The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-18
DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL BEATTY.
But TIRE CORONER's JURY TOOK =
DIFFERENT VIEW or 1T.

Morris Brown Held for the Murder or
James Beatty and harlow Thomas
Held uS Accessory-Thc Two Men
Tell different stories of the XIII
inE-Thc Facts brought Out at the
Inquest.
The coroner's Inquest yesterday morn
ing TO inquire into the cause Of the death
OF James Beatty resulted in a verdict Of
wilful murder az the hands of Morris
Brown. with Barlow Thompson as acces-
sory.
The evidence before the jury brought
out the story OF the killing as related In
yesterdays Morning News. There were a
number OF witnesses, but only four or five
were examined. Steven Stevens told the
same story which he told 10 Morning
News reporter on the night OF the kill
ing.
Susanna Myers was another important
witness She said that she was sitting on
the stoop Of her house around the corner
when she heard quarreling. She went
around to see what was the matter AS
she got up to the crowd, she saw Beatty
back out Of the crowd and saw Brown
follow him up and strike him with a knife
The blow knocked Beatty down. He got
up and ran with Brown in pursuit and
Barlow Thompson and the rest Of the
crowd following crying Kill him.
Beatty ran about 100 feet and fell. As he
got up Brown, who was close on him,
struck at him again with the knife. Beatty
ran down Guerard street lane, with Brown
following him. Presently Brown and
Thompson came back together. She heard
Thompson say to Brown: IF he had hit
me like he hit you / would be stOmping
him yet" Brown said 70 the crowd: You
people may take me for a soft thing. but
/ viii fix some of you yet" A boy came
up then and said that there was a man
cut TO death down the lane. Brown then
walked of with Thompsons wife. Thomp-
son went down the lane with the crowd.
but when be heard Stevens say that
Beatty was dead he turned back and went
or
Ella Richards saw the crowd quarreling
She saw Thompson put his finger against
Beatty's nose, and tell him that il was a
good thing that he didn't strike him as
he had struck Brown.
Mr.. Koeneman identified the knife
which was taken from Brown by the police
as the one which Brown had redeemed
from him just as the row began. He also
testified as to the beginning OF the row in
his place. The Knife is a dangerous look
ing weapon, with blade four inches long
anu DlQdQ anu AedNN. 1HEIt were DlQ0u
stains on the point. The jury was not long
in making up its verdict.
A Morning News reporter saw Brown
and Thompson at the jail yesterday after |
noon. Brown said:
Il worked for Mr. Frank johnson. ] |
Grew my money about o'clock Satur- |
day night, and went to Koeneman's bar |
room. where / had pawned my knife for
a stick Of wood. l began cursing the fore |
man, Mr.. Robert Snider, saying that he /
had not treated me right and would not |
let me work"
Brown said I'm explanation of this and |
subsequent statements made by him that /
work was slack in the dray business and |
the men were not working regularly. He /
thought the foreman did not like him and
was not giving him a fair show at the
work. He also said that he thought his
fellow employees had conspired against
him and carried tales to Mr.. Snider about
him to prevent him from getting work.
koeneman's place was "a sort of head
quarters for the draymen in that locality,
he said. and this was the reason he spoke
as he did there. He had been drinking,
he said.
"Mr. Koeneman ordered me to stop
cursing there" he said. Beatty then !
hauled of and struck me in the mouth. |
I don't know whether we had had any
words before that or not Beatty said
that wasn't all he would do. l walked
out of the store and across the street. |
Beatty followed me. ] struck him with
my fist and knocked him down. | then
walked off. He followed me with his knife
in his hand. Another man with him had
a brick. made a lick at Beatty with my
knife not intending TO kill him. ] was
drinking and did not know how hard l
struck him. He ran and / followed him
into the lane. j then came back and |
went to Barlow Thompsons house Bar
4. IL
said that Beatty was dead. We then
came down West Broad street together
to Congress street. where he left me !
went to my room and went to bed / was
asleep when Barlow came back with two
policemen and had me arrested. / had
no intention of running away. 1 had
known Beatty for nine or ten years and
had never had any trouble with him be-
fore"
Brown said he is 42 years old. but has no
family. He was born in Edisto, S. c..
and came to Savannah about thirty years
ago.
Thompson's story differed considerably
from that told by Brown. He is a man
of about the same age as Brown. Beatty
had been living with him for the last
four or five years and it was to his house
that the body was carried Saturday night.
Il was in Mr.. Koeneman's place about
O'clock" he said. 81 had just come
from work. Beatty asked me to have a
drink. Beatty had been drinking.
said I would take cigar. 1 had Just
taken my cigar when Norris Brown
came in. He had an envelop in his hand
with $3.50 in it. He held it up an said,
You see now, here's what that damned
old gray headed paid me- i told
him to shut up-not to curse that man
that way. Beatty said, Morris, shut up.
what the are you talking about He
and Beatty got to quarreling and Morris
started to cursing him. / told him not to
be cursing and carrying on that way
Mr. Koeneman ordered him to shut up
or go out: that he would put him out if
he didn't stop cursing in his place 1
told 'em to get outside and showed 'em
all out the door. Morris jumped outside
and said, You see how that man struck
me. 1 said 20 Beatty, James, If you
don't shut up I'll strike you in the mouth
Come on away from here Go on he
said, If / wasn't under obligations to you
I'D knock you in your mouth l told him
to come on away, not to have any fuss
He pulled back and L left him and went
across the street. He and Morris COM