The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-28
DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL HIM.
ONE COUSIN STAYS ANOTHER
WITHOUT CAUSE.

Elijah Thompson Dies From the Eff
fects of Pistol shot Wound In
hicted by His Cousin, Richard
ManigauIt-The Latter Claims That
the Shooting Was Accidental, But
Circumstances Seem to show 9th
erwise-The Dead Mans Mother
Throws the Pistol in the River.
Elijah Thompson, colored, died at the
Georgia Infrmary yesterday morning from
the effects of a pistol shot wound infict-
ed by his cousin Richard Manigault
The shooting occurred on the Taylor
plantation about five miles west of the city
day before yesterday. Manigault and
Thompson were cousins. the first being
10 years of age, and the second IT. Mani
gault claims that the shooting was acct
dental, but Thompson asserted several
times before he died that the act was in
territorial on the part Of his cousin.
Thompson was brought to the city and
placed in the Georgia Infirmary. 1t was
seen there that the wound was mortal
Manigault went to see Thompson at the
hospital. He assured his cousin that the
shooting was accidental, but Thompson
told him 1t was very strange that he had
he did so.
Coroner Goette was notified of the death
Of Thompson and went out to the Taylor
plantation in the afternoon. He found
Manigault at his sisters home on Ham
Island in the Savannah river. Manigault
was asleep. Coroner Goette went UP to him
and shook him and the boy put up his
hands stupidity. Coroner Goette Immediate
on
gault realized who it was that was stand
ing over him. On the way to the city Man
igault told the coroner that the shooting
was accidental. He had taken the pistol
out of the jamb of the door, he said, and
he and Thompson were struggling for it
when it went off, the ball lodging in
Ihompsons side. Manigault is a very stu
pid negro of very low order of intelli-
gence.
The pistol with which the shooting was
done could not be found, as IL had been
thrown in the river by Thompsons moth
er. II won't Kill Elijah no more, and it
won't Kill nobody else no more" she said
in explanation of her act.
Coroner Goette impaneled a jury and be-
gan the inquest last night. Only one
witness, Matthew Berrien, was examined
Berrien said that he was III Thursday and
was lying on the ground in front of the
house in which Thompson and Mangault
lived. There was a garden attached to
the house and the two boys were working
II. thompson, he said, was sitting in
front of the house preparing some seed
when Richard, who had been off a piece
came back and started in the house. When
Elijah caught him by the foot and said:
Make haste, Dick let's go in the garden
and fix up the rows. Manigault demanded
TO know what he meant by catching him
by the foot and exclaimed: - - you,
I'm going to shoot you," drawing a pistol
from his pocket"
mo. you are not going to shoot me; put
. that pistol in your pocket" said Thomp-
49, you, do you think I'm bluffing."
Thompson
The latter again told him to put up his
pistol, when Manigault pointed it at him
and turning the chamber with his finger
fired. The witness said the pistol was an
old style 80 caliber, single action. The
chamber was broken, so that it had to be
turned by hand. The ball went through
the tieshy portion of the left forearm and
then entered the abdomen. Thompson
threw his hand to his side, and exclaim-
ing that he was shot, ran to the garden
gate. He asked some one to go for his
mother. and called on a woman near by
to pray for him. Manigault, the witness
said, laughed at first, and when spoken
to said that he did not mean to shoot his
cousin. When he saw that Elijah was
badly hurt he got mattress for him and
Thompson insisted however, that Mani
gault had shot him intentionally.
The jury was not inclined to make up a
verdict on the statement of single wit
ness and the inquest was adjourned until
tonight at o'clock. Two women, who
were close by when the shooting occurred
nave been summoned as witnesses.