The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-29
SLEW HER TO HIDE HIS CRIME.
Body OF SUSAN GRANT. 4 14-YEAR-
OLD NEGREss FOUND.


day Night, shortly After the Girl
Had Left the House of Her Em-
pIoyers- on Her Way
Home, She Was Assaulted and
Then KiIIed-A Bullet Hole in the
Left TcmpIe-BOdy FOund by Two
white Employees of the Corral.
Detectives on the Track of the
Murderer-NO Inquest Yet Held.
The ravished and murdered body of Su-
san Grant a 14-year-old negro girl, was
found lying in a thicket of pine saplings,
near the Florida Central and Peninsular
yards. on the Louisville road. yesterday
morning The girl had been dead since
last Wednesday night. and The body was
badly decemposed. The detectives are on
the track of the murderer, but up to an
early hour this morning he had not been
captured.
The girl lived with her sister and work
ed for a family of white people that oc-
cupied the Old hotel building near the rail-
road yards. and about a quarter OF a mile
distant from the house in which she ana
her sister lived. About s or O'clock
Wednesday night she finished her work
and started home. carrying in q basket
the remnants Of the days meals, custom
in much vogue with negro servants since
the time she left the house OF her en-
ployers until yesterday morning when her
desecrated and murdered body was found
she had not been heard Of nor seen.
Her continued absence from home on the
night of the murder at length alarmed her
sister and the latter started out on
search for her. She wandered up and
down the road and at a point opposite the
thlcket in which the body was subsequent
~ discovered the girls hat and the basket
which she had been carrying were found
living on the ground. In the basket were
the articles Of food that it had contained
when she started for home. The sister
alarmed at this find, continued her way
down the road to the house Of the employ
ers. but they could give her no lnior
ton that would serve to satisfy her fore
holdings that something seriously wrong
mad happened They could only say that
Susan mad left their home at about 80
o'clock and that since that hour they hdd
not seen or heard Of her.
Much perturbed the woman returned 10
her own home The next morning she
continued the search for her sister, striV-
ing with all diligence she could bring TO
bear 10 learn the girls whereabouts OF
gain some clue that would put her on the
track Her Efforts were without avail,
the suggestions that were hazarded BY her
friends brought forth no results, ana the
DAYS passed without anything being learn
ed that would materially assist IN me So
lurlon of the mystery.
Yesterday morning two workmen, en-
ployed at the government corral, were
in the vicinity in which the events nave
been narrated transpired and wandered
into the camp Of saplings. They came
suddenly across the body OF the murdered
girl. with her head against the trunk OF
a tree and with a bullet hole, made APP
parently. with a 32-caliber revolver, in her
left temple. The body was, Of course,
much decompOsed and was scarcely recog-
nizable. The dress was torn and the signs
Of struggle ia which the murdered girl
had participated were very evident
The coroner was notified and responded
at once, reaching the spot about o'clock.
lie made an immediate investigation and
decided that the girl nad been assaulted
before she had been killed. Evidences of
the murderer's brutal lust were but too
plentiful He had evidently accomplished
his purpose and then, aware Of the fact
that he had been recognized and would
be punished, completed the work by shoot
ing his victim through the head.
The coroner telephoned the facts in his
possession 10 the barracks and four detec-
tives. headed by Detective Scully, came
out 10 the scene of the murder and COM
menced to gather what clues were obtain
able from the people living In the vicinity
These were few, and far from sausfacto tory
but with what was then learned the de-
tectives started 20 work and think they
are on the track that will lead to the de-
lection and arrest of the criminal.
A few minutes after the body had been
found the fact was noised about, and with
in a short time crowd Of between 500
and 600 angry negroes had collected. There
was much excitement and much noise and
vindictive threats of what would be done
should the perpetrator OF the deed fall into
their hands were heard on every side. In
these threats the women were most vo-
lent, and were anxious that they should
be given an opportunity to wreak their
vengeance on the violator Of the girl.
There is little doubt that had he then been
arrested and been brought within reach
of the mob death would have been his
fate.
The coroner has not decided Just when
10 do so at present. he thinks, as the evil
dence that win be brought out will only
serve to warn the murderer that he Is sus-
pected and urge him to put himself be-
You'd the reach of the officers of the law.
II is thought that within the next few
days he Will be arrested. and that an in
quest after this has been accomplished
will serve more useful purpose and do
very much less harm.
The man who is suspected IS a negro
whose actions before and since the murder
but prior 20 the discovery OF the body, have
led the officers to think him the guilty
man. While there Is no direct evidence to
connect him with the commission of the
crime, circumstances point strongly in The
direction Of his guilt. and his manner and
words subsequent to the night of the KIN.
ing and during the time when the search
f0f the siri or her body was In progress af-
ford much corroborating proof Of this opin.
ion. His movements are known. and there
is little apprehension that he will be able
20 elude the clutches OF the law, that arr
gradually closing around him. and viii
shortly have him fast in their grasp.
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