The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-23
TRIED TO CUT HIS HEAD OFF.
MOST DECAPITATED WITH A
RAZOR.

William west0n's Savage Assault
That Nearly Ended In Murder.
Severed the Muscles in His Vic
Tins ThrOnt, Then Buried the
Razor Near His Spine and After
That Zi%zagged 1t Across His
Hands and Arms-JohnSOn Tried to
Draw Pistol but WAS Too Slow
About It.
Henry Johnson, a bootblack In the Pu
lasd House. was almost decapitated with
razor in Congress street lane, between
Drayton and Bull street, about O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon by William Weston,
another negro, while the two were engag-
ed for a survival of the fttest" Weston
was captured on the spot and lodged in
the barracks, while johnson was taken to
his home, No. 120 East Boundary street
The negroes fought desperately, and
johnson presented bloody spectacle af-
ter the two were separated. Bicycle Po-
Nceman Mock was promptly on the scene,
and on seeing Weston was in the hands
OF Policeman Halford, took charge of the
wounded negro and hurried him in a hack
to the police barracks where Or. r. 5.
Kenan vas summoned to attend his In
juries. Before he got in readiness to be-
gin work, however, a patrol wagon rolled
in with Weston, who also had number
Of BITES and cuts on his hands.
The difficulty seems 10 have been started
from a frivolous conversation between the
men, who were not well acquainted, but
who soon became sufficiently so to begin
"guying" each other. There was a num-
Der Of others in the crowd probably ex-
plaiued by the numerous policy shops in
that locality and when one of the dis
putants outwitted the other there was
laugh. This ocular talk continued until
Weston said:
Il wore better clothes than them while
you were in the country turning SOM
ersaults for peanuts" addressing the re-
mark to johnson.
This was more than Johnson cared to
take and leaving i'm the direction of Bull
street he returned in few moments with
a pistol and gave Weston to understand
he was back for an understanding. The
latter claims an eplthet was applied to
him. and that johnson challenged him to
repeat any of his former language. Not
caring to allow johnson go without some
amends, Weston advanced toward him.
when he reached in his pocket for the gun.
1t would doubtless have been drawn but
for catching in his clothes, and seeing his
trouble, Weston pulled an ugly razor from
an inside vest pocket and began slashng
tussel followed, during which
Johnson kept trying to pull
pistol but before he could
do so Weston had passed razor over the
left of his throat, cutting a frightful cash
and severing one of the muscles Johnson
was biting the while, but before he could
do much harm, Weston made another pass
at his antagonist, leaving a cash in the
back Of his neck almost the size of the
first He then zigzagged the razor over
JohnSon's hands in such a manner as TO
give them horrible appearance.
After dressing Johnson's injuries, Dr.
kenan asked the police 10 take the negro
to his home, where he could be treated 10
better advantage. It is said he VIII live
but it is the worst cutting the police have
had in a long time.
Weston lives at No 107 Farm street and
was until recently in the employ of Smith
& Kelly as a driver. He has been doing
nothing for some time, however, which
may account for his loungng around the
shops in the lane