The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-17
WORK FOR THE CORONER.
TWO CASES YESTERDAY AND
THREE MORE IN PROSPECT
TO-DAY.

Ed WiIIiams-A Church supper in
SackviIIe Ends in n Shooting and
Cutting AHray-Harriss Ellis May
Die-Stephen Gibbons Probably Fa-
tally shot in West Savannah by an
Unknown white Man-Henry Will
Jams StiII Alive.
Coroner Goette held two Investigations
yesterday and there are three more in
prospect for to-day.
The spirit of deviltry seemed to have
broken loose among the colOred people
Saturday night. and reports of shooting
and cutting ARRAYS were coming in at the
police barracks all Of yesterday.
Henry Williams, the negro, who was as
saulted and probably fatally injured by
unknown parties about 1870 o'clock yester-
day morning, is still alive. but in very
precarious condition. DR.. Norton, who is
attending him, reports that Williams skull
is fractured. While the case is very
serious one there is still some hope for
him. He was unconscious all day, but ap-
peared TO be slightly improved at night
Williams assailant is still unknown.
The detectives are at work on the case,
but have no clew to go upon. They have
an idea that Williams had left Mr. Car
sons stable, where ne was employed, and
gone around the corner into the lane to
see the wife of another man, and that
the blow which fractured his skull was
administered by the husband, who came
upon him unawares. Coroner Goette,
who has been looking up evidence in adj
vance, noted that the first blood stains
on the pavement were at the corner of
Broughton and Abercorn streets. He ar
CUES that with the blood flowing as CO.
piously as it did from Williams head, the
blow must have been administered at the
spot where the first blood stains were
found.
williams insisted in the few words that
we're gotten from him shortly after he
was found, that he was hit near the
corner. The saloons had not been long
closed, and II is not unlikely that he may
have had a difficulty with some OF the
rough characters who frequent the sa-
looms IN that neighborhood Saturday
nights or the blow may have been given
by some tough in pure wantonness.
Coroner Goette and DIR. Norton began
the day together with case on the Thun-
derbolt road, near the toll gate; Ed WIZ
liams, cOlOred, a lumber worker, went |
home Saturday night. He was apparently
in a drunken stupor when he reached
home. His wife undressed him and put
him to bed. He suffered with spasms dur
ing the night and died about 8 O'Clock.
His wife had an idea that he might nave
been poisoned, and sent for Dr. Norton
and Coroner Goette. DR.. Norton thought
of chemical poisoning and recommended |
the coroner that he hold a post mortem
Coroner Goette, after investigating the
matter, decided that Williams death was
due to the consumption OF too much mean
whisky.
Charles Ball, the negro who was shot
while fleeing from Policeman Shea in
Jones field Thursday night, Feb. 8, died !
yesterday morning at the Georgia lnnrm-
ary Balls death was due to shock, re- |
suiting from the amputatiOn of his left
arm, which was performed the day before.
His left arm was so badly torn with bird
shot that the physicians decided that y
was necessary to amputate the arm. Ball
had been suffering for over a week, and
was too weak to survive the operation.
The case is one of the queerest that has
ever been brought to the attention OF the
police. On the afternoon of the shooting
a negro woman came TO the
was beating his wife in a house
on Clebume street. She was directed
where to find Policeman Shea, who was
on duty in that section, and the officer |
was also notified through the Gamewell |
box to accompany the woman. Shea ac-
companied the woman as directed. He had
hardly arrived at the house when Ball |
who had been warned OF the approach of
the officer, dashed out. He had knife in
his hand, and as he passed Shea made a
vicious swipe at him with the knife, which |
the officer barely avoided by leaning back |
Ball turned a corner and dashed out into
Jones field pursued by crowd of negroes
who had gathered to see the arrest. While |
running through the field Ball was fired
upon by some unknown party with a shot
gun and wounded as described. The shot
stopped him, and he Sas taken in charge
policeman, who sent him to the barracks,
from which place he was sent to the
Georgia 1nttrmary.
1t was about dusk when the shooting
occurred and this made il easy for the
party who did the shooting to make his
escape. Jones' field is a great resort for
boys with shotguns to practice at bats
and targets, and there is a crowd engaged
in sport every afternoon. The supposition
is that some boy with a shotgun saw Ball
fleeing, pursued by the crowd, and fired
on him. attracted by the sight of a living
target with some excuse for shooting at
it. When he saw what he had done, the
possible that the party who did the
shooting escaped without being seen by
some of the crowd. He was in all lixeli-
hood accompanied by friends. who are
aiding him in keeping his secret.
There was a church supper in Sack
vile Saturday night. 1t broke up in a
row, and Harris Ellis is at the Georgia
Infirnary with bullet in his lung and
may die. Thomas Doe was shot through
the nose by Jesse Hamburg and l.. H.
Bush was cut in the arm by Norman Sim
kins All the parties are colored and all
reside in SackVille. with the exception of
Simkins who lives in Lovers lane. The
row began by Pink Williams shooting
Harris Ellis. There had been some trouble
between the men several months ago
about a woman. Williams stood on the
outside of the house and fired through a
window at Ellis, who was inside. After
firing the shot Williams ran under the
house and out on the other side into the
road and made off Why this shooting
should have brought on a general row
is not understood. The probability is that
the row was already under way when the
Ellis was brought into the city and
taken TO the police barracks
at 1880 o'clock yesterday morn
ing The shooting was said
TO have occurred about midnight. AS FL
lis was evidently seriously hurt he was
sent at once to the Georgia Infirmary
The parties who brought him in gave some
account of the affair, and Chief McDer-
mott sent Policemen J. d. Reilly and S.
p Brazzell out to Sackville to investigate
the row. They reported the facts as
stated above.
The shooting occurred in a vacant house
on the Waters road. At the Georgia In
Urinary it was said that the meeting at
the house was a shouting party and not
Q supper At any rate, the results Were
the same. Rev. Gilbert NJ. Moore of Sack