The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-24
FOUND THE WRONG TARGET.
AN OLD NEGRO KILLED ny A STRAY
BULLET.

A Pistol Fired mt n Target by w. II.
HinsOn, IA Small shop Keeper on
the White BIuH Road Did the
Dnmage-ENcited Negroes Under
took TO Mob HfnSOn ana Ills Wife,
Who Were only saved by the Po-
Iice-Coroner GOctte Holding an
Inquest.
An old negro named -- Jefferson was
accidentally shot and instantly killed at
about 4:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon on
the White Bluff road at Dittmersvila,
about three-fourths of mile beyond the
toll gate.
\ bullet from tho pistol of Mr., w. II.
Hinson. who keeps a small store at the
scene Of the shooting, was the missile
that caused Jenerson's death. Shortly
after the shooting the place was sur
rounded by negroes, the locality being
thickly settled by them. They were en-
ragged al the death Of jefferson, ana their
anger vented itself in an assault upon
Hnson who is an old man. and his wife
The man and his wife managed to defend
themselves to a certain extent until the
police arrived. Hinson was then taken
away, but his wife remained. She then
saw signs of renewed anger among the
negroes, who returned to the shop and
again attacked her. The ring
leaders of the crowd were
Nelson Gibbons, Henry Kramer and Bud
dy Morrison They, with others, knocked
her down ana kicked her and threw all
OF her furniture from the house and the
stock of goods from the store, smashing
things W badly as they did so.
one Of the mob tried to protect her from
the violence OF the others, and to a meas
ure was successful probably saving her
life. The arrival of Omcer Eivers on the
scene put the mob TO flight The officer
brought Mrs. Hinson to the station house,
whittier officer Mitchell had already taken
her husband.
The account given of the affair by Hin
son and his wife is that the accident oc-
CURED through Hinson firing his pistol
at a target. The roof Of his house had
been leaking and II occurred to him that
his pistol might have gotten out of order
on account of the moisture. Thinking he
would test it, he took it up and walked
to the door or the shop. Calling to his
wife, he asked her to stand a board up
against the fence on the other side of the
road as a target. She demurred, thinking
there might be some danger in firing near
the road. The memory of a former trou.
bic of her own. in which she had shot a
negro was fresh in her mind and she
wished to avoid a second vista
fion Of tho rer,or-e that fo11otre e,,c1, a
deed, even when done accidentally. Hin
son persisted. however, and the board
was set up. He fred at it several times
with his pistol, a pot iron sort of an affair
OF the bull dog" type, that shoots IS
caliber bullet. Two of the shots struck
the target, but the others flew wide. One
struck jefferson in the neck. He was
busy at some field work within the range
of the bullets, but was not seen by Hin
son.
As soon as the news of the killing reach
ed the nearest negroes they began to gath
er, and In very short while a mob of
several hundred were about the house.
When their demonstrations began TO
grow threatening Mrs. Hinson induced
some one 10 go for the police and Officer
Mitchell arrived just in time to put
stop to the assault. Later officer Eivers
was on the scene TO prevent further in
dignities being offered Mrs. Hinson.
The unfortunate man whose pistol killed
the negro is a confederate vet
eran who draws a pension from the
state. He has only one leg, the other hav-
ing been lost during the war. Match ped
ding and keeping the small shop on the
White Bluff road is his business After he
had been taken to the barracks, Chief Of
Police Mcpermott and Detectives scully
and Barrett went out 60 the scene of the
shooting. Detective Barrett searched the
house on a second trip and found $500
savings from the sales Of the matches and
the pension. which had been hidden away
by Hinson and his wife. She had told the
detectives Of the money and indicated
where they could find il.
Mrs. Hinson said to a Morning News re-
porter last night that neither she nor her
husband had the slightest animosity
against Jefferson, as he was a very kindly
old man and had at various times done
them several favors
The negroes in the neighborhood are not
inclined GO accept Hiuson's statement of
the killing Hinson. they said was a
cracker and had frequently declared
his intention OF killing a negro. Upon this
they base their belief that the killing was
intentional.
Coroner Goette went Out last night 20
hold an Inquest over the body of jefferson.
There was some delay iu getting the Jury
ana getting tho Witnesses together. and
the probability was. ar last reports. that
the Inquest would be- continued until to-
day