The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-25
HAD RATHER HANG
sHIG DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND HIS
LIFE IN PENTTENTIARY.
ASKED DEATH SENTENCE.
PROTESTED INNOCENCE AFTER
JURY HAD FOUND HIM GUILTY.

Henry Shig, Jr., Tried in the SUI
perior Court for the Murder al
Henderson Frasier, Not Pleased
That the Jury That Found Him
Guilty Recommended Him to
Mercy-Frasier Killed in Church
at Sandfy, While He Was ON His
Knees in Prnyer-LOnd of SIuEs
and BuckshOt Ended His Life-Cir-
cumstantiaI Evidence seemed 10
Jury Conclusive of Sings Guilt.
Henry Shig, Jr, a negro who was
tried and convicted in the Superior
Court yesterday of the ohense of muir
der, but TO whom the jury gave
recommendation to mercy, asked Judge
Falligant to sentence him to be hang
ed. instead of imprisoned in the peni-
Tertiary for life. The appeal was not
regarded, and the life penalty, instead
of that of death, was imposed by the
court.
Shig was placed on trial when court
convened yesterday morning for the
murder of Henderson FRASER. Solicitor
state, while Mr.. w. F. Slater looked
after the interests of the defendant.
The jury that tried the case was Sc
Iected after some little difficulty and
preliminary sparring, as follows: Per-
cival r. Cohen. Samuel F. Smith, John
II. Wilder, H. r. Alexander, James L..
Crotty, +. A. Laffiteau, Robert G.. Tun-
no. John S. Haines. William S. Harri-
son, George p. Jordan, A. IL. Lane and
Z. A. Armand.
Frasier was killed while he was at
his devotions in a little negro church
at Sandhy station. The services were
about over and the congregation was
singing the closing hymn. Frasier was
kneeling in prayer, when the report of
a shotgun resounded through the
church. For some seconds those in the
building scarcely understood what had
happened, and the room was so filled
with smoke that it was difficult for
them to see. Then, as their wits re-
turned to them and the smoke lifted.
they saw the dead body of Frasier.
lying in blood upon the floor.
An examination revealed the fact
that he had been killed by a charge of
slugs and buckshot, fired at close
range Two of the slugs had passed
through his neck severing the spinal
chord, and he had other wounds in
other parts of his body.
Nowhere about the place was there
any trace of the man who had done the
shooting, and nobody had seen him
when the shots were fired. A search
of the vicinity resulted in no discover
les of Importance in the matter of
fixing responsibility for the crime and
arresting the murderer.
The next day Chief Deputy Sheriff
Sweeney took charge of the case and
made an investigation of the premises
and of the surrounding neighborhood,
as well as of such circumstances in the
life of Frasier as seemed to him likely
to cast light upon his death. The re-
suits of this investigation made Deputy
Sweeney conclude that Shig was the
guilty man and he began efforts to ar
rest the man he suspected so strongly
of the commission of the horrible crime.
Hearing of these efforts, Shig went to
the police barracks and gave himself
up.
The evidence that was adduced
against him at the triakwas purely
circumstantial and yet to the minds of
the jury it was so clear and convincing
that it fulfilled the requirements of
the law and removed from
their consideration, in the light
of all the facts and circum-
stances in the case. every other
reasonable hypothesis of the killing,
other than the guilt of the accused"
Coroner the First witness.
The first witness was Coroner John
G. Keller. He testified that he had
made an examination of Frasier's body,
and that death had resulted from
wounds inflicted by a charge of slugs
and buckshot, some of which had sew
cred the spinal chord. DR.. Keller iden-
titled two of the slugs one of which
was found in Fraser's body and the
other of which, after passing through
the mans neck, was found on the floor
of the church.
The most important witness for the
state was Deputy Sheriff Sweeny. He
testified that he had gone to the scene
of the homicide the night of it's COM
mission, but had been unable to dis
cover anything at that time, and had
returned to the city. The next day he
went again to Sandhy and continued
his investigation.
1t was known in the neighborhood
that there had been bad blood between
Frasier and Shig. and this circum-
stance led the deputy TO think that
crime. The defendant has a house at
Sandny, and though he was not living
in it at the time of the homicide. he
had reserved room for his use and
kept 1t locked. BY the time Mr..
Sweeny had ascertained this much of
the facts in the case. Shig had learned
that he was wanted, and surrendered
TO the police.
Mr.. Sweeny had learned that Shig
had been near Sandhy on the night
that Frasier was shot and went to the
barracks and Intercepted him. lie
was told by Shig that he had gone TO
Bakers Crossing, near Sandny, but not
10 the station. The prisoner added
that he found when he got to Baker S
Crossing that he had left the keys "a
his room in Savannah and that, as his
one object in going TO Sandhy was 20
get some money from his room. he had
given up the trip and walked back 70
the city. lie gave Mr.. Swecny the key
to this room.
There the deputy found the several
articles that did so much To convict
Shig in the minds Of the jury. just
around the corner Of the door as he en-
tered was breechloading shot gun,
a cheap. single barrellcd affair such as
many negroes own. The breechlock
seemed 10 be- closed tight and as II was
IN a. a