The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-01
A FATAL TRIP TO BEAUFORT.
WILLIAM MOREL STAMPED To
DEATH By SAM MOODY.


Trying TO Keep Him Ont of Trouble.
Knocked Down and Jumped Upon
BY Moody with Both Feet-He Re-
turned to savannah and Died in the
street without Medical Attention.
No Attention Was Paid to Him he
cause IL Was Thought That He Had
Been Drinking.
William Morel, c0lored. died yesterday
morning at o'clock al the office of jus
tice Thomas J. Sheuan, on Bryan street
His death resulted from injuries inflicted
oy Samuel Moody. colored. al Beaufort
he night before
Joe Butler. a colored constable was with
Norel at the time Of his death. having
found him in the market basement tao
hours before. He had no idea OF the seri-
business Of the mans condition. attribut-
ing his Inconsistencies 10 liquor.
Morel and Moody were fellow excursion
lists on the steamer Gov. Stafford FOR Beau
fort Thursday. They were friends and
spent the day together. They drank consid-
erably. and Moody. who seems to have
been OF a quarrelsome disposition. got into
several difficulties. When the steamer was
ready to leave Beaufort about o'clock
Morel dragged Moody aboard The latter
INTO which he had just gotten with some
other negro and NIorel was acting the part
Of a friend in trying 10 keep him out OF
trouble.
Moody insisted on leaving the boat and
Morel persisted in his determination that
he should not leave. Moody succeeded in
breaking away from Morel. and Selling a
chair. dealt him d heavy blow upon the
head, knocking him fat upon his back.
He then jumped upon the PROSTATE man
and stamped him in the chest and stomach
for several minutes The bystanders made
little or no attempt to interfere. Moody is
a tail. powerful fellow. and il is no wonder
that he inflicted deadly injuries.
A policeman was called and arrested
Moody but released him and allowed him
to return to Savannah on the Vigilant
Morel lay upon the deck of the boat on the
return trip. groaning and splitting blood.
Very little attention seems to have been
paid to him by his fellow passengers and
on the arrival of the steamer in the city
at 1880 o'clock he was allowed to strag-
gle OFF alone. lie made his way finally to
the market basement, where he entered
the restaurant kept by Annie Lewis. lie
asked permission to lie down there awhile,
which was granted. lie told the Lewis wo-
man that he had been badly beaten in
Beaufort and that he thought he was
going 10 die. when / die. send my body
10 my mother he said The woman sup
posed that he had been drinking
Joe Butler, a chum OF Morels. was in the
neighborhOOd about o'clock, and heard
that Morel had been seriously beaten. and
went to him. Morel asked him to take him
out where he could get some fresh air.
Butler is a constable for Justice Sheftall,
and took the man over to the latters office,
where he placed him in the doorway. Like
everyone else who came in contact with
Morel. after his arrival I'm the city, Butler
supposed he had been drinking and chided
FrFr Fs.r anrfs nd D.
Beaufort liquor AT o'clock Morel who
had been sitting in the doorway, fell back
and began to gasp and Butler realized
that he was dying. 1t was too late then to
do anything.
Butler got out into the street instead Of
remaining with Morel, because, negrO-like
he afraid of a dying man. lie informed
Policeman Barrett who on duty in the
First district, of the death and the police
man telephoned the barracks, giving such
information as ne could. He learned that
Moody was the assailant ana that he was
expected 10 return TO the city on the Nigi-
liant.
The police ambulance was sent to con-
vey Morels body to his sisters house In
Broughton street lane and several officers
were detailed to look out for Moody. The
Nigilant had already arrived in the city
before II was learned that he was a pas
senger aboard of her. 1t was found, how
ever, that he had gone to "a house in BaV
lane, near Houston street, kept by a wo-
man with whom ne was intimate. Police
man Crimmns, Deignan, Brazell and
Bradley went to the house Crimmins Sc
cured admission, although the woman de-
clared that Moody was not there. Grim
Minis insisted on searching the place and
found Moody in room. He had changed
his clothes and apparently was preparing
10 make his escape. He was arrested and
lodged in the barracks
Butler notified Coroner Goette as soon
as he saw that Morel was dead. The lat-
ter, after Investigating the case, decided
TO hold the inquest at his Office at
o'clock. Sam Moody was the first witness
at the inquest and made the following
statement:
'Morel and l went aboard the steamer
Gov Stafford and went back to the gang
plank and asked for a ticket to go ashore.
Morel grabbed my coat and said ! could
not go ashore i asked him the reason.
He said: "rll show you why you can't so
ashore" and then he and l came together
and started to fight. Sandy Rhett got hold
of me and started to carry me back aft
on the steamer and then when he carried
me aft. he said IL was a good thing they
carried me back. as Morel had knife. I
told him If he had a knife he would have
to cut, as l did not give him any cause to
draw knife. After / had gone up to him
he struck me. Then struck him back and
knocked him down. one of the committee
called a policeman aboard and had me
taken ashore. The policeman held me I'M
til the boat left and then turned me loose.
I got aboard the Nigilant and came to
Savannah"
Rhett. who was one of the Committee"
on the Stafford said that Morel brought
Moody aboard the boat. Both appeared
TO have been drinking, Moody want
cd to go back ashore, and
aboard the boat. Rhett told Morel to take
Moody aft away from the gang plank, but
Moody was determined to go ashore. He
pulled away from Morel and struck him,
knocking him down. Morel fell on his back
and Moody jumped on his chest and stamp
ed him. Rhett said he was not feeling well
and was not able to handle Moody who
continued to stamp Morel in the stomach
and chest. With the aid of another man
he pulled him away, and took him for
ward Morel got up, came up to them and
said: Moody what made you treat me in
this manner a policeman was called
and Moody was taken ashore.
Rhett said he was with Morel most of
the way back. He spit up considerable
blood. Rhett said he saw Morel picking.
his fingers with knife after the fight
Butler, the colored constable for Justice
Sheftall told of finding Morel in the market
about 2;40 o'clock. Morel acted as a sort of
assistant constable around the city and
had several warrants in his pocket al the
time. He seemed to be i'm great pain and
said he felt IL something was runnine
inside his breast. Butler carried him over
TO Justice Sheftalfs office where he died
about O'Clock.
S,,rs 1uac ont onIV Fo,,- 9,