The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-25
KILLED WITHOUT CAUSE.
LIZZIE WILLIAMS SHOT BY JOHN
CHRISTOPHER.

Crime Committed in FrOgtOwn Ear
Iy Yesterday MOrninG-NegrOes in
the NeighbOrhood Did Not Report
the Matter to the Police and the
Criminal Escaped-NOthing Heard
of the Matter at the barracks I'm
til After = O'clock in the Morning.
The Woman Died at the Georgia
Inhrmary, Where She Had Been
Carried, In the Afternoon.
Lizzie Williams was shot and fatally
wounded, at l o'clock yesterday morning,
by John Christopher, and died at ? o'clock
in the afternoon at the Georgia Infrmary.
No report of the fatal shooting was made
at the barracks until after Z o'clock in the
morning and in the meantime the crimi-
nal succeeded in making his escape.
The parties are negroes and both of them
have borne a bad reputation. The killing
of the woman seems to have been unpro-
voked, and, from the statements of wit
nesses, without warning or notice of any
such hOmicidal intention given by the
man. The crime was committed in that
section of the city known as Frogtown,
in the western portion of the corporate
limits and is inhabited by a class of ne
groes who are constantly in evil odor with
the police.
Late Monday night the pair had quar-
rel, after which Christopher left and re-
turned to his own home Here. he pro-
vided himself with revolver and, COM
4 til,
out mercy. The bail entered her stom-
aeh and lodged in the cavity. The woman
was removed to her house. which chane'
to be almost adjoining the scene of the
shooting, and kept there until this morn
ing. The negroes of the vicinity made no
report of the matter TO the police bar
racks and no attempt to arrest or detain
the murderer. He was suffered TO walk
quietly away, and nothing was known
about the commission of the crime by any
others Than those in the immediate neigh
borhood, until Parolman Meldrim passed
on his beat, some five or six hours after
wards BY this time, Of course, Christie
pher was far away
As soon as a report OF the matter was
made to the police, an investigation Of the
nature of the wound followed, and the
woman was removed in the ambulance to
the Georgia Infirmary. Here she died
some hours later in the day.
The detectives were at once put TO work
on the case, and during the afternoon and
night searched every nook and corner of
the city where they thought it possible
that the murderer could have found
place of concealment, but with an absolute
lack of success. Christopher was per-
pectly well aware that the officers of The
law would be on his track as soon as they
had become aware of the commission of
the crime and evidently has not hesitated
10 put as much distance as possible be-
tween himself and them. The detectives
believe they are in possession of clue
that will lead ultima tely TO his arrest,
but this they are not willing to make pub
lie.
The murderer's escape, for the present
at least, emphasizes the need for an in
creased police force. Some of the beats
covered, or attempted to be covered, by
the mounted men, are Of such large ex-
tent that ii is impossible to get over the
territory more than once in three or four
hours During the time that elapses aft
er they have left and before the extent
Of their duty enables them to return 10
a given point, a crime OF almost any ma
ture may be committed and the criminal
make his escape to some portion of the
surrounding black belt. once there his de-
lection is a matter of almost perfect i'm
possibility.