The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-04
eERKENS PLEA SELF-DEFENSE
his STORY OF THE sTABBING OF
YOUNG T. :. WAYNE.


Wayne's Condition Very Critical.
1t VIII Take Another Day 81 De-
eide what His Chances Are.
Prompt work of the Police in APP
pretending GerSen.
Mr.. T. s. Wayne, who was stabbed night
before last by Ed GerSen, reporter for
The Evening Herald. was reported last
1ieht from the Savannah hospital as rest
ding easily.
DR.. T. =. Charlton. who has charge of
the case. stated that Mr.. Wayne's condi-
ton was very critical, but that il would
be Impossible TO tell until IS hours after the
wound was given what the result would
be. The abdominal wall was cut through,
but the intestnes were not injured. Unless
Inflammation, peritonitis or erysipelas,
sets in. the wound VIII hardly prove fatal
The young man has the sympathy of many
friends and constant inquiries were made
at the hospital during the day as to his
condition.
The charge against Gerken OF assault
with intent to murder, will hardly be IN
vestigated by the recorder this morning
The case will most likely be postponed TO
await the result of young Wayne's inju-
Ties. Gerken, as stated in the Morning
News, was captured at / O'Clock at the
Savannah, Florida and Western depot. He
was recognized 10y Policeman Wilson of
the railroad force, who pointed him out
10 Policeman r. T. Davis, who made the
arrest. 1t would have been a miracle al
most If he had escaped. As soon as Ser
geant Baughn, who was on duty at the
barracks. heard Of the stabbing. which
was shortly after it occurred, he notified
the chief and assistant chief and the de-
receives and the men who We're on duty
on the streets, besides sending men to the
depot to look for Gerken.
Chief McDermott at once took charge OF
the search. Lieut.. Reilly went out to
Southover with Detective Godbold' as II
was thought when Gerken was not found
at the depot he might have started TO
walk to Southover to catch a train there.
Chief McDermott intended TO take tain
Is at 1850 going north. thinking Gerken
would most likely take this train. When
he was captured there We're dozen ON
GERS in the neighbOrhOod Of the depot.
Gerken was occupying one Of the cells
on the lower floor of the station house
when seen by Morning News reporter
in the afternoon. He was asleep, but
aroused himself and talked readily about
the affair. He claimed that young
Wayne was the aggressOr throughout
Il was sitting at a table in the Troca-
ticed Wayne and several other young
fellows sitting at a table drinking wine.
] did not know Waynes name, but l
knew him by sight, having spoken to him
almost every day recently in the Pulaski
house. / also knew another black-h haired
young man, to speak TO him on the street,
but did not know his name. The latter
called me over to the table and asked
me TO have some wine. sat down ana
made myself friendly with the crowd
Wayne was wearing a little cap and had
Il in his hand. l picked IL up said, That's
pretty bonnet you have on He didn't
seem TO ike II, ana Jerked the cap back.
What are you doing here, anyhow Re
exclaimed and struck me, knocking me
over on the floor. The rest of the crowd
jumped up and were all about to jump on
me. / got up, and Maggie Morris, one Of
the girl asked me to sit down at her table
] sat down there and had a couple Of
drinks. i had been drinking all the even
ing and was pretty drunk by that time
Wayne and his party got up and went
out first l was going TO go out, too
when some of my friends told me that
the crowd 1 had had the trouble
with was laying for me outside to do me
up. l went to the front d0or, but Butler
Inc proprietor, mad told the doorkeeper
not to let me out. He kept me there until
a few minutes to II o'clock, when Butler
started to close up. l went out on the
street and started to my room at the
Florida house. 1 had gone a short dis
rance, when l saw the young man with
NHotn I nau hdq tne trouDie stanulls IN
front OF the stable or the Chinese laundry.
AS l got up with them Wayne started
out at me with some such exclamation as
there is the fellow who caused the trouble
IN the wine room He struck at me, and
struck back. The others crowded around
me, and / made a sweep al them and told
Them to keep back. Wayne clnched with
me and had me backed up against the
iron post on the sidewalk The rest of
hhe gang was around me, and l made
a sweep with my knife in order to get
loose. Wayne either turned loose or some
body pulled him away. 1 did not know
hhat cut him until l saw him walk out
into the street holding his hands to his
stomach, and somebody said he was cut.
was pulled into hack which was stand
ing right where the fight took place al
most, and was driven down to the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western depot. !
hadn't a cent of money, and didn't know
where 1 was going. l staid around the
depot awhile, and then concluded that ]
Wouldn't wait for the train. l walked
back down town past the police bar
racks and then turned and went back 10
Houston street 1 went into house there
staid awhile there and left my knife there
Then 1 went back to the depot, where
the cop got me-"
Gerken said the statement that he had
borrowed the knife after the first Difficult
~, and that he made threats that he
would do Wayne the first chance he got
was untrue. The knife belonged to a
friend, he said, but he had had it for
some time II was small, two bladed
Rodgers knife.
4 had no malice whatever against
Wayne" said Gerken. I'm fact, l was toe
drunk 10 know what I was doing. l saw
y
Hhe Pulaski house, and used to talk with
him there, and borrowed his bicycle once
or twice. I hope he viii not die"
Policeman Davis stated that Gerker
said when arrested that he hoped he haC
killed Wayne. Gerken is originally from
Wilmington, \. G., but was a reporter or
one of the Jacksonville papers for about
three years. He came to Savannah about
three months ago and has been a reporter
for the Herald since that paper was
started.
A friend of young Wayne stated las
night that he passed Wayne on Brough
ton street about L o'clock and spoke Il
him, and that he was certainly not intox
icated at that hour, and he hardly hat
time to become so by the time the FRAY
occurred. DR. Silverman, who was tn,
first physician TO reach the wounded man
and who remained with him for severa
hours, says that Wayne was not intoxi
Gated. Had he been intoxicated. Dr. Silver
man said, the fact would certainly hav,
been evident to the physicians. Although
well grown Wayne IS quite young, bein.
only in his seventeenth year
While Gerkens statement of the begin
ming of the difficulty does not differ ma
Terially from that OF the young men VIII,
were with Wayne, the rest of his stor,
differs considerably. One of Wavne'
vii &c 4 hot 1sss- fs --l--