The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-20
SHOT DEAD AS HE RAN
LOUIS GREEN, COLORED BOY,
KILLED BY JAMES WILLIAMS.
DIED IN A DOCTORS OFFICE.
THE MURDERER CAPTURED AFTER
A HARD FIGHT.

The KILLING TOOK PInce AT UhstOh
and West Broad Streets, and So
Far as Can he Learned, Was With
out ProvocatiOn-WiIIia Fired
Two Shots at the BOy-The second
shot struck Him as He Ran Up the
steps of COIOred Physicians
Office. and He Fell Dead in the
HaIlway-wiIIiams' Desperate At
tempt to Escape-COrnered in "A
House and Beaten Into Submission.
His Statement of the killing.
Lewis Green, a negro lad employed
as a newspaper carrier, was shot and
instantly killed shortly before o'clock
last night by James Williams, ne
gro from Birmingham, employed as a
fireman on the Seaboard Air Line. The
killing took place near the corner of
West Broad and CASTOR streets, and as
far as could be learned by the police,
was without provocation.
The murderer was captured by ex-
City Detective ]. J. Clarity and Fire
man Michael Drury, after a hard chase
through Frogtown. Williams made
desperate attempt to shoot his captors,
and was badly beaten by the officers.
Drury used a billy with telling effect,
and it required dozen or more stitches
to close the wounds in the negroes head
and face, after he had been taken to
the police station.
The shooting occurred directly in
front of j. Runte's Ice Cream Cafe, No.
461 West Broad street. The police do
not believe that any words were passed.
Three negroes who were standing in
the door of the store, not over three
feet away, did not hear sound until
the first shot was fired. They looked
around and saw Green run up the steps
leading to the office of DIR. ]. w. Will
liams, a colored physician, on CASTOR
street. Green had reached the door of
No 463 when the second shot was fired
and he fell in the hall a corpse.
Killed Instantly.
The bullet entered his life side, a lit
tie to the rear, and produced instant
death. DR.. Williams was in his office
at the time Of the shooting and reached
Green almost as soon as he had fallen.
The negro was dead then. Williams
ran down West Broad and cut through
Frogtown, followed by Clarity and
Drury. Neither was armed and the
murderer invited them to follow him,
promising with vile threat that he
would blow their heads off as soon as
he could get chance.
Several negroes had Joined in the
chase through the dark alleys of that
section of the city, and the white men
occupied a dangerous position. one or
the pursuers gave Clarity revolver
and they followed the negro blindly.
He scaled fences with cat-like agility,
and his pursuers were wandering aim
lessly about, thinking that they had
lost the trail, when a door slammed
within few feet of them. Clarity and
Drury broke it from it's hinges and en-
tered a small room just as Williams
reached to his back pocket for the re-
volver, which still held three loaded
cartridges. The two men jumped on the
negro, and the three fell across bed
in the room where they fought vicious
IL for the pistol that had already
caused the death of one man. Clarity
was afraid to fire and take a chance
of hitting Drury, and the three men
fought for their lives.
Beaten Until InsensibIe.
Drury had gotten out his billy and
hammered the negro's head and face.
Clarity used the butt of his revolver,
and the negro was beaten almost into
a state of insensibility, and then dis
armed Several thousand negroes had
gathered by this time, and it looked as
if there was going to be further trou-
BILE. They followed closely at the heels
of the white men, some favoring hand
ling the prisoner violently. and others
rescuing him from the men who had
been forced to beat him into submits
sion. Drury ordered the negroes back
u hot ft~ar nf plxY-
er to brighten them. Several patrolmen
and the detective force had been noti-
fed of the tragedy and were hurried
to the scene in the patrol wagon.
The prisoner was turned over to De-
tective Murphy and Patrolman Mer-
chant and was sent to the station
house The dead lad remained where
he had fallen until the arrival of Cor
oner Keller, who gave permission for
the removal of the body to Green's
home. 1t was stated that a woman
had heard the few words that led up
to the shooting, but the police and de-
teetives were unable to locate her. She
had not been found UP to an early hour
this morning, but the officers are of the
opinion that she will put in an appear
ance before the inquest, which will
probably be held tonight in the Po-
lice Court room.
williams Statement.
Williams is a large negro and full
grown. He was seeu in his cell at the
station house by a representative of
the Morning News. Immediately after
his arrest. He made an effort to play
the drunk game. but acted his part
poorly. He could not account for the
rapid rate of speed that he travelled
or for the easy manner in which he
jumped fences when in a con-
dition that he affected In
his cell.
williams declared that he was
drunk and only had a slight recol-
lection that he had fired his pistol at
somebody. He could give no reason
for the act. A moment later, when
accused of playing possum, the pris-
oner told a story in his own defense
He stated that he had been drinking
and was walking down West Broad
street, when he collided with Green in
front of the ice cream shop. He struck
against the young negro with much
force, and Green stepped back and
threw his hand to his hip pocket. He
alleges that at that time he thought
his life in danger and fired the shots
from his revolver. He declares that he
does not remember having run or hav-
ing fought Clarity and Drury.
1gNa -