The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-28
A BULLET IN HER BRAIN.
JOHN MEINCKE KILLS MAMIE NER-
RIFT BY A PISTOL SHOT.

There Are Several stories of the
Observation-Disclosures Says IL Was En-
tireiy Accidental-He Was Distrac-
ted over what He Had Done, hut
Protested He Did Not Intend TO Do
It-Friends of the Dead Woman Say
IL Was Done Deliberately, But DO
Not Assign Any Cause.
John Meinclle. young white man about
p years old, shot and killed Mamie Mer-
rift, a bright colored mulatto woman, in
the house on the northwest corner OF
Hun and Houston streets last night about
II O'Clock
According TO one story. the shooting
was entirely accidental. and accOrdingato
another 1t was deliberate. though with
out any apparent reason or cause.
Meincke, according TO the statements
made by the women in the house had
been intimate with the girl he shot for
something like four or five years. Last
night he went to the house shortly before
II O'Clock and called for her. She was up
stairs at the time. but soon came down
with another girl, Ella Bland. and just
here the stories diverge.
The three sat down before the fire in the
front room, Meincke being on the right
and the Merritt woman i'm the middle but
turned toward him. He took his pistol
from his pocket, there was a shot, and
the Merritt woman fell over on the floor
dead. She died almost instantly the ball
having penetrated her skull and brain just
above the left eye and cutting right
through the middle of the eyelash. She
was dead almost before any assistance
could he given.
Mencke ran to Annie Howard. the ne
gro woman who keeps the house, crying
out that he had shot Mamie, and asked
her to take him to the barracks. The
woman. thinking he still had the pistol,
from which she had heard the explosion,
thought more of preservation and en-
deavored to get out of the way. Meincke,
however was in earnest about going to
the barracks, and started off in that di-
rection almost in run. He was met on
South Broad street near the barracks by
Policeman John Farrell, whom he told
what he had done, and the policeman
took charge of him.
At the barracks Meincke was almost
hysterical The shooting seemed to have
upset him completely. He was sitting
down on the floor in one of the cells cry
system had been shattered. He was evil
IDENTIFY in earnest, feeling very bad I'M
doubtedly over what had happened All
he could say between gasps and sobs was
that he didn't mean to do it. that it was
entirely accidental and that he didn't
know where he had shot the girl or that
she was dead until he was told so. He
stated that he was sitting before the fire
place when she came into the room, and
that he had just taken his pistol out of
pocket
as she entered. Somehow or other it
caught in something but just what it was
woman fell TO the floor. Further than
this he could say nothing. Meincke was
evidently serious in his statement and
belief that the shooting was accidental.
He was not drunk and il is stated is a
man who drinks very little.
The fact that the women living at the
house can assign no apparent cause for
the shooting would seem to lend more color
to Meincke's statement, though the wo-
men who claim to have seen the actual
shooting declare that it was deliberate.
A negro girl named Ella Bland said she
was sitting on the left of the fireplace
at the time and that Mencke asked the
Merritt woman where she had been as
soon as she came down.
I've been in my room" was the reply,
she said.
mo, you've not"
Yes. l is. Johnnie" was the retort
Mamie, I'm going to shoot you" was
Don't shoot" both the women cried
out at the same time.
I'm going to do it," he said, drawing
the pistol from his pocket and firing it,
This is the conversation that the Bland
woman says took place, though the How
ard woman does not claim to have heard
any of it, and she was sitting on the
staircase in the next room with the door
open between the two rooms. She did
something that was said, and lookins
around, saw Meincke point the pistol ana
heard a shot which she first thought was
hrecracker. She said Mencke came
running to her crying out that he had
shot Mamie. and didn't mean to do in
and asked her to take him to the bar
racks She was afraid he was going to
shoot again, and tried to get out of the
way.
The dead woman was bright mulatto
about = years old: She came here from
AsheVille, n. c.. about four or five years
ago, and the other women in the dive
say that Meincke has been intimate with
her ever since.
Coroner Goette was at the scene of the
shooting shortly after ii took place He
neSseS Tor the inquest which will be held
this morning. The body was removed
from the house. The affair caused CON
siderable excitement in the ncighborhood
and during the night was all the talk of
that quarter of the city Few peoDle he
malicious, and those who investigated the
case are rather inclined to the opinion
that the shot was not fired intentionally
1t will, however, be fully investigated be-
fore the coroner this morning.
Meincke is of German extraction about
a store in Yamacraw at Farm and Bryan
streets. The two have run this place for
the benefit of their family ever since their
fathers death.