The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-17
WANT THE CREEKS STORY.
CcRONER's INVESTIGATION OF
STEWART KILLING CONTINUED.

Testimony of the witnesses So Far
Indicate the Shooting was an I'm
provoked Murder No Evidence
Yet to Show That Read Had Any
Cause for Attacking Stewnrt-The
Jury to Hear VirillO's Evidence
Tonight Before Making Up Its
Verdict.
The coroners inquiry into the death of
William Stewart, the negro who was shot
Thursday afternoon by ]. ]. Read, a
viii Q man, and who died Friday, was be-
gun last night. Four witnesses were ex-
ahmed The jury then began to consider
IFS verdict but finally decided that it
wanted to hear the testimony of Philip
yirilo, the Greek fruit dealer at whose
place the shooting took place. The inquest
was adjourned for that purpose until to-
night. when virillo, with the aid of an in
terpreter will give his evidence.
The witnesses so far examined are Wal
ter Stewart, brother of the dead man,
VIM Washington, Harry Fraley, and E.
C. Payne, all colored.
The story of Stewart, who was the prin-
cipal witness, was that he and his brother,
william Stewart. both Of whom are en-
ployed by the Southern Railway. had
gone over to the Greeks place at East
Broad and Charlton streets. during the
afternoon on which the shooting occurred,
and, in company with Virillo, himself
Washington, Robert Richardson, and Tom
Willis, were sitting on empty fruit cases
out on the grass plat in front of the fruit
stand. The man who did the shooting,
whose name he has since learned from the
papers to be Read. came out of the bar
room next door to the fruit stand and
walking over towards the group in which
he and his brother were sitting. said he
had come to see who had insulted him.
ITO this no one made any reply" Stew
art said, land Read then said Tn talk
ing to you - mulatto rascals.' To this
William Stewart replied that no one there
had insulted him, and then the witness
said: II got up and started to walk
away. I had taken only three or four
steps toward the corner, when I heard
Read say in reply to my brothers last
remark, You're a - liar Villain said:
You needn't get drunk and come around
to start a fuss with me- to which Read
answered, I don't have to get drunk to
start a fuss with you niggers,' and
this remark he followed up by asking
And you say you didn't insult me-? Will
liam said, No; never spoke 90 you be
fore You're - liar said Read, and
William said, You're another
Then Read pulled a pistol out of his
hip pocket, and saying, You -,
get down on your knees and beg my par
DON pointed the pistol at William. VIII
liam said he had nothing to beg his par
don for, but he could get down. AS
he got up from the box Read fired. Will
liam grabbed his side and ran across the
street, where he leaned up against the
gate that leads into the Plant System
yard"
Phillip said don't do that" and tried
10 take the pistol from Read. Then Read
went into the fruit store. I went across
TO my brother and when l found he was
shot, went up to the yardnaaster's office
and telephoned for a doctor. When I
got back some people had taken William
home. and when I got there he had been
undressed and put to bed"
In reply to ques tons by the coroner
and members of the jury. Stewart stated
that he and his brother had gone to the
fruit stand together. that neither of them
had been drinking, or had anyone else in
the crowd, so far as he knew Read
he said, seemed to have been drinking
No blows were passed. and there was be-
tween five and six feet space between the
u-ba bo hnt U~i1Tiar,,
Stewart was not armed, and had nothing
with which he could have assaled Read.
He held in his hand al the time of the
shooting a small piece of slat a foot
long that he had torn off of the fruit
case. on which he had been sitting. Be
fore the shooting Read had been sitting
at abe further end of the fruit stanL but
no words had been passed between the
men.
VIM. Washington. the second witness,
told practically the same story as did
Waller ewart. He was sitting, he said
next to the man who was killed so near
in fact, that the boxes on which they
sat nearly touched ends. When William
got up In response to Reads demand OF
an apology, he said, "he stood almost di-
rectly in front of me, and so close that
when he was shot be nearly staggered
over me-" This witness also bore out the
testimony of Walter Stewart that William
Stewart had no weapon, and that he made
no effort to advance upon Read
Harry Fraley, who was next examined
knew but little of the affair His attention
was attracted, he said. by the firing of
the pistol, then he saw William Stewart
go across the street and saw Read and
the Greek struggling for the possession of
the pistol.
E. c. Payne, the fourth and last wit
ness, was at work in the railroad yard
when he heard the pistol shot and saw
Stewart running across the street He
went to the gate and assisted him to lean
against the pos! until he could be taken
home.
Virilo was present at the inquest, but
could not make himself understood with
out the aid of an Interpreter. His evil
dence, which will be taken tonight, Will
complete the testimony and enable TIE
jury to return a verdict.