The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-29
HIGHWAYMEN RAID HARDAWAY
HOLD UP FoUR MEN IN STORE
AND KILL A BRAVE NEGRO.

The Brave Black Draws His Pistol
when Ordered 20 Throw Up His
Hands and Opens Fire In Defense
of His Employ Robbers
Pcrforate Him with BuIIets-One
Of the store-Kcepers Finally
Brings HIS Gun Into Play and the
Robbers Flee.
Albany Ca, April 2S-Hardaway, a
small station on the Savannah, Florida
and Western, was last night the scene
of a bold attempt at robbery. which.
though unsuccessful. ended in the death
OF brave negro, whose courage. no doubt.
saved the lives of several others from the
bullets of the robbers
f. #. Putney runs large general store
at Hardaway. and 1t was just as his
clerks were preparing to close up for the
day. about o'clock. that a negro, who
was unknown, walked in and began to
trade with Duncan Forester, one Of the
clerks.
J. II. and L. e, Weatherbee and Julian
Forester, three other clerks. and WILL
lam Grass, negro porter about the store,
were sleepily waiting for the supposed
customer to conclude his trading, when,
without warning. another man with a pis-
tol in each hand stepped in the door and
| called out Hands up" The two Weather
bees and Julian Forester were very close
together, and he covered these three.
while the negro who was doing the trad
ing covered Duncan Forester.
| A..
uncovered He was sweeping out the
| store at the time, and appreciating the
| gravity of the situation, he dropped his
broom and with the reply to the rob-
bers to Hold up your hands, and be
ID quick about it," he drew a pistol
which he carried and began to fire at the
robbers XIII the d. nigger,' they
cried, and directing their attention to him.
they began TO fire at the brave porter,
Grass emptied his pistol at them end
then staggered out OF side door, where,
It is thought, he was again shot by a
third man who was sta+loned on the OUT
side.
At any rate, after the melee was over,
Grass was found lying dead near the door
out Of which he had staggered. One shot
had passed through his head from temple
to temple. Two had penetrated his heart
and one had entered his stomach.
| In the meantime. while the attention OF
the robbers was partially directed to
| Grass, jill. Weatherbee began to work his
way to his gun, In corner of the store.
Every step he took was marked by a shot
| from the man who was holding up Duncan
Forester, who was also the target for two
| Of the robbers bullets, one of them cut
| ting piece out of the shoulder of his
coat and the other passing dangerously
near his head.
| In the meantime Weatherbee had reach
| ed his gun, which he found not loaded, but
/ he finally succeeded In getting two shells
| from his hunting coat, and fired at the
robbers as they broke away and fed. IL
| is not known whether either Of the rob-
/ bers was wounded
Sheriff Edwards OF this city was tele-
| graphed for and, accompanied by several
| deputies and bood-hounds, went to the
| scene. But he could trace the robbers
| only about four miles down the road going
south, when all trace of them was last
| Two strange negroes were subsequently,
| arrested, but upon the declaration of Dun-
can Forester that they were not the rob-
| bers they were released.
| Sheriff Edwards viii spare no efforts 70
capture the outlaws.
The death of Grass is universally re-
| GREETED. This city was his home, where
| he was well known, and his courageous
| conduct Is the subject of unstinted praise.
| He proved himself hero and laid down
| his life In defense of his employers inter-
est and the lives of his colaborers.
Whether the robbers were negroes or
white men painted black Is an open ques-
| tlon. Sheriff Edwards. however, thinks
| that they are white men. Knowing ones
believe that he has clew which will lead
/ to their arrest.
| II was altogether one Of the most daring
crimes ever attempted in this section.