The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-21
MAY BE THREE MEN KILLED.
A STORY OF ROBBERY AND POSI-
BILE MURDER.


Theodore Kauers and Harry Taylor
Reported 10 the Police That They
Met Three Well Dressed Germans
mt Thoroughly station. Who Started
Into the city With Them Last
Nf-ht-The Party Held Up by Five
Negroes. Who Let Kauers and Tay-
Tor ESeape-Four shots Heard by
Them After They Got Into the
Woods.
Theodore kauers a German shoemaker
who left Savannah three months ago and
went TO Texas. and who was working his
way back here. reached the city about II
O'Clock last night and reported that three
Germans who were with him on the road
had been killed by negroes about one mile
this side Of Burroughs station on the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western railway.
Kauers was taken in charge by Consta-
bic p L. Constantine and told his story.
He said that he met the three men at
Cannon's store at Burroughs station some
time in the afternoon. They told him that
they had come down from New York by
steamer few days ago and were on their
way TO Florida in search of work.
Kauers told them there was no work to
be had in Florida and they decided 10
come back to the city with him. They
had got about a mile from the station, he
said. when five negroes ran up behind
them, armed with guns and pistols. Three
had guns and two had pistols. one Of
the negroes seized hold of a sachel one
of the men was carrying and claimed that
the sachel belonged to him. The man
denied this saying that he had bought it
in Brooklyn several months ago. The
negroes then began making threatening
demonstrations with their guns and pis-
tolls, and also with razors. One Of them
showed pistol under Kauers' nose which
so frightened him that he broke off into
the woods, running into the swamp. AZ
ter he got some distances away he heard
four pistol shots. He felt convinced that
his companions had been killed, but did
not dare go back to find out
kauers said that he tried 10 make his
way back to Burroughs station, but could
not get through the swamp. He managed
10 get back to the railroad track and
came on TO the city going at once 10 George
Schwartz as soon as he arrived, where ne
told his story. He said that before he
ran off the negroes had seized hold of the
watches of the other three men and were
going through their pockets. He had no
watch and no money. He thought that
Kauers was taken to the police barracks.
where he repeated his story. 1t was too
late for the detectives to do anything,
but the matter will be reported to County
Detective Morgan this morning. Kauers
said that he knew one of the five negroes
in the gang, and that he is switchman
in the employ Of the railway company.
After hearing kauers' story, the yard
master ana the telegraph operator of the
Savannah. Orida and Western railroad
We're telepa ned. Both said that no re-
KILLING
near Burroughs or anywhere else.
kauers said that he worked in Savan-
nah with Ii. Wilensky last fall and left
here three months ago, going 10 the At
lanta exposition. After leaving Atlanta
he went to Dallas. Tex, and has since
made a tour of the south, including Flor
ida. Judging by his appearance his tray
cling was a la box car.
Kauers story is corroborated by Harry
Taylor. young white boy, who arrived
at the barracks about 10 O'Clock and made
pretty much the same report of the af-
fair. To a Morning News reporter Taylor
said that he ana kaucrs rode to Bur
roughs station in a box car of a freight
train, which reached there about o Clock.
When the train arrived at Burroughs,
Taylor said, they were summarily bounced
from the car by a brakeman, who ham
died them rather roughly At Burroughs
they found the three Germans. Taylor
said that ali three were well dressed, and
had overonats, grips and umbrellas. Il
was surprised to see such nicely dressed
men walking" he said. He did not have
much conversation with the men, and
did not learn their names or their busi-
ness. Taylor thought it was between two
and three miles from Burroughs when the
i've negroes rushed up on the party and
ordered them 20 throw up their hands
They made us put up our hands, and
put EN- up high, said he. zone of EN- had
the longest gun 1 ever saw, and he point
ed Ii right al me. As soon as he moved
the gun off of me I ran off into the woods
and into the swamp, l heard four shots
after got some distance away first three
shots together and then one shot. heard
no cry as II any one was shot. l was too
FAR away l guess"
Taylor said that the negroes took the
sachels of the three men and was going
through them when he left. One of the
negroes With the party looked very much
like the negro sWitchman they saw at
burroughs, he said. He would know him
If he saw him again, Taylor said that he
and hauers ran off together, but became
separated in the woods. He made his
way back TO the railway track and came
10 town IS fast as he could. Taylor said
that his hcInc was in AlvaredO, Tex. He
considerably for a youth.
The two men were very sharply cross
Questioned by SergL Baughn aud Detec-
tive Sculy, but both stuck to their sto-
Ties. They viii de neld at the barracks
This morning until Chief McDernott can
investigate them. The stories put to-
gether make it appear very probable that
some mon We're held up and robbed some
where this side of Burroughs station
er the shots were fired by the negroes to
brighten them after completing their work
of robbery remains to be seen.