The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-11
GUILTY OF MANSLAUeHTER.
SULLIVAN HELD FOR THE KILLING
OF PRESTON BROOKS.

| charging maurice f. sullivan
| With Granddaughter and ex-POIice-
| man simon O'NeiII as Accessory.
| The Testimony at the Inquest.
| The coroner's jury in the inquest upon
| Preston Brooks. colored, brought in
verdict at 2:SO O'Clock this morning, charg-
ing Maurice F. Sullivan with manslaugh-
| ter and Simon J. O'Neill as accessory.
The investigation was very thorough.
The jury began hearing evidence shortly
after Z O'Clock and continued its hearing
until after midnight II took nearly Two
hours and a half to reach verdict, which
showed that there was some difference
| of opinion.
The body was first viewed by the jury.
| There was only one wound, just under the
ribs, six inches from the backbone on the
left side. Apparently this ball mad
| pierced the heart.
The evidence before the coroner's jury
made out a very bad case for ONein and
Sullivan. There was no testimony for
the defense, however, and all the witness
es were colored, with the exception of Po-
liceman Crimmins. Some of the negro
witnesses conflicted in their statements
as to details, but the general testimony
as to the difficulty at Crums barroom,
the reporting of the trouble at the police
barracks by Brooks and his friends, and
the shooting at the corner of East Broad
and South Broad streets, was all to the
same effect.
All of the witnesses who saw, or claimed
to have seen, the shooting, testified that
Sullivan did it. An interesting point
which was not settled by the testimony is
the ownership of the stick which was
found tightly clenched in the deadmans
hand. The negro witnesses all testified
that Brooks did not have a stick up to
the time of the difficulty in front of
Reds drug store, and some of them tes-
titled that they saw ONeill with a stick,
but this looks doubtful O'Neill undoubt-
eddy was struck over the head with a
stick just before the shooting began.
One colored witness testified to seeing
Brooks strike ONeill with a club, but he
had not seen Brooks have a stick up to
that time. Another witness testified that
O'Neill had a stick in his hand when he
pursued Brooks into the lane, where he
fell
The first witness was William Payton
colored, and he gave the most complete
account of the affair of any of the wit
nesses.
Payton said that Mr. O'Nein Mr. sulli-
van, Jack Young. Paul Cohen and per-
haps others, were standing in the middle
of Houston street, when he first saw
them. He saw O'Neill slap Pres Brooks
Paul Cohen caught hold of O'Neill and
took him to the sidewalk Jack Young
| and another fellow took Pres into Crum's
bar.
Mr.. Schoen started to take Brooks home
to put an end to the difficulty Brooks
said: IAN right, I'll go home with you
but did you see that slap nv
face?' Schoen and Brooks started to-
wards South Broad street. At the corner
the witness saw ONeill catch Brooks in
the collar and demand to know what he
had in his pocket. O'Neill had his right
hand in his overcoat pocket. Sullivan
held Brooks hands, while ONeiu search
ed him with his left hand. O'Neill struck
Brooks with his right hand, and they had
a little tussle. ONeil then turned
Brooks loose and went up to South Broad
street TO kaufmans, leaving Sullivan on
| the corner.
Brooks said that he had been beafen
| with a pair of knucks. Jack Young told
him to go to the barracks and have
| y Nelll arrested. Young, Brooks and two
| others went to the barracks and reported
| the matter. After they came back the
witness asked them what did the sergeant
| DO. Brooks replied that the Sergeant Ind
told them 10 have the men arrested He
heard Brooks say, Il am going to tho
corner 70 meet that Il o'clock policeman
nd VIII have that arrested rhe
| party went on to East Broad, the witness
1oIlowlng. At Reid's drug store O'Nein
and Sullivan stepped around the corner
and met the party. O'Neiu grabbed
Brooks in the collar
saw Brooks hit O'Neill with a stick
sad Payton. He hit him in the head
| sullivan said, Look out, let me kill him )
re stepped to one side and shot Brooks
then broke out to run around the corner
Sullivan shot about four times in nu,clr
succession. l saw him run over to Wheat
on and East Broad streets and begin TO
talk to white lady. He held the pistol
up TO her, but l could not hear what he
sald. Ihen he went across to Wheaton
street. He then went around 10 where
Brooks was lying
Jack Young a half brother of Brooks
was the next witness. He gave practical
~ the same account as published in the
morning News. He was a witness of the
aHar from start to finish, and advised
broOhs 10 report the matter to the bar
racks, went with him there and was with
him when the shooting occurred. He tes-
tined that Brooks did not have a stick
ana that ne did not see him strike O'Neill
Paul Cohen, colored constable. saw all
OF the dlfhculty except the shooting. He
was In Crum's bar, he said when O'Neill
walked in and called for Honey STYLES
he was told that Styles had had a diff
Guilty with a woman, and had run off to
avoid arrest. O'Neill then asked for Pres
ton Brooks who went out to O'Neill and
Cohen followed. He heard O'Nein saw
Preston, haven't l treated you the same
as white man. or a brother but Won
have gone back on me-" Brooks pro-
tested that he had not gone back on
q Nell, but was mad because O'Nein had
SaLeu hlh ONeill
denied that he had used such an epithet
ana caught Brooks in the collar. Cohen
said he broke the men loose
and carried O'Nein across the street and
asked him to go home and not have any
trouble. O'Neill said he wanted to talk
TO Brooks, and called the latter over 10
him.
Cohen said he told the crowd to stand
back and let the two men talk. The dis
pute about the epithet was renewed and
ONefll struck Brooks. They were sepa
, rated and Cohen carried ONeul to Hons
ton and South Broad streets. He then
. went back to Crum's About
, fifteen minutes later some one
: ran into Crum's and told
Jack Young that O'Neill and Sullivan were
i beating his brother He ran out with the
|