The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22
RIDDLED WITH DUCK SHOT.
DEPOT AGENT TANT OF MINTOsH
SHOT FROM AMBUSH.

His intended Assassin Negro With
Whom He Had Had an Alteration
in the Depot Friday-The Negro
Had Vowed Vengeance-Mr. Tant
Brought TO the savannah Hospital.
sheriff Brewer in Pursuit With n
Posse of Twenty-Five Mounted
Men.
Mr.. II. B. Tant. depot agent OF the
Plant system, at Mcintosh, Liberty coun-
~, was brought to the city yesterday aft
ernoon and taken to the Savannah hos
pital where he now lies in a serious con-
didon. Mr. Tant was shot from ambush
early yesterday morning while on his way
10 work, both barrels of a double-barrei
shotgun charged with duckshot beng dis
charged at him. Fortunately for Mr.. Tant
the wounld-be assassin had stationed him
self some distance from the road. Had ne
been nearer instant death would certiniy
have been the result. AS It is Mr.. Tant
is literally sprinkled from head TO foot
on the left side with duck shot hfty-eight
shot holes having been counted in his
body yesterday. 1t is not believed that
any of the shot penetrated to sufficient
depth to reach a vital part. but two or
three which punctured the left side, are
being closely watched for fear Of serious
developments. Mr.. Tant was sitting in
the depot Friday when a negro man, evil
IDENTIFY a wagner for one Of the turpentine
farms, came in and inquired:
rs there any freight here for me?'
"I>don't know. who are you?" asked Mr..
Tant without leaving his chair.
Instead of giving his name or that of his
employer, She negro again demanded If
there were any freight there for him. Mr..
Tant sharply repeated his demand to
know the negro's name The queries
passed back and forth in this manner
three or four times when the negro cursed
Mr. Tant and told him he had never had
any sense any way.
At this Mr.. Tant seized a heavy scale
weight and threw 1t at the negro with all
his might, striking him in the head and
making a deep cash which bled profusely.
The negro left, vowing vengeance on Mr.
Tant Some of the negroes around the
depot informed Mr. Tant that he had best
be careful as the negro, whose name was
Wash Bradley, would do him harm. The
negro said when he left that he was going
to get his father and come back and settle
with Tant Mr. Tant did not think much
of the negroes threat but
armed himself nevertheless, and
went TO his home in Pennington accom-
panied by a friend, Mr.. Fraser
Yesterday morning about o'clock, Mr.
Tant was on his way TO the station in his
buggy Capt w. A. Fleming was driving
.
two gentlemen were in conversation. Sud-
denly the report of gun rang out and
Capt. Fleming. turning to see what was
the matter was Mortified TO see that his
friend had fallen from his buggy. Get
ting out, Capt Fleming picked up Mr.
Tant and putting him into the front bug
gy, drove with him to Mcintosh where he
telephoned to Hinesville for DR. A. j. Hen
dry who responded Immediately. DIR.
Hendry administered such relief as he
could.
1t was thought at first that Mr.. Tant
had been fatally wounded. He was suf-
fering from the severe shock, but an ex
animation showed that there was no inn
mediate danger of fatal termination. DR.
Hendry recommended that Mr.. Tant be
brought to the Savannah hospital and he
was brought here on No. 30, arriving at
! :35 p. m. Mr. Tant was very
weak when he arrived at the
hospital, but was soon revived. Ut.
Dudley the hospital physician, said last
night that he could not tell how serious
~ Mr.. Tant was injured yet, but he
did not think his injuries would result
fatally. The wounded man was accom-
panied to Savannah by Mr.. Cooper Way
of Liberty. and was met at the depot by
Mr.. A. Gordon Casses, a former resi-
dent of Liberty.
Mr.. Tant stated TO Mr.. Cassels that he
saw Wash Bradley's father while waiting
to be removed to Savannah, and that the
old man stated to him that his son had
broken into his house the night before
and stolen his money and shotgun. This
amounted TO practically conclusive evil
dence that Wash Bradley was the assas-
sin. Sheriff A. b. Brewer and a posse Of
twenty-five men on horseback are in
pursuit of Bradley Had he been caught
yesterday It might have gone hard with
him. but II captured now he will doubt
less be held for trial unless Mr. Tant
should die in the meantime. Dogs were
secured from Waycross, and put on the
trail but the rains had doubtless wiped
out Tho tracks. The shooting occurred at
the old Goshen camp ground. where the
Liberty Independent troop has its armory
! and fitting ground. The would-be muir
derer stood behind a log cabin about sew
enty-hve yards from the roadway II
Tants life. The shooting naturally caus-
ed great excitement in that portion OF
Liberty county.