The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-13
FIRED AT CLOSE RANGE.
GREEK CONFECTIONER SHOT BY
An EX-ENPLOYE N 4 DISPUTE
OVER WAGES.

Shooting Occurred Near the Corner
of Bull street and DroughtOn Lane.
Freddy Mcneil the Name of the Ne
gro Who Attempted the Life of the
Greek-Jnmes Houston Suspected
of Doing the Shooting and Mar
rOwly Escaped Injury From the
CrOwd-DemetrakOP the In
jured Nan, Reported Resting ERs-
lily.
George Demetrakopoulos. a Greek con-
fectioner, with stall in the market, was
shot and wounded by Fred Mcneil, color
ed, at Bull street and Broughton lane
last night The wounded man was taken
TO ST. Joseph's Inirmary, where ne Is
reported Is resting quietly.
Mcneil had been employed by the con-
fectioner and worked for him until FRI
day night. The place where he manu-
featured his candy was in Broughton
lane, just a door or two removed from
Bull street. During the week Mcneil had
been sick one day and had employed In
his stead another negro boy named James
Houston. There seemed TO be some diff
ference of opinion between the employer
and the employe as to who should pay
the wages of this substitute, and it was
about this that the difficulty occurred.
On Friday night Mcneil threw up his
job and refused to work longer He was
told by Demetrakopoulos to come around
to his place after hours at the market,
and he should be paid his wages.
He went around about 1880 o clock last
night and entering the room that opened
on the lane asked for his money. The
confectioner offered him 50, which he re-
fused to accept, saying that he was due
$3.50. The Greek threw the money down
upon the stone upon which he rolled his
candy, but when Mcneil again and noislly
refused to accept he picked it up and re-
placed it in his pocket.
Mcneil continued his demands and the
Greek as sturdiy refused to give more
than he thought was due. At last he
caught the negro /by the shoulders and
showed him out into the lane. AS he did
so Mcneil pulled a revolver from his
pocket and fired three times, with the
weapon almost against the body of his
intended victim. Almost by miracle
but one of the balls took serious effect,
the others passing through his clothing
or inflicting slight flesh wounds from
which he suffered no Inconvenience.
AS soon as Mcneil had done the shooting
he turned and ran down the lane in the
direction of Drayton street, and has since
managed to elude the vigilance of the Of
icers. At an early hour this morning
they were still on his track, but had not
been able 10 effect his capture.
Houston stood near the spot after the
shots had been fired, and surrendered
readily enough 10 the first man who hap
pcned to be upon the scene. Immediately
afterwards he was given into the custody
of Deputy Sheriffs Westcott and Hartigan,
who came up on hearing the shots. The
wounded Greek was placed in a hack and
driven first to the station house and then
to the Infrmary, where he expressed a
desire TO be taken.
At least 1900 persons gathered around
the spot where the shooting had been done
and, laboring under the impression that
Demetrakopoulos had been killed, and that
Houston was his slayer, clamored for i'm
mediate revenge. 1t was only by the eX-
ercise of firm persistence on the part of
the officers that he was kept from serious
injury at the hands of the crowd. He was
sent soon afterward to the station house,
where he was locked up and a charge of
being an accessory to the shooting entered
against him
However. it is not believed by the police
that he had anything to do with the crime.
He told a straight story of the shooting.
and il is clear from the internal evidence
and the rapidity with which one event fol-
lowed another that it was not participated
in by him. and that he had no further con-
nection with it than that he was present.
1t is not thought that it viii be possible
for Mcneil 70 escape. The officers of the
law are familiar with his haunts and his
home. and anticipate no difficulty in bring
ing him to Justice. 1t is miraculous that
the shots fired at the Greek were not IA
tai and fortunate for Mcneil that they
were not