The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-28
SHOCKING CRIME IN A STORE.
THE PROPRIETOR, HIS WIFE AND A
NEGRO MURDERED.


Effort to Conceal the Crime-TIre
Department FoiIs This Part of the
PIot-Murdercr Supposed TO Have
Returned After His First visit and
Cut the Womnn's ThrOnt on Find
ing Her StiII Alive.
Atlanta, Ga, March 27.-The most bru-
tai and mysterious murder that has &C.
CURED in Fulton county since the noted
Defoor case, In which old man Defoor and
his wife were assasslnated in their homes,
was committed some time between mid
night and day this morning.
It-was n triple murder. the victims he
ing David Briley and his wife and a negro
named Bob Willis.
Mr.. Briley who was about 60 years of
age, and his wife, few years younger,
was the proprietor of a small grocery store
in a thlclSly populated section of the First
ward, which is in the southeastern por-
ton of the city In the vicinity of the old
United States barracks.
Willis, the negro, was a carpenter. who
lived i'm the same neighborhood.
All three were killed by some sort of
bludgeon, though the woman's throat was
cut from ear TO ear.
A deep mystery surrounds the horrible
tragedy: The entire detective department
has been at work upon it all day, but no
satisfactory clue to the assassins has been
obtained, though five arrests have been
made.
The parties under arrest are all negroes,
three men ard two women. These arrests
were made merely upon suspicion and the
detectives themselves do not believe that
they have touched the real murderers yet.
The prisonersAre closely confined at po-
lice headquarters with orders that no one
be allowed to see or talk to them.
In addition to the crime of murder the
crime of arson was added to the bloody
deed by the flends.
The store was set aire 10 hide the muir
der but in this the fends were not so sue
cessful as in the work of death, for the
fire department reached the place before
the flames. though started by the use Of
kerosene, had accomplished the end design
ed. 1t was the firing of the building that
brought the crime to light.
Incredible as it may appear, three people
were killed In the midst OF a populated
community with police officers patrolling
the streets all around without the knowl-
edge of a soul so far as is now known.
From surface Indications robbery was
the motive for the crime. The detectives
however, say there was a deeper incentive.
though they refuse to intimate what their
suspicious are.
Mr.. Briley was an old railroad conduc-
tor. who once ran on the Southwestern
road, and came here from South Georgia,
where he was raised He ran the grocery
store on Humphreys street. where he
was killed, and with his wife lived in
small room adjoining 1t In the rear. He
had one son, a young man reported TO
be wild and reckless. This son has not
been home for quite while, his wife now
living at Marietta.
Mr.. Brlley was reported 10 be worth
$4,000 or $1,000 though he lived in poor
fashion. How much Of his wealth was In
money IL not known, but whether he had
nuCH OF ilttits uDtlihb was AeAA Oy hHN
murderers. A trunk in the house, which
contained some valuable jewelry, was not
touched.
The theory of the police is that the
murders took place at midnight as that
was the usual closing hour on Saturday.
Neither Mr.. Briley or his wife had remov-
ed their clothing, but were killed in the
store while they were evidently preparing
to close up.
The old man was felIed beside a pair
OF scales, upon which he was Weighing
out ten pounds of meal
His wifes body was lying some dis
tance away, near the door leading 10 the
room in which they lived, back OF the
store.
The negros body was lying near her.
1t Is supposed that the murderer or muir
derers first killed Mr.. Briley and then his
wife, the telling blow being struck her
as she came from her room to the store,
probably attracted by the noise of her
husbands falling body.
II rs supposed that the negro Willis
capIs into the store by a rear door while
the bloody work was going on, and was
killed to seal his lips.
The place was not discovered afire until
nearly o'clock this morning. when the
alarm was sent In by policeman who
did not suspect the horrible truth of the
crime. as the front door OF the store was
closed and outside there was nothing to
arouse suspicion.
1t Is supposed that the firing of the
place was an afterthouRht When the as
sassln came back 10 do this II Is thought,
he found that Mrs. Briley was still alive,
and TO make sure Of his work her throat
was slashed from ear 10 ear. The theory
Is confirmed by the fact that the womans
body was still warm when found, while
the husband and the negro were cold and
stiff.
----s-o-f
RUssIAs GRIP ON CHINA.