The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-23
HIS SHOTS FAILED TO KILL.
FRANK VERSIONS UNSUCCESSFUL
ATTEMPT AT DOUBLE MURDER.

mined to Kill Her and Take His
Own Lffe-Unsuccessful I'm Both At
tempts He May Have TO Answer to
the Courts for His Double Crime.
Rebecca Ryals, colored, was. shot and
probably fatally wounded at her home on
Farm street last night by Frank Iverson.
After shooting the woman, Iverson turned
his pistol on himself and fired two shots
into his own body, from the effects of
which he is now at the Georgia Infirmary
in critical condition.
The affair was a clear attempt at murder
and suicide Iverson intended to kin the
woman because she no longer cared for him
and then to take his own life letter
found on his person at the police barracks
indicates that such was his purpose. The
letter said "by the time you receive this l
viii be dead and gone"
Iverson had evidently been meditating
some such act of violence. He and the
woman had lived together for some time.
Last fan, however, he went to Macon to
work at the Central Railroad compress,
being an expert at work around presses.
When he returned to Savannah to spend
| Christmas, Rebecea or Betsy" as she is
called in the letters, did not receive him
with any great warmth for the reason that
| he had spent all his money in Macon, and
| had nothing for her. After he returned to
| Macon she did not reply TO his letters
promptly and in a letter to him found in
his pocket she replied to his complaint
and told him very plainly that as he was
not sending her any money and had given
her none Christmas he had no reason to
expect better treatment. She told him that
she had to work hard and concluded that
she might as well cut loose from him. An
other letter found on VERSIONS person was
from his friend, Charlie Cole, written from
Savannah while he was in Macon. Cole
gave him considerable information about
Betsy and her doings, and among other
things said that she was paying off her
debts, wearing good clothes and otherwise
enjoying herself He remarked that she is
actually living fourteen days TO the week
and Indifferent how The river runs"
This letter was of recent date and doubt
less caused Iverson to throw up his job
in Macon and return TO Savannah for the
purpose of reclaiming the lost affections
of his sweetheart In this he was unsuc-
cessful. Last night he went up on the
stoop of the house where the Ryals wo-
man lived with her mother, and called for
Betsy. The woman met him In the hall
way, and they stood talking together for
a few minutes. The mother, whom Iver-
son had passed on the stoop and to whom
he had spoken as he entered said that
she heard no quarreling or loud talking.
The first she heard was when Iverson ex-
claimed II am going to kill you.'' Then
two or three pistol shots were fired in
rapid succession. Both Iverson and the
woman ran through the hallway into the
yard at the rear of the house. There Iver-
son probably shot himself, though the
mother does not think that he did so until
| afterwards Following them into the yard
| the old Woman said that she found her
daughter lying on Iverson. He had pis-
tol in has hand, and she stopped down
| and caught hold of his hand to keep him
from shooting her. AS she did So liver
son raised UP and fired. The old woman
| thought this shot was intended for her
but it was the one which wounded Iver-
son. She picked up her daughter, she
said, and carried her into the house, leav-
| tng IVerson in the yard. Some of the
| people at the house said that Iverson shot
himself after being left in the yard
The shooting and the screams of the
women in the house attracted a crowd
| Policeman ]. ]. Deignan, who lives in the
neighborhood was on his way to church
with his wife, when he heard of the shoot
| ing Borrowing pistol from a friend.
he went into the yard and arrested Iver-
son. 1t was a bold piece of work, as the
officer did not know that Iversen had shot
himself, and the latter in his wrought up
condition was very likely to resist ar.
| rest.
lverson had recovered from his wounds
| sufficiently 90 be able to stand and walk
ed with the officer to the nearest boy
where a call was sent in for the patrol
| wagon. He made no attempt to resist
arrest. He had managed to reload his MIS-
tol, and four of the empty shells which
he had used were found.
| AT the barracks it was found that Iver-
son was severely wounded, and City Ply
| sfcians Morrison and johnson were sum-
moned. They found that he had two
wounds, one ball striking n rib and rang
| ing around to the side, and the other lo6e,-
ing in the lower abdomen. The ban in
the side was extracted and Iverson was
sent 70 the Georgia Infirmary for treat
ment
DR.. w. E. Fitch was summoned to at
tend the woman. She had two wounds
one in the abdomen and one in the side
While the wounds are serious, IL cannot
be stated yet whether they are likely tn
prove fatal. The weapon used by IversoD
which is now at the police barracks. was
an imitation Smith & Wesson six-shooter
AS evidence of VERSIONS suicidal inten,
a letter was found upon him, addressed IN
Tommy Walker, evidently friend. Iver-
son was clearly weary of life. as he he.
gins his letter as follows: with pleas.
ure / write this note to let YOU know
that I am dead and gone. [ want vo,,
TO take my (body) to my sister and ten
her to put me beside my mother and vo1r
baby" The rest is so poorly written as
TO be Ineligible. 1t concludes, Tom
my Walker and Charlie Cole, good-by."
Iverson is not dead and gone" vet how
ever. and it may be that he viii have
plenty of opportunity to regret his rash.
ness If he should live bo
will have to answer to the charge of
assault with intent to murder or for tha
murder of Rebecca Ryals, if she dies In
addition 90 this, it is penal offense un.
der the Georgia law to attempt to cornmit
suicide, and he may have to do time for
the attempt on his own life.
| lverson Is little wiry fellow. about Ak
years old, and well-known around the cot
ton presses, where he has worked for
years He is said to be an expert in nm