to
another by either Jesse Burke or William
Davis, who were scuflling with him about
the time it occurred.
Blake, up to last Monday lived
with his wife, Evelina Blake,
on the northeast corner of the
Ogeechee road and Lavinia street. She
refused to live with him any longer on
advice Of a physician, and her stepfather,
Jesse Burke told Blake, he would have to
pay his board or leave the house.
Accordingly he departed peacefully last
Monday
Last night he returned to the house
and entered it at the same time as did
William Davis her brother He had been
around town early in the evening andu it
is supposed was somewhat under the in
fuence of LIQUOR. AT any rate, he went
to bis wite's room and began converse
tion with her.
QUARREL WITH HIS WIFE.
According to Davis story, he left the
house for a few minutes, and when he re-
turned Blake and his wife
were in the midst of a
spirited quarrel. This was about IL
O'Clock. Davis went went upstairs and
was in the room with his mother aud
father, while Blake was standing III the
door calling to his wife, who was in an
other room, to come out and go
downstairs with him, which she
refused to do. While this discus
sion was going on Davis, asserts, he went
down stairs.
The quarrel continued for a few min
utes when Blake started down stairs,
calling to his wife, who stood at the head
of the stairs to come and kiss him good
by, saying he would never trouble her any
more. This she refused to do, and called
to him TO come to her He
went up and followed her into her room,
asking her to kiss him good-by, which she
refused to do.
CUT HER IN THE BREAST.
The evidence is that Blake then whipped
out knife and slashed her across the
left breast, infiicting an ugly but not dan
gerous wound.
The woman's cries attracted the atten-
ton of the Others in the house as Blake
was going downstairs. Burke followed
Blake, and Davis, who was down stairs,
ran to the door, which he partly closed,
just as Blake reached it, with Burke be-
hind him. Davis says Blake came down
with a knifeanda stick in his hand.
PROBABLY CUT IN THE TUssLE.
Then tussle ensued among the three,
Blake trying to escape and Davis and
Burke holding him in the door. 1t is
supposed that the cutting occurred just
at this juncture.
Robert Morris, constable at Justice
Endres' court, was near at hand, and
coming up took hold Of Blake and carried
him over to the magistrates office. When
he arrived there the cut was first noticed,
and Blake beganamuttering he was cut.
DR. Sheftall was sent for and said
the negro would die in an hour. officer
Kavanaugh, who assisted in making the
arrests, said when he left the Justices
office Blake was dead.
Justice Eadres went over to the house
and arrested both Davis and Burke, stat
ing that Blake was cut and they were
charged with having hand in it. Both,
of course, denied all knowledge of how
the cutting occurred.
SAID IT WAS A SUICIDE.
Policeman Murphy, who was in that sec
| ton, summoned the patrol wagon in which
| Detectives Hanley and Bossell and Police
| men kavanaugh and Sheehan went out.
| Burke and Davis we're brought in and
| placed in the barracks. Both claim to
| know nothing about how -Blacke was cut,
stating that if he was cut he must
have cut himself
| The story the women tell makes Blakes
| death case of suicide. Lizzie Burke, her
| mother and Blake's wife, both stated TO
! the officers that just before he cut his
! wife, Blake said he came out there
that after cutting her he started down
neck. This looks like a fish story,
with two men with a cut two
or three inches deep just under his wind
pipe. Blake, it is said, did not live more
than an hour after the cutting occurred.
! The knife with which the cutting was
done could not be found
1t is possible that it may have been his
! intention to have a tragic romance by
killing his wife and then himself, after
asking her to kiss him good. by; but it is
! believed by those who were near by at
the time, that he cut the woman and was
! given his death blow by one of her rela-
! tives as he was trying to escape The
woman's wound is not serious one.