The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-30
CHICKENS CAN CROW NOW
THE sLICKEsT THIEF N CHATHAM
COUNTY MEETS HIS FATE.

Tony Wilson Received His Death
Wound While Attempting to Bur
gIariEe the House OF Henry White.
The Coroner's Jury Returns YER
diet OF JustiGcabIe Homicide.
White Did Not know lie Had Kill
ed Man Until Informed of thc
Fact by the CorOner-From Chick
en- Thief Wilson Had Turned Bur
gIar.
Tony Wilson. the slickest chicken thief
and all-around crook in Chatham county.
is dead.
True to his col0rs. Tony moi his death
while attempting a depreciation upon the
property Of another His death occurred
at Thunderbolt. where he lived with his
father. Early yesterday morning be ar
rived home with a bullet Ga his back.
Tony. so the family assert, stated that
he was shot in the back by some man
unknown TO him on the Waters road.
Another statement that he made I'm exc
PLANTATION of his wound, his vile said,
was that he was shot on the BLUM az
Thunderbolt He was brought into the
city yesterday morning by his father and
taken to a physician.
The physician informed them that the
wound was mortal. and that he could
do nothing for the man. Tony was car
ried back to Thunderbolt, where he died
at o'clock
Coroner Goette was informed of his
death and made an Investigation. by
some good detective work he learned how
and where Tony Wilson received his death
wound, and brought the only witness
needed before the coroner's jury Henry
White, colored who lives on Bolton
street, near the Waters road, was the
witness.
White stated TO the jury that he was ly-
ing in bed at his house about ten min
utes to o'clock Yesterday morning. HIS
attention was attracted by the moonlight
falling across his face, and looking up ne
saw the window shutter swing open, lie
thought this was the work of the wnd,bu
when he saw the shutter swing too east
ly and nOiselessly he concluded mat some
thing else besides the wind was response
Bile for the movement. He lay In bed and
waited. Presently he heard the shutter on
a window in another room rattle and a
little later he heard the shutter Of the
kitchen window open. He got up and up-
tOed nOselessly to the kitchen door. lie
saw a man on the outside raising the
window. He slipped back 10 his bedroom
got his pistol cut Of his bureau drawer and
tiptOed back to the kitchen. He saw man
standing in the room just one step from
| the WINDOW. he ulO not take TIME 10 OF
der him out or to call on him to surren-
der or anything else, but opened IRE on
the man at once. He fired four shots as
rapidly as he could. The man jumped out
of the window and ran.
When White made an examination I'm
| the morning he found two bullet holes in
| the window panes and another bullet in
| the wall. Whether the fourth bullet hit the
| intruder he did not know. Outside in the
| yard he found tracks made by the bare
| feet of man and on his front stOop was
| a crOcus sack nicely rolled up which the
| thief had evidently left there, intending
| to use it to carry away his plumber White
| did not know who the. thief was or what
| the result of his shooting had been until
Coroner Goette came 70 him with a re-
| quest for an account of the shooting. A
negro boy a the tollgate had informed the
coroner that there had been some shoot
| ing. at Mr. Whites house during the
/ night.
| dead mans reputation was well known
to the jury, and 1t promptly returned
verdict Of 1ustitiame homicide at the
| hands Of White. Wilson'S success IN
/ petty thieving had made him bold, and
| he had evidently branched out as a pro-
fessional burglar Two or three weeks
ago he robbed the house, Of August Miller
| on the Thunderholt rQad,,. AlilfetA heard
noise In the house about Midnight and
saw Wilson come into his room, pick up
| his trousers from where they were lying
on q chair by the bed, 20 through them
and take 50 out Of his pockets. He then
| picked up Miller's trunk, carried Ii out IN
the yard and ritied IL ana went off with
his booty without any attempt being made
TO stop him.
Wilson was well known to the police
and had been frequently chased by them
| He was shot once by officer Tom Muir
| ply, who recognized him as the man he
! had chased with a bag Of chickens
! few nights before. When the case came
up in court Wilson's father and several
, others sWOre positively that he was at
| his home at Thunderbolt at the time ON
| Ger Murphy testified to seeing him with
| the chickens. Although he had a no.
| toriOus reputation as a chicken thief. VIII
son had done very little time on the gang
His career is evidently well ended The
| people of Thunderbot expressed relief al
act was to be expected Of him at anv
| time. There will be no regrets on tho
part of the officers of the law, as VIII
sons death means less work for them.