The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-07
SHOT BY HIS WIFE'S LOVER.
WA. FLOYD OF MELDRIM CHARGES
4 SERIOUS CRIME.

BuckshOt Hit Him in the Back
of the Hend-CIaims His Wife's
Lover Fired the ShOt-Not the First
Attempt Against His Life-Floyd's
story of His Troubles.
W A. Flovd was fired at night before
last lust as he was shutting up his store
at Meldrim. One of the buckshot of the
charge struck him in the back of the
head. knocking him down. He lay sense
less where he fell for some minutes, and
then got up and made his way to his
home. which is near by his store.
Floyd was in the city yesterday morn
ing. He saw the solicitor general end
was advised TO go back TO Meldrim and
have the man whom he suspected of nav
ing fired al him arrested. Floyd ielt the
city on the dinner train for Meldrlm &C.
clariug that he intended to follow the ad-
vice Of the solicitor.
The story of the shooting, as told by
Flovd 70 a Morning News reporter, was
one of violated marriage vows and the
infatuation of a woman with a man VINO
is young enough to be her son. he sala
his wife had been unfaithful to him. ana
that the man who fired the shot that
came so near ending his life was Eer
lover. He did not know positively that
The would-be assassin and the lover we're
one and the same, but he judged so from
threats that had been made against Inn
and from an attempt having already been
made upon his life For month he rad
been living in the fear that his life might
be taken to satisfy the jealous rage Oh
his wife's admirer, and he now thinks
certain circumstances fasten the CUNT Oh
The ATTEMPT to murder him upon the
Young man who has won his wife's az
dections from him
Flovd is a man of 65. His wife Is his
iunior by more than twenty years, while
me Young fellow whom the husband be-
,eves "a be at the bottom of his trouble
Is not more than q or p. Floyd has
son living in Savannah who Is 80 years
old. white his second wife, whom ne
claims is unfaithful to him, bore him a
daughter who is now IL. tioyds son y
the man who was so seriously injured az
Bacon's mils during the storm OF lo9o'
He has never recovered from the effects
OF his injuries
IT was little more than month ago
mat the happiness Of the little tamiiy
circle at Meldrim was broken 10 upon ny
the report of his wife's inhdehty thae
reached Floyd's ears. He was tod by
friend that il had become common prop
ertv in the town, and that every one was
1alking of the seemingly Illicit relations
that existed between his wife and the
young man in question. Floyd mas iot Il
long time been in the habit of coming 10
the city daily. As soon as he was seen
l,a
sin in, making mis- way out before the re-
turn of the husband. Floyd says this con-
tinued until he was given warning oil the
state CT affairs by his friend.
The trouble the husband made after this
Information was given him kept the
young man from the house and store Tor
some time Finally he entered the store
one day about month past and became
very offensive in his manner to Floyd
who claimed he was drunk. The proprie-
tor spoke sharply 10 him in reply to pro-
family he directed against him In the pres
ence of his wife and one or two other wit
nesses. out came the young mans pistol
then Floyd said, and two shots were hred
at him in rapid succession. Neither LOOK
effect. and Floyd ran back into another
room to get his own pistol. Armed, ne re-
turned into the store and in turn opened
fire He also shot twice with his pistol
before the young man could get out Of the
store Neither of the bullets hit the in
ia
tended mark and Floyd fired with rife
at the retreating figure, missing again.
Warrants for assault with intent to muir
der grew out of the affair, each OF the
principals having the other arrested. Both
are now under bond. Floyd claims he can
prove to the entire satisfaction of jury
that he was justified in shooting at the
man who had made the first attempt upon
his life. He further claims that his enemy
made threats against him, swearing ne
would put an end to him.
Might before last Floyd had gotten
everything in readiness to close up his
store. He was pulling the door to TO lock
1t when he was fired upon. The run
charge passed within but hairs breadth
OF his head though fortunately but one
shot struck him. This cut INTO the scalp,
stunning him and causing him loss OF
blood The rosJ of the charge cut into
the door facing, tearing big hole. Floyd
saw nothing of his enemy before the shot,
nor could he see any trace of him after
he regained his senses
Or. Thompson of Meldrim dressed the
injured mans wound, and had him In
. shape 10 make the trip to Savannah thts
morning Floyd had cloth about his
head while here, and his face was pale,
seemingly from loss of blood. He talked
freely of his troubles. He was asked
about the relations still existing between
himself and his wife, and answered that
they are living togtlNtt- III duhlNiou ~
the blow his affections have suffered, and
10 the wound he received, Floyd says he
has been financially hit that his wife has
taken $500 df his money and given ii to
her lover. He says he has letters that
passed between them to show that his
business, which his wife and daughter
largely managed for him, had had in
roads made upon it for the benefit of the
young man one Of the letters, he claims,
is a request from the lover for money TO
pay his lawyer in the case he had brought
against the husband for assault with in
tent to murder
Floyd says he is well known in Savan-
nah; that he lived here for thirty years
before leaving twelve months ago for Mel
drim. For sixteen years before he left
Savannah he was employed as Waterman
at a cotton warehouse.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
Internal Revenue officer Took Lau-