The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-08
SCOTT MEANT TO KILL.
CONFESSED THAT FATAL BLOW
WAS STRUCK PURP0SELY.

perstitiOus Fears Induced by
BrOOding over the Crime and
Told What He Declared to BE the
Truth-says That He Killed His
Wife for Calling Him "a "NIgEer."
Scott's Last Statement TO the Effect
That the Tragedy Took Place in
the Kitchen and That He Carried
His Wife Into the BedrOOm-De-
tectives Think That Much of His
story Is False, Bot That He viii
Eventually Tell the Truth.
Isaiah Scott, under arrest for the muir
der of his wife, Marie Scott. confessed
to Superintendent of Police Screven and
Detective Scully yesterday afternoon that
the fatal blow was struck with murderous
intent, and that his previous story, to the
effect that his wIfe's death was an acct
dent. was a falsehood induced by the ex-
element under which he labored at the
time he made the statement.
According to SCOTS last statement, the
killing was the result of a quarrel between
his wife and himself, and was Immediate
ly induced by slurrng epithet applied
to him by the dead woman.
Detective ScuIly went into the station
house to talk to Scott, and after question:
ing the negro closely, the latter finally
agreed to tell the whole truth, without
concealing anything or endeavoring to pal
late his guilt Sculy sent for the super
intendent, but before he came Scott had
repented of his resolution, and had to be
urged again to confess. Finally he agreed
to do so. and to the superintendent and
the detective told the story Of his crime.
He said that his wife and he had lately
had frequent quarres and that she had
tainted him with the fact that he was a
black man. while she was almost white.
He had become desperate under the con-
tinual affronts, when on the night of the
homicide ne started out into the yard Of
the dwelling to chop some wood. He had
been sick and was still far from wen.
The old quarrel was renewed, and when
she again called him a bigger" he was
wild with passion and anger and struck
her IN the head with the ak chat he had
been carrying. The tragedy occurred in
the kitchen of the dwelling, one of the
rear rooms.
lie picked her up in his arms and car
ried her into the adjoining room, where he
laid her on the bed and attempted to look
after the horrible and gaping wound that
ne had inflicted and to stop the flow Ct
blood. His efforts availed nothing and
she died within "A few minutes When
asked TO account for the presence of the
blood upon the headboard of the bed he
said that he supposed that this came from
the woman tossing her head to and fro
and reiterated his declaration that the
murder had been committed in the other
room. He also said that when Amanda
Field came 10 the house the tragedy had
not yet occurred, and that his wife was
not in the house al that time. This is ar
variance with the story told TO the SUPER
intendant when he gave himself up. when
he said that she was in the house at that
time and that his wife was already dead
Scot said that he falsifed his first state
ment by reason OF the fact that he was
very much excited and scarcely knew
what he said He insists that he never
left the city, and that he passed Friday
night and Saturday in a house on Hull
street. He persisted in the statement that
he intended all the time TO give himself
up and that he came down TO the bar
racks shortly after the commission of the
crime with this end in view.
The detectives still think that Scott Is
not telling the whole truth. but that he
has lied about some of the matters con-
nected with the homicide. For instance.
il is not thought that he killed the woman
in the kitchen, as he now says, the fact
that the only blood stains that have been
found about the house were in the bed
room, where the body was found bearing
out this belief. The position in which the
body was lying and the expression on The
dead woman's face, which was calm and
peaceful lead TO the conviction that she
never knew the cause of her death, and
that her murderer slipped up behind her
and butchered her in her sleep.
The statement that Scott has never left
the city is another that the detectives re-
gard with suspicion and believe to be
untrue. Reliable Witnesses from the SUI
burbs have reported to the police that
they saw Scott the night of the murder
and that he was going from town at that
time. He was seen, il is said getting on
the Florida Central and Peninsular train
for Jacksonville, and man answering
his description was thrown off the train
at Burroughs station.
Indeed, the murderer's whole story, with
the exception Of the admission that he
killed his wife, and that he did it delib-
erately and of intention. is thought to be
untrue. Ordinarily the truth or falsity of
a criminals statement may be gagged
with some accuracy by the Inducements
that one course or the other holds out to
MIN, but in the present case this test
iails. Scott has shown that he will lie
without apparent reason and without any
hope OF lettering his condition. The only
fact brought out by his new story the
detectives think, is that the murder was
deliberate and intentional and this was
known by them, without the barest reason
TO doubt its correctness before he had
said anything at all. and even before he
had given himself up.
It is surmised that scotrs last confess
sion IS the result of the strain of the
confinement and the terror and ghastIv
horror induced in the murderer's nina
by thought Of the bleeding body Of HE
victim. 1t is believed, further. thai ne
time wears on, he viii give up mora ~
the true story and that he will eventually
teil enough TO convict himself, if evidence
other than that woven about him NV M
chaln OF circumstances were needed
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