The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-09
SCOTS CRIME IS MURDER.
CORONER's JURY so DETERMINED
AFTER BRIEF DELIBER ALTON.


The story Told by the Witnesses
Substantially That Already. Told
in the Morning NewS-The Evil
dence Demanded the Verdict-The
Nurdcrer'S Movements After the
Commission of the Crime Now
known to the PoIice-Scott Has
Been Removed 10 Jail and Heard
the News of the Jury's Verdict
With Indifference.
Coroner Goette and a jury held in
quest at o'c,ock last night upon the body
of Marie Scout. After a few minutes de-
liberation the jury returned the following
to her death from the effects Of blow
with an ak in the hands of Isaiah Scott,
and we believe the crime 10 be murder"
The Witnesses at the inquest were those
who have tod their story TO the Morning
News. ana their account of the happen
ngs of Friday night did not differ sub
stantially from that which has already
been given. There was nothing from
which The jury could infer that the crime
was other thqn cold-blooded and delib-
crate murder and the verdict, from the
evidence of the Witnesses and the physical
facts surrounding The killing was neces-
sary. The members Of the jury found no
difficulty and lost no time in making up
their minds.
The inquest was held at the coroner's
Office, at Broughton aud Lincoln streets.
After the verdict Scott was removed, I'M
der the coroners warrant, from the sta
ton house to the county Jail. where he is
now confined. When told that the cor
oner's jury had pronounced his crime
murder, he received the news with the
same passive and stoical indifference that
has characterized his conduct since he
surrendered to the police, displaying abso-
lutely no emotion of any kind.
With each day Scott has added some
thing to the story Of the crime first told
by him, or has varied is details in some
essential particular. Yesterday he aban-
doned the statement that he spent Friday
night and Saturday in a house on Huh
street, and claimed that on Friday night
he was in the house of a woman on the
commons, and during Saturday in the
Cathedral cemetery lie no longer says
after the commission of the crime for the
purpose of giving himself up, apparently
abandoning that part of The story as much
too weak and as unsuited for the creduh-
~ of moderately strong-minded persons.
From evidence that has come to the po-
lice since the murderer's surrender AID
from some that they knew at that time,
1t is probable that he went after the kill
ing across country to the tracks of the
Florida Central and Pennsular Railway
and boarded the early morning train out
. of the city He had been followed by De-
tectives Barrett and Scully, and the for
mer saw him as the train pulled out, ar
ter stopping a the crossing. The detec-
tive yelled to the brakeman to throw Scott
Off the train, but the latter was afraid 20
do so, because, unfamiliar with the crime
he had committed, he was fearful lest ne
should break the negro's neck or leg. How
ever. he did put him off at Burroughs
station. Scott denies that he was ever on
che train, but the brakeman is prepared
to swear that he is the man he put off.
Scott has a chronic disease that rem
ders him Incapable of long continued walk
ing and this first rebuff that he received
in his fight, it is probable. rendered him
disheartened. He had heard the detec-
live order him to be thrown off the train
and he knew. therefore, that the officers
OF the law were close on his track Mount
ed policemen were securing the commons
and the country around the city all of
Friday night and Saturday, ana the man
saw that he was hemmed in and sur
rounded and that escape was impossible.
He walked back In the direction of the
city, and at o'clock Saturday afternoon
arrived at the house of his uncle Sandy
Grant, who lives about half a mile from
the Florida Central and Peninsular cross
ing
Grant had heard of the crime and would
not allow Scott TO remain longer in his
house. He compelled him TO leave. and it
Is this, with the additional knowledge
that escape was cut off in every direction.
ana that he would be captured wherever
he went, that impelled the negro. doubt
less, TO come into the city aud endeavor
10 gain for himself some meager and tardy
credit for surrenderlng to the police Every
city and town within two hundred miles of
Savannah had been apprised of the fact
that the murder had been committed, and
its police made a thorough search for
Scott throughout their bailiwick lie had
just sense enough to realize that he could
nor get away, without The additional in
teiligence that would have enabled him
TO invent fairly reasonable and credit
able story to account for the killing of his
wife.
The alaerity with which the preliminary
steps IN Scouts prosecution have been
taken warrant the belief that the others
VIII follow with equal expedition and that
none of the laws delays, that elsewhere
in Che state have served as the offered ex-
cuse for lynching, will be allowed in this
particular case. It's hdeous features GER
tainly require that delays should not he
suffered. and it is permitted to hope that
at the present term Of court Scott viii
be indicted, tried and legally punished
for has crime.