The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-15
CAME NEAR TO A LYNcHINe.
TWO NEGROES SAVED FROM A MOB
IN WOODVILLE.

"BOOIS" Berrien and Charles Will
Iiams Arrested For Attempting to
Kill Joe Greene-WiIIiams Found
in HayIOft and Berrien in n
House Nearby-BOth Places Were
Surrounded by Armed Mobs Swear
ing to Kill Greene's AssaiIants.
The Police Arrived in Time to
Save Them.
There might have been a double lynchng
out in Woodville early yesterday morning,
had it not been for the timely arrival of
a detail from the Savannah police force.
A lot of Woodville negroes left the city
on the last car on the West End line about
1870 o'clock Saturday night. They were
drunk and boisterous and quarreing
among themselves. After the party left
the car in West Savannah, a general row
took place, in which Joe Greene was badly
wounded. According to the statement of
those present to the detectives Bonnie
Berrien fired three shots at Greene and his
brother Book Berrien, one shot, without
hitting their man. Then Charlie Williams
fired a shot at Greene from a 44-caliber re-
volver, the bullet striking him in the left
hip about four inches below the hip bone
ject of the three men was in trying to kill
Greene the detectives could not learn. In
fact they had no time to give to details.
Greene seemed to have lot Of friends in
Woodville.
A report was received at the police bar
racks shortly after l o'clock that there
was a riot in progress in Woodville. De-
tectives Godbold and Scully were called
from their homes and Policemen Sheehan
and Sandiford, who were in quarters, were
sent with them, the party taking a hack
to the scene of the trouble When they
arrived at Woodville, which is about two
miles west of the city, they found a very
lively state of affairs. Williams, the man
who shot Greene, had taken refuge in
grocery store kept by German, and the
place was surrounded by a mob of about
200 negroes. The negroes were armed with
winchester rifles, pistols, shotguns, old
muskets and clubs, and swore that they
would kill Williams if they could get hold
of him.
The grocery keeper was afraid to let the
detectives in at first, but, after finding
VINO they were, he admitted them but
either would not or could not tell them
where Williams was. After searching the
place, Williams was found in q havloft
in the yard in the rear of the house He
knew Detective Godbod and surrendered
TO him On the latter's promise to protect
him.
About 200 yards away from the grocery
ahothef mon OF negroes was surrounding
a mousse and endeavoring to get at Ben
ME Berrien. The latter was inside guard
ing the door with an ak and swearing that
he would kill the first man who entered
When the policemen called on him to sur
render he was glad to give himself up.
BOOK Berrien had disappeared in the
woods, and so escaped both mob and Of
ncers The mob was very much of mind
10 lynch the two prisoners, and had it not
been for the bold front put up by the Of
ncers, something of the kind would prob
aply nave been attempted.
Inc mack driver was dispatched to the
the police patrol wagon, while the officers
with their prisoners in charge started to
the city by the Augusta road. The mob
followed until the patrol wagon met the
party on the outskirts of the city. If there
were ever two negroes who were glad to
be arrested, and regarded the patrol wa
gon as an ark of safety, they were VIII
liams and Berrien. The party arrived at
the police barracks about $3.50 o'clock yes
I terday morning. Greene was brought in
about the same time in a wagon and sent
to the Georgia Intirmary. 1t was stated
from the intirmary that Greene was badly
wounded, but how seriously had not yet
been ascertained.
Berrien and Williams were seen at the
police barracks by a Morning News re-
porter. Both have the appearance of be-
longing TO the lowest and most ignorant
class of negroes. They declared that they
not only did not shoot Greene, but that
they did not know who shot and that they
! knew nothing whatever bOut the row