The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-10
BLACKS DEATH LADEN BULLET
HIS PLEA OF sELF-DEFENsE
brings HIM ACQUITTAI.

bRANUS MIN AClUIIIAt-
Graphic story of His Hand to Hand
Fight With the Man He Killed
While Struggling For Possession
of the Latter's PistOI-The Weapon
Discharged During the Struggle.
The Second Shot Fired as Higgin-
bOtham Was Going Down Stairs to
Get Gun.
Folkston, Ca, April 9.-The superior
court has been in session here since Tues
day morning and a great volume of bust
ness has been dispatched
The only case of any Importance on the
criminal side of the court was that of the
state against C. P. Black, charged with
murder, which was taken up Wednesday
afternoon. The case was given to the Jury
yesterday afternoon at o'clock. The
J jury, after being out all night last night.
returned verdict of not guilty this morn
ing. This was one of the hardest-fought
legal battles ever fought in this county.
Solicitor General John w. Bennett. Con-
| gresham W. G. Brantley and Judge NJ. 1.
Mershon appeared for the state, and Hon.
L. A. Wilson and C. c. Thomas for the
defense.
Waycross. Ca, April 9.-charles G.
Black reached here tonight a free man.
He was warmly welcomed and congratC-
lated at the Southern hotel by numerous
friends. His statement before the grand
jury concerning the killing of Higgin-
botham is the first account of the affair
| that has appeared straight, and this is
| what he told about the shooting: "His-
ginbotham was introduced to me that
| morning. We went to PRAYER meeting
/ after supper. After returning to Mrs
| Robertson's house had some whisky, and
we both drank some. Higginbotham in
| sisted on paying me for the whisky, and
refused to take his money We were
| in my room and Higginbotham got mad
about the money. He picked up a dolllr
of mine on the table and claimed it. 1
| told him had given his dollar back to
him. He went out, and soon came back.
| heard his step and turned around lust
| as he stepped inside the door and Just at
| the time l turned around he said, 4 viii
! Kill you,' and at the same time he put his
hand in his hip pocket and pulled out his
| pistol ana pointed it at my stomach.
was at that time in about four feet of
| him, and l saw at once, as l had no
| weapon or gun, the only thing that / could
| do to save myself, was to grab him and
| keep him from shooting me. l grabbed
| the pistol just as he started to shoot,
| and using both hand, turned the pistol
| from me. He had his hand on the handle
| and his finger on the trigger, and just as
| l turned the barrel round from me the
! pistol went off. l did not know at that
time that the ball had struck him and
| did not know that he was shot. During
| this time we had considerable scuffling
nd I Nr~xrft
| ing me with the pistol and when it fired
we had gotten out in the hall somewhere
near the head of the steps going down
| stairs. AS soon as the pistol fired he turn
| ed loose and started down stairs saying:
| Damn you, 1 will kill you l was very
| much excited and knew that there was
| a loaded gun at the bottom of the stairs
in Dyal's room, which was at the foot
| of the stairs. and | knew that he knew
| that it was there, as he had slept in that
room, the night before, and he had seen
| 1t there and asked whose it was, and had
| examined it and seen that it was loaded,
and l knew that he was endeavoring to
get the gun to shoot me with. 1 also
knew that being upstairs there was no
| way for me to get down except going down
the stairs and he would certainly kill me
before 1 could get down that way, and as
he turned to get the gun l fired at him
| myself with the pistol. He went on down
| Immediately down because l was afraid
that he had gotten the gun. but in mo-
| ment l heard him say, 1 am dead and
| then l went down the stairs about half
way until l could see the front door.
| About this time / saw Dyal coming in the
| front way and l came on down to the bot
tom of the steps where Dyal and I met.
turned the muzzle of the gun to myself
| and handed it to Dyal, telling him that
had shot Higginbotham.
"Higginbotham was then lying on the
bed in Dyas' room. He was saying L
am dying 4 am dying I went over to
| the bed with Dyal and said to him if you
| are dying make a statement TO Mr.. Dyal
| and tell him about it, and exonerate me
| from all blame. He said all right and
| l turned and went out. The people be-
gan coming in at that time and I turn
ed and went out on the porch l did not
make any attempt to get away but told
| them that / was ready to give up to the
officers. This gentlemen of the jury is
a statement of all the facts that trans
| pired in regard to the matter and before
| God is the truth. / did not know when
| the pistol first fired that he was hit, and
when he tried to get the gun / knew that
he would certainly kill me unless I should
shoot him, which ] did in order 10 keep
him from killing me. / am sorry that it
occurred. but l could not help it under
| the circumstances"
Mr. Black has not decided as to his fu
ture plans. While here he will be the