The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
SHE SHOT TO SAVE HER LIFE.
MRS. LAURA FLOYD FIRED FOUR
SHOTS AT HER HUSBAND.


He Was Advancing Upon Her With a
POIiceman's Club and, Though
warned 10 stop, Did Not Do Sos
He Advanced, still Threatening
Her. She Fired Four shots at Him.
one wound Is In His Arm and the
other i'm His Breast-She Came 30
the City and Gave Herself Up.
Don't come any nearer or viii fire."
/ called out Mrs. Laura Floyd 10 her hus-
band yesterday morning at about S
! o'clock. She was standing at the back
door OF their house near BlOomingdaIe.
and the words were addressed TO her
husband. who was advancing on her with
an uplifted policeman's club.
put down that pistol; III fix you
when get at you" called out the man,
cursing her and advancing. Mrs. Floyd
moved backward around TO the front
Of the house. Her husband stin followed.
curslng and menacing her with his club.
As she reached the front door Of the
| house. having retreated half way around
the building, she pulled the trigger Of
the pistol she held and a stream Of fire
flashed forth. Then came another, and
another and another. till four shots had
been fired at the man, who still menaced
her with violence. At the third shot the
man turned. and as the fourth flashed he
ran into the house, calling to his younger
daughter. "Gertie, come out here and
see me; I'm shot in the arm"
Such is Mrs. Floyd's story Of her en-
counter with her husband. Half crazy
with excitement and fear, she said she
run over to her mothers house, hun
bred rods off, and told of the shooting.
On their advice she decided to come to
the city at once and see friends about the
matter She borrowed some clothes from
her mother, and taking team drove to
Bloomingdale, and then took the Central
railroad for this point. Arriving here,
she called on Justice Warning Russell, Jr.,
and informed him of all the facts. He
went with her to the solicitor generals
office, and to him she told the story,
that ended as first above narrated. She
was paroled in the custody of friends
here, and the authorities sent out to see
how badly Mr.. Floyd was hurt. 1t was
understood last night that the man was
hit in the left arm and in the breast
How badly could not be definitely ascer-
tanned.
A Morning News reporter saw Mrs.
Floyd in the afternoon. She is woman
Of medium hight, thin, with good, regu-
lar features, but with a careworn ex-
preston that was touching. Her hair was
dark, with many grey threads creeping
through 1t, while her thin hands and arms
showed that she was a hard worker. She
told her story simply, though worn on.
with anxiety about her younger child, Ger
tie who was left at her house with her
father. AS she told of the story and the
brutalities heaped upon her, the tears
oil a Il
in her intense grief and anxiety.
This is an awful thing" said she, in
beginning, but if the people knew what
l had undergone they would pity me, /
am sure. Mr.. Floyd and have been mar
ried seventeen years, and for many years
he has done nothing but abuse me. Time
ana time again has he abused me and
struck me. one time he knocked me down
with chair. He curses me at all times
right before the children.
Now, as to this shooting" and her eyes
glistened with half-suppressed tears, I'VE
have a COW that is hard to milk 1 have
MIXED her sometimes when he was alb
sent, but it's awful hard work for me-
This morning, when l was getting ready
for the house scrubbing my husband was
on the porch doing nothing. He called to
me to come out and milk that COW. 1
said that 1 was busy and for him to do
1t, as he wasn't doing anything. He re-
piled with a curse, and told me roughly
to come out at once and milk the COW,
or he would know the reason why. said
1 wouldn't go, as he could do the work,
as he wasn't busy. He cursed me then
and started for his room. He got a billy
there, the same that he used to have
when he was a Waterman at the mill over
there. He caught that up and was COM
ing toward me. Gertie, my youngest
daughter tried to prevent him and inn
plored him to stop. l ran into my SON
in-law's room, and seeing a revolver upon
his stand, seized ii and ran out the back
door, My husband followed me, ours
ing and threatening me. He held the club
uplifted, and said he would split my head
open if he caught me. l turned when l
got out of doors, and as became up warn
ed him not to come any nearer. He still
came along, threatening me. l retreated
till we had come around to the front
of the house. Here he came up nearer to
me, and, being afraid that he would strike
me-" and here the poor woman sobbed
half Historically, II raised the pistol up
and pulled the trigger four times. He
ran into the house. and l ran over to my
mothers, and then came here"
Afterwards, in speaking of the matter,
Mrs. Floyd said that her husband had
often threatened her life. He said before
her children last week, so she stated,
that if it wasn't for the law he would
kill her then. Mrs. Floyd stated that he
drank a good deal of whisky and lauda-
mum, and was always cursing and abus-
| ing her. He worked at Flannery's mill
here in this city till three months ago.
| They wePe married seventeen years ago.
de was widower and she was a widow.
/ They live two miles above Blooming
| dale, which is twelve miles from Savan-
nah, on the Central railroad.
| Mrs. Floyd's relatives, who with her
| yesterday, corroborated all her stories,
and told of many cruel acts said to have
been perpetrated by Mr.. Floyd. 1t is a
sad case and Mrs. Floyd feels her posi-
ton keenly. AS soon as the condition
| of Mr.. Floyd can be ascertained the So
! licitor general will act in the matter.