The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-23
KILLED FOR FORTY-TWO CENTS
BEN WILSON MURDERED By BRIs-
TER GRAHAM.

TER hAbANs
Shot Dead as He Leaped Through a
window to Escape His Pursuer.
The Entire Left Side of His Head
Torn on and Part of His Brain
Shot Avvay-A Double Barrel Shot
gun the WeapOn-GrahRm Cap
tured on the Ogeechee Canal Bank.
The COrOner's Jury Returns "a YER
diet of Murder.
Brister Graham shot and killed Ben
Wilson yesterday afternoon In Yamacraw.
Both parties are colored and the killing
was the result of a row over a game of
Skin" Graham did the shooting with
a double-barrel muzzle-loading gun. The
entire left side of the upper portion of
Wilson's head was blown off and his
brain was exposed by the CHASTITY wound.
The game had been going on for some
time, and, when the row between era
ham and Wilson occurred, John@1lzy, VIII
Eady and Mike Small, alias Joker" be-
sides the two participants. were in room
at No. 341z Lumber street, almost directly
in front of the Savannah steam laundry.
Ely, one of the witnesses to the entire
trouble, says that Graham beat Wilson
out of forty-two chips on deal and. on
the next deal, Wilson commenced to
"bulldoze'' Graham and told him he would
knock h out of him, at the same time
shaking his fist in his face Graham
threw down his chips and started for the
che
ing earlier in the day and
his gun was not far off. Selling it, he
returned to the house. Going through an
alleyway about 30 inches width between
two houses, he went to the open window
of the rear room, in which the game was
still in progress, and thrust the muzzle
of his gun through the window.
One of the players shouted to Wilson
that Graham was about to shoot him. and
he jumped for cover Graham could not
get fair view of his victim then, and he
ran around the corner Of the house to the
other window that opened on the rear.
Again he showed his gun in and again
Wilson lodged out of the way.
Graham then ran through the hall to
the front of the house and again entered
the narrow alleyway. When he got near
ly to the window through which he had
first attempted to shoot Wilson the latter
out with a SIOib CAuO III Ills llhiAu
He was attempting to make his escape
from the room and had seized the first OPP
portunity when Graham was no longer in
sight.
Those remaining in the room saw Will
son leap through the window with the
club in his hand, and then, before he
had time to reach the ground from the
windows hight of five feet they heard
the report of the gun and saw his cap
knocked back into the room.
Ely ran to the window and looked out.
There in the narrow passage between the
two houses lay Wilson at full length with
his brain and blood oozing from a horri-
BILE wound in his head. On the wall of
the other house to a hight of six or seven
feet particles of brain had been scattered
by the force of the shot.
When shot Wilson fell toward his slayer
and lay with his arms under his body.
When Graham left for his gun, telling
Wilson he would see him later, he passed
Lewis Graham, who was sitting on his
porch few doors below, on a run. Lewis
asked what was the matter but received
no reply. A few minutes later he again
saw Brister Graham run past with the
gun and asked him what he was going 20
do. Brister replied that there had been
a little row up the street.
Then Lewis heard the report and Briste-
came running with the gun which ne
dropped at Lewis door. The latter pick
| ed it up and hid it, being frightened near
| ly out OF his wits. 1t was on this account
| that he was held by the police as access
sorry to tn, killing, but at the coroner 5
inquest he was Judged innocent of any
motives other than those his fears in
| spired
Several Of the negroes in the neighbor-
| hood, ana those in the game, joined in
| pursuit of Graham, and ne was caught
about 200 yards away on the bank of the
Ogeechee canal by VIII Eady and Tom
Kennedy, a negro bailiff, and turned
over TO an officer.
A telephone message was sent to police
headquarters and the patrol wagon was
sent down. A large crowd had gathered
end the officers at once found 1t necessary
to ksep them away from TIE body,
The coroner was notified and held an
inquest at il O'Clock last night. The men
in the game were examined and the jury
decided that the killing was murder
The trouble grew out of AZ cents. That
was the amount the 40 chips Graham got
from Wilson amounted to, being worth
! cent each in the game.
Wilson was employed at the Ocean
steamship wharf and was the head of
one of the truck gangs. He was rather
a small negro, and about 3S years old