The morning news., 1899-04-28
ON THE CHARGE OF MURDER.
J. II. WRIGHT CHARGED WITH
KILLING A NEGRO.

Arrested in Savannah on a Warrant
for the Murder of Alfred brown
| Near black Ankle on Tuesday.
BroUn Had Been Employed by
Wright's Father, But Quit Work
Monday on Account of Disagree
ment-The Two Men Were Last
seen Together Near the House In
which Brown Was shortly After
ward Found Dend-The Evidence
Purely Circumstantiai.
] IL Wright, a young man well known
in Savannah, was arrested az the Pulaski
Yesterday by Constables Harugan and
I.ihenthal on a warrant sworn out by
Coroner Goette. charging him with the
murder of Alfred Brown, colored
Mr. Wright was in the employ of his
father, who conducts a turpentine farm IN
the western part of Chatham county IN
the vicinity of Black Ankle Brown the
negro who was killed. was also in the
| employ of the senior Wright, bus quit
work Monday because of some disagree
ment with his employer as to the terms
on which he was employed. This disagree
ment is supposed to have led to the kill
ing of Brown Tuesday, though there Is
no evidence on this point. The evidence
| against Mr. Wright is entirely circum-
stantiaL 1t was such. however, as 20
cause the ooroner's jury which investi-
gated the case to bring in a verdict that
the deceased came to his death at the
hands of Wright and that the crime was
murder.
4 he evidence, as brought out at the cor
oners inquest, was that Brown was last
seen in The company of Wright, and that
the two men were proceeding together to
Browns house. where Brown was found
dead not very long afterwards.
Lou Sutherland. the negro wo-
man. who lives with Brown,
testified that she and Brown left their
house Tuesday morning to go to the house
of Robert williams near by. At Williams
house she stopped TO do some sewing, while
Brown kept on up the road About 10
o'clock she saw Brown coming back down
the road with, Mr.. Wright following him
in a buggy. AT Williams place they stop
ped and entered into a conversation with
the latter The conversation was about
the tools which Williams and Brown had
been using and about their quitting work.
Mr. Wright said that he wanted the tools
brought back a turpentine hack, which he
placed in Wright's buggy. Some conver-
sation then ensued as to who would do
Browns work, Williams offering to do the
work To this Mr. Wright assented and
Williams took his hack out of the buggy.
Brown and Wright then proceeded to the
formers cabin, Brown walking Aong the
road and Wright following short dis
tauce behind him in the buggy.
Cavaro1 ,,artiee living along the road be-
tween the houses of Williams and Brown
testified to seeing the two going along the
road together, among the number being
Mr.. Dan Thompson, a well-to-do white
farmer This was the last seen of Brown
alive. The Sutherland woman testified
that not long after Mr.. Wright and Brown
left she went down to the house. accom-
panied by a child, and, pushing the door
| open, saw Brown lying upon the floor
dead. He had bullet hole through his
breast, and the body was still warm. She
at once gave the alarm and a crowd gath
cred. A turpentine hack which had been
in the corner of the cabin was missing
and, as Mr.. Wright had stated that he
had come after the tools and he was the
last person seen in Browns company, sus-
picion attached to him at once
A summons was sent him to attend the
| coroner's inquest, but his father informed
the party who brought the summons that
his son was out on the farm. Mr. Wright
came into the city Wednesday night and
was stopping at the Pulaski, where he
was arrested by the officers. He professed
entire ignorance of the affair. Meeting
Coroner Goette at the court house. Mr..
Wright said that he had intended seeing
him about the summons, as he wanted to
know why he had been summoned to ap-
pear at the inquest
When seen by Morning News reporter.
Wright said he had nothing TO say. 'eIhere
is nothing can say" he said, because 1
know nothing about the matter"
He did not seem at all perturbed bv his
arrest Wright formerly resided in Sa
vannah and has a number of warm friends
here who viii see to ii that he lacks no
comfort al the Jail, Mr.. T. S. Morgan
Jr., will probably be retained as his attor
ney.
According TO the story of the difference
between the Wrights and Brown the lat
| ter had been engaged some time since 10
! perform certain work on the farm in tho
| discharge of which he was to be furnished
! with horse. In the course of time be
accumulated a debt of $27 to the aI5ar
| Wright, which he was unable or rnwiIl-
ing to pay. When he quit work he Claim
| ed that the debt was offset by the fact
! that he had not been furnished with q
| horse as agreed upon. The fact of a dis.
agreement between the Wrights and brow,
! is evidently the first link In the chain -
| clrcumstantial evidence against WRIGHT
| Jr. The evidence, however is nure
| ~ circumstantial and unIass
strengthened by further evidence is not
hkely TO make very serious case against
Mr. Wright; An application will doubt
less be made to the court for permission
to give bond