The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24
THRUST A KNIFE IN HIS BACK.
BUTCHER HAYS ATTEMPTS TO MUIR
DER r. j. LANIER.

Watched His Victim at His supper in
the Kentucky Restaurant, Was
Arrested on Suspicion. and While
Prisoner He Broke Loose From
the officer and stabbed Lanier
with SiX-fnch BIade-HHd a
Loaded Revolver I'm His Pocket ana
Another Dirk for an Emergency.
The Crime Unprovoked.
T. J. Lanier. a white carpenter who
lives az No - West Broad street. was Sc
riously cut last night in the Kentucky
Restaurant. No. 222 St. Julian street west
The man who did the cutting is a white
butcher, H Hays. and according 10 the ac-
counts of Witnesses il was a cold-blco led
attempt at murder.
Messrs. j. Bigler, J. G. Schwarzbaum,
and young man named Wen were pres
ent when the affair occurred and their
stories. which agree in every particular,
are that Lanier. who is a customer Of the
restaurant came in and ordered a meal.
and that while he was eating two men,
one of whom was Hays, came in and,
calling to Lanier. told him that they want
ed to see him. Lanier toid them that he
WOui1 STE NHFih d. 1JSh 90 i-N vas
through supper, but told Mr. Bigler that
he did not care to go out as he fearei
harm from Hays.
When he saw that his intended victim
made no hurry to get through, Hays seem
ed to fear that ne would get away, and
came back into the res aurant and sitting
down opposite Lanier ordered a cup OF
coffee but without even pretending 90
drink il sat and watched his man. see ng
that escape fr1m his enemy by flight was
out of the question, Lanier asked Mr..
Bigier TO have policeman calle1, and
Rave Hays arrested. Policeman Biumberg
came In response to Mr.. Bigler's reque {,
and arrested Hays as re sat al the table.
Hays had a pistol in his overcoat pocket,
which Mr.. Bigler rad noticed, ard as soon
as the arrest vas n ade, e took il out and
gave Il to BlUmberg. Putting the weapon
in his pocket, Blumberg started for the
door, with his prisoner. In the meantime
Lanier mad ristn and was stan ing Il
tabie between the officer and Hays, ana
the door. As Hays came opposite to lis
vicsin. wifh a quick jerk he freed his
arm on the grasp OF he policeman ard
drawing a heavy sheath knife slashed
Lan1er vfciously in the back, cutting
through oyercoat ard q thes and making
an Ugly wOuCd rear the spine in The small
OF the be cS- As he wrencfs8 himself fire. OF
lie Eoli eUaE ne caught ncId OF Il nj T and
clurE 10 him. making futile efforts 20
Use the knife even after ne had been
ssiZed By the policeman and two by
standsrs- Hays is q large and powerful
man and retained his hold on his victim
until one Of che men In the restaurant
gave him 4 sharp rap on the head with
a eluo Even then Il took the united ef-
forts OF the policeman and two others 70
get the katie from him When taken to
TIE barracks he vas found TO have, be-
sides the pistol and the weapon that he
had used. another heavy clasp knife.
Lanier was sent to the Savannah Hospj-
tai in the ambulance. While his wound
is not necessarily fatal. it is quite serious
and even should be entirely recover, it will
not be for some time.
The witnesses Of the affair agree that It
was q premeditated and cold-blooded ot-
tempt at murder, with no extenuating cir
cumstances. Neither man was drunk The
knife with which the deed was done is a
vicious-looking weapon, about six inches
long, with a blade curved like a scirniter
1t had been newly sharpened and had an
edge like q razor. Hayss head was cut
by the blow from the club, and it was
necessary to have IL dressed before he
could be locked up