The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-17
DIED WITHAKNIFE IN HIS HAND
JAMES BEATTY STABBED TO DEATn
BY NORRIS BROWN.

NaENeA AT arm ana " tAAAAh
streets-The Victim Pound Dead IA
A Lane 300 Yards From Where III
Was stabbed.
James Beatty was stabbed to death last
night by Norris Brown, both colored
The stabbing occurred al the corner OF
Farm and William streets. and Beatty
died In Guerard street lane. some dis
tance away. Morris Brown and Barlow
Thomas. who was with him at the time
are under arrest at the barracks Brown
is charged with murder and Thomas is
held as a witness.
Judging by the statements of the wit
nesses. the killing was entirely cause
less. There was some provocatiou. but
Brown appears 10 have been in the wrong
from the beginning. Assistant Chief
Reilly was at the market about o'clock,
when he was approached 10y Thomas,
who was out Of breath and evidently
frightened Thomas informed him that a
man had been badly cut in Yamacraw,
and offered to point out the man who
did the cutting. Lieut. Reilly sent Po-
liceman Neidlinger with Thomas. The
latter conducted the officer to room in
Congress street lane, between Mont
gomery and West Broad streets. where
Brown lived lie was found in the room,
and was evidently making prepare lions
to leave town. He was placed under
arrest and sent to the barracks, and
Thomas was sent along as a witness.
Lieut. Reilly at once proceeded to in
vestigate the affair. and finding that
Beatty was dead and that Thomas had
had a hand Ia The killing, telephoned to
the barracks TO hold Thomas to await the
:coroner's Investigation.
chief McDermo,t was at the barracks
when the report Of the murder was
brought there, and understanding that
Brown was from Murray Hill. s. c.. he
anticipated that he would attempt to make
his escape in that direction he accordingly
ordered the policemen on duty on Bay
street 20 the different docks on River
street with orders to prevent anyone from
crossing by boat until further instruc-
tons. Phe precaution was a wise one,
though It proved unnecessary.
Beatty was found lying dead at Guerard
street lane and New street, where he had
fallen after running about 500 yards after
being stabbed. Steven Stevens and Bar
tow Thomas were the first to come up to
him. Thomas told the story TO Lieut..
Reilly Policemen Crimmins. Downing
and Barret, who We're on duty in the
neghborhood, all arrived on the scene
shortly. Coroner Goette. who had been
notified from the police barracks, came
with Lieut. Reilly. A large crowd of ne
groes gathered. but was kept back by the
police. The narrow lane at the entrance
TO which Beatty fell was very dark and
lanterns had to be brought out for the
purpose Of examining the dead man.
fearful cash was found in his breast, the
wound being at least three inches across
and apparently several inches deep. From
the location of the wound in the middle
OF the upper part of the breast 1t was
concluded that the main artery leading
from the heart had been severed 1T was
thought that the breast bone was par
tauy severed, but the wound was not
closely examined.
The row began in c. II. Koeneman's bar
room at Farm and William streets. Steve
Stevens, who was the first man to reach
Beatty after he fell, and who was a wit
ness of the difficulty from the beginning.
told the best story of the affair.
There were a lot of us in kfr. Koene-
mans place about Is minutes TO S o'clock"
were there. Morris Brown came in He
had an envelope in his hand. He tore 1t
open and took out dollar and two quar-
tiers. He held up the money and began
cursing Mr.. Robert Snider, MIR. Johnson's
foreman, for whom he works Boys, do
YOU see this he said. This is what that
--- does, beating down "a mans wages
Mr.. Koeneman spoke to him and told him
he must not talk that way, that his wife
and children We're in the next room.
Brown then gave Mr. Koeneman cents.
which he owed him, and got back his
knife, which had been in pawn. 1t was
very large razor knife, one Of those knives
with no back to it. Brown kept on ours
ing Mr.. Snider, and Beatty who was
there, spoke TO him and told him he ought
not to talk that way. Brown then cursed
Beatty and Beatty struck him across the
mouth with his fist Thomas then put
in and his wife, Ella Thomas. Barlow told
Beatty that he couldn't hit him that way.
Barlow and Ella seemed to be aging the
night on. Barlow lead Beatty TO the door,
and the crowd followed and showed them
out. They then went across TO the other
corner. The crowd closed in on Beatty
and Morris stabbed him with a knife. 1
saw Beatty turn and run into the lane
with Morris and Barlow after him
cried out that the man was sta bbed
Realty ran about seventy-tive feet and
fell, and then got up and threw up his
arms. as if he was trying to prevent the
other two men from striking him. Then
he turned and ran on down the lane
When Beatty ran into the lane with Bar
tow and Norris after him, the crowd fol-
lowed, some of them crying out: XIII him.
kill the -. Morris ran off, but
1aade Barlow come down with me to
where Beatty was on the ground. As soon
as Barlow got good look at Beatty he
ran off"
Stevens said that the other negroes in
the neighborhood were very much in
censed against him for giving information
10 the police and that they had threat
ened to kill Kim. Several of those stand
ing around seemed to take exceptions to
his story and made frequent Interruptions
until driven away by the police. Stevens
said that the negroes did not like him,
anyway, as he acted as agent for Mr. r.
D. Guerard in that neighborhood He
asked that a policeman be allowed to es-
cort him to his home nearby, where he
said he could protect himself with his
shotgun. Policeman Scully was sent with
him to his house.
When Beatty was found he was lying on
his back with a large clasp knife in his
hand, showing that he had tried to defend
himself. He may have drawn the knife
8 Il. a.