The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-27
THREE SHOT IN A BAR
JACK DEEGAN SHOT BY "DoC'
DoRTIC IN LEvAN's SALOON.
KAVANAUGH FATALLY WOUND
DALLAS BENNETT GOT STRAY
BULLET IN THE SHOULDER.

tender for Levan, and Deegan,
shots i'm the Crowded SaIoOn-BuI-
let Broke DeeRan's Collar Bone
and Lodged in His Left Lung-An-
other Entered Under kavanaugh' .
Left Ear and Passed Through His
Brain, Coming out at the Right
eph's acknowledgements Wound
TriHimg One-COnhfcting Stories
of the Shooting.
William T. Kavanaugh, a drummer
for the John F'lannery Company, Jack
Deegan, a we'll known sport, and Dali
las Bennett, a clerk for Edward
LcvelPs Sons, were shot in Charles H.
Levan's saloon, No. Ill Congress street,
west, at o'clock last night. The shoot
ing was done by w. H. Dortic alias
Doc" Dortic, a bartender in the place
Kavanaugh was probably fatally
wounded and hopes for his recovery
are slim. Three shots were fired. All
of the bullets were intended for Dee
gan. Two went wild, and Kavanaugn
ard Bennett suffered as a result. The
ball entered just below and to the back
of Kavanaugh's left ear, and came ou.
at the right eye, passing through the
brain. Deegan was shot in the right
breast and his collar bone was broken,
the bullet lodging in his left lung. The
wound is a dangerous one, but there
is a chance for his recovery. Bennett
escaped with a flesh wound on the
right shoulder blade.
The saloon and restaurant were
crowded when the shooting began and
there was CONSERVATION among the
patrons. Those who were in the place
were scarcely able to tell anything
about the shooting they were so badly
frightened. Immediately after the
shooting Dortic jumped across the
counter with the smoking revolver and
ran to the City Market, where he sur
rendered to Patrolman E. F. Davis He
thought at the time that Deegan was
the only person who had been shot
and not until several hours later did
he learn that two disinterested per-
sons had been wounded, one fatally
Kavanaugh ran out of Levans after
being shot and dashed into George
Schwarz's cafe, at the corner of Whit
aker street where he found DIR. ]. G..
Keller. and asked him to do something
for him as he believed he was dying.
DR.. Keller dressed the wound and the
police ambulance was summoned. At
that time the crowd in Levan's place
were under the impression that Deegan
was the only person wounded and
at the corner it was believed Kava~
naugh was the only sufferer. He was
placed in the ambulance and hurried
to st. Josephs Hospital. After his de-
parture the colored ambulance was
summoned for Deegan. who had been
taken upstairs in Levans place. He
was also taken to st. Josephs. Ben
nett was only slightly hurt, and his
wounds were dressed at once.
The police were unable to find a
witness who could. or would, give a
clear account of what happened.
Everyone in the place seemed badly
frightened. AS an illustration of the
fright which the shooting caused one
of the men. whom it is believed wit
messed the ARRAY. stated positively that
he was'on the sidewalk when the trou-
BILE occurred. This statement was
made in the face Of the fact that one
hand of his cuff were covered with
blood. The others in the place were
either too frightened by the shooting
to recall what had happened, or had
their minds on something else.
Bert b. Frost. a bartender, was on
duty at the time of the shooting, but
could tell the officers very little of
what transpired. He knew that for
several days there had been i'll feel
ing between Dortic and Deegan and
heard the men arguing in the bar. He
paid no particular attention to what
was being said. He was talking to
Kavanaugh. he said, when the first
shot was fired. Frost could not tell
where the three bullets struck, or who
was shot first. He said that to the
best of his recollection Deegan was
standing in the middle OF the floor
when the first shot was fired and that
Kavanaugh was very near him. The
bartender did not know which had
been struck first. One of the bullets
passed through one of the swinging
doors and lodged in the wall The Of
ficers were unable to determine from
what position this shot was fired.
The bullet was found on the floor by
Detective Wall. who arrived early on
the scene.
Dortic talked of the trouble after he
had surrendered, and stated that he
was forced to shoot began. He said
that he had not been on very friendly
terms with Deegan for several days,
and that Christmas night he was
forced to run to keep from being as
sauited by Deegan and a companion.
Dortic is very much the inferior OF
Deegan physically, the latter having
quite a reputation as a slugger. Dortic
said that he was preparing to go on
duty behind the bar when Deegah
entered and cursed him. Deegan then
reached across the counter, he said,
and tried 70 pull Dortic across, at the
same time throwing his hand back.
Dortic said IL was then that he pulled
his revolver and fired the three shots
TO save himself. One OF the bullets
fired at Deegan must have been at
short range as the mans face was