The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-30
DYER TO BE TURNED LOOSE.
THE GRAND JURY FOUND NO IN
DICTMENT AGAINST HIM.

The Recorder Gave the Christmas
and Came to the Conclusion That
Dyer Was the Man who Killed Tit
comb-A Second Commitment Is
sued Against the Alleged Muir
derer-The Testimony Before the
Recorder-Ben Kennedy's Fear to
Testify.
There is no longer any charge against
George H. Dyer, who mas been twice ar
rested and against whom two warrants
were issued, each charging him with the
murder of William r. Titcomb. The
grand jury heard the case yesterday after
noon and reported no bill.
The finding must be a great surprise to
Recorder Wilson. who spent several hours
in thoroughly sitting the case, at
the end of which he announced his
positive conclusion that the deadly blows
were struck by Dyer. In order to hold
Dyer more securely, the recorder issued
second warrant for murder against MIN,
based on the evidence brought out in po-
lice court, in addition to the one issued by
Justice Waring Russell, Jr., at the in
stance of the brother of the deceased.
If the same witnesses were before the
grand jury that were examined in police
court and similar statement were made
there by them, the officers are wondering
how the jurys conclusion was reached.
1t may have been that something was
brought out in the grand jury room tend
ing to exculpate Dyer or discriminating
some one else as the guilty party.
over a score of witnesses were examined
by the recorder. AS was to be expected
most of them knew very little about the
case. The witnesses, who had been before
the coroner's jury made practically the
same statements as at the inquest Their
evidence has already been published. Ben
Kennedy. the negro waiter at kaufman s
restaurant, who swore, when first put
on the stand by the coroner, that he knew
nothing about the case, but when put up
later, gave detailed account of the affair,
was in the same state of funk before the
recorder. The negro will die of fright if
the agitation is kept UP. Kennedy started
out to tell his story all right. He said
he had been out on an errand and was re-
turning to the restaurant when he saw
the men quarreling. Babe Dyer had a
He saw about four men knocked down.
The witness declared here that he was not
going to say any more.
Lock me up, Mr.. Wilson," he said. Il
work at night. / amt goin' to say any
more"
81 will lock you up till you rot" said
the recorder, who spent some time trying
to get Kennedy's story out of him, but the
boy only made few disjointed and con-
Trajectory statements. He was placed in
the custody of an officer.
Later in the day Kennedy was put back
on the stand and told the same story SUBJ
stantially that he told the coroner's jury,
when put back the second time there. He
testified positively that Dyer was the man
who struck Titcomb, after striking Will
lam Geiss, and that he afterwards knock
ed two other men down. He said that
Dyer had new ak handle, and that he
wore a white beaver. There were several
other witnesses, who testified that Dyer
had on a black beaver.
Mr. w. j. Geiss testified that he was
knocked on the head just as he came out of
Kaufman's gate. He did not know who
hit him, but when he recovered he saw
Dyer standing near him with a stick. He
could not say that Dyer struck him, but
believed he did.
Robert Houston testified that he saw a
man hit Geiss with a big stick The man
had on a light beaver hat with a long over
coat. 1t was a tall man.
John NIillen testified that he saw a tall
man with a black beaver knock a man
down.
The recorder had the women living in
the neighborhood brought into court. One
of them heard a blow and saw a man fall,
but that was all she could tell. The 9TH
ers did not tell anything of Importance.
A witness for whom the recorder had
/
gave the best account of the affair of any
of the witnesses. He said that he went
into Kaufmans with a friend some time
before the difficulty occurred. They met
other friends there. Someone proposed
that the crowd go to Madame Connollys
They agreed and all started to Connolly S
except Mr.. Cess. They went up on the
stoop and some one rang the bell. Brown,
Dyer Murphy and Cooney came up on the
stoop. The door was partially opened. but
Madame Connolly would not let them in
Murphy and Cooney, he said, had on black
beavers. He could not say what the other
men had on. Dyer passed him on the
stoop. He had big stick in his hand
when started to come down the stoop,'
he said "a row started on the stoop. The
men started to shove and push each other.
! l thought the other crowd which come up
| after we did, were having a row among
| themselves, and started up the steps to
pun rrlenu Oh mine out. Inc crowd then
| started down the steps. When the crowd
| got to the bottom of the steps there was a
| general row. 1t was dark there and ]
| could not say who was doing the strik-
| ing, Some of the fellows seemed to be
trying to quiet the others. My hat was
| Knocked off. l could not tell everything
| that passed on account of the
| confusion. Presently / saw Dyer rush
by. ] saw him hit a man in the head
| The man fell and Dyer hit him another
blow in the head after he fell. l did not
| know the man and had nor seen him be-
| fore that night. He was a man about
| five feet six inches high, of slender build
A little later ! heard Mr.. Cess call out
| that he was hit / went to him and he
said that somebody had hit him in the
dark. l took him down to Reds drug
store to get his head dressed. but the
store was closed. 1 then went back with
him to Kaufman's, going around through
Houston street. At Kaufman's l heard
| that a man had been nearly killed. and
| that he had been taken to the barracks
l went to the barracks with Mr.. Cess
The man whom Dyer struck was a thin
delicate-looking man. / did not know MIR
| Titcomb.
A man named zeno said that Dyer and