The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-01
DIDN'T INTEND TO SHOOT.
jury ACQUITTED CHRISTOPHER OF
DEATH OF LIZZIE WILLIAMS.

Shooting Was Accidental and
Christopher Guilty of No Criminal
Negligence or observation-disclosures
Occurred in Frogtown About "A
week Acknowledgements Escaped
and RemRfned at Liberty Until He
Surrendered to Detectives Barrett
ANA shea-Then He Told the First
Comprehensive and Credible story
of the Homicide.
A corouer's jury Investigated yesterday
mornins the cause and manner Of The
death OF Lizzie Williams. VINO died Tues
day. Oct q. from the effects of a bullet
wound indicted by Columbus Christopher
Three days after the shooting Christopher
surrendered himself TO City Detectives
Barrett and Shea The coroners jury
brought in a verdict OF accidental homi-
eide and Christopher was released.
When Christopher gave himself up to the
detectives and was lodged in the station
house he tod representative Of the
Morning News the same story he told at
the inquest that was corroborated in
every essential particular by The testimony
of the other Witnesses 1t was to the
effect that he barely knew the woman
that has been shot, and that the shooting
was a pure accident. for which he was
extremely sorry. but in no wise to blame
He claimed to be innocent of any crime,
and the story then told has been substan-
tiated and the defendant acquitted.
The Witnesses examined by the coroner
were Rosanna Williams and Maggie Har-
ris, both Of whom had stories 10 tell rela-
tive to the events leading up TO the shoot
ing and both of whom exonerated Christie
Pher of any desire or intention to shoot or
kill the woman. Christopher had said that
after the woman had been shot he had gone
back into her house ana reported the mat
ter 70 Rcsauna Williams ANA had assisted
in carrying Lizzie Williams indoors For
a time it has been impossible for him TO
believe that the bullet from the revolver
had actually found Iodgment in the wo-
mans body, but az soon as ne was con
WINGED of this fact he had gone 10 the Of
fees Of several physicians for the purpose
of inducing them to attend the woman
and strive to relieve her agony All of
them, though, wanted pay in advance AMI
he had been unable 10 accomplish his pur-
pose. The witnesses asserted that Chris
tOpher had told the truth in every essen
tial particular
It was shown, furthermore, that the mo-
tive of jealousy, that has been ascribed as
the cause of the killing, could have no
foundation in fact. as the man and woman
had never been sufficiently intimate TO
Justify any such feeling and indeed had
barely known each other. Nor was the
coroner or his jury able 10 discover any
other motive for the alleged crime. that
had any basis in fact or would serve 10
explain It,
Christopher made statement at the
inquest that evidently produced the in
tended effect. It was consistent with It.
self and furnished the only explanation of
the homicide that has yet been given, ex-
cept when the accused man told the same
story to the Morning News reporter at the
time of mis- surrender 10 the detectives.
His account of the accidental manner In
which the pistol had been discharged was
plausible. and the story of his subsequent
actions, confirmed by the witnesses at the
inquest, rebutted the charge of Intentional
killing. The fact that he had surrender re
himself to the detectives also had its eff
feet with the jury, and il required but lit
tie time for il to make up and return a
verdict of accidental homicide.
Christopher was present at the inquest,
and at its conclusion was discharged by
order of the coroner. The negro seemed
glad to regain his freedom, though from
the first moment of his arrest he has
seemed confident that he would ultimate
be acquitted, and that when the evidence
was ali in that there was nothing for him
to fear.
The shooting occurred on the corner of
Jones street, west, and Guerard lane, in
Frogtown, on the morning of Tuesday, a
week ago. The woman aud Christopher
had been mutually engaged in the pleasing
task of getting a drunken friend of the
latter TO his home, and had at last succeed
ed in doing so. AfterWard they drove in a
cab to the home of the woman, where the
cabman was dismissed. They stayed in
side the house for a few minutes during
which time Christopher talked to Lizzie
and Rosanna Williams, both of whom
were there at the time. When Christopher
started to leave Lizzie Williams followed
him outside the door. and as they reached
the street asked him to let her look at a
revolver he had taken form the friend OF
Christopher whom they had carried to his
home.
The man consented, but before doing 30
thought 1t would be wiser for him to re-
move the cartridges from the weapon and
give IL TO her in a conG ton IN which no
harm could result from her handling It,
While he was attempting to extract the
cartridges the woman walked on ahead
Christopher was trying TO lower the ham
mer of the revolver when il slipped from
his fingers andthe weapon was discharged
The ball entered The womans back and
lodged in the cavity Of the stomach. After
Christopher's Intellectual attempts to gel
a physician. but hide attention was paid
to the woman dWl1g the rest of tbs
early morning, and the case was not re.
ported to the police until after Z O'Clock
Then she was removed in the ambulance
TO the Georgia Infirmary, where she dice
at 2 o'clock of the same day. She hat
never recovered sufficient consciousness e
be able to explain intelligib'y The manner
in which the fatal shot had been fired.
AWAITING HEa PROPELLER.