The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-11
KILLED WITH BUCKSH0T.
Negro oysterman Killed by Watch
man at Little Tybee.

Sam Mitchell, a negro FISHERMAN, was
killed near Little Tybee by Albert Pitts,
white, Wednesday afternoon. The body
Of the negro is at Isle OF Hope. awaiting
a visit from the coroner, and Pitts is in
jail, having given himself up.
Pitts side of the case Is that the negro
with two others. were poaching upon the
oyster beds of Mr.. c. W. Parker, lessee
of LAUtle Tybee. Pitts is Waterman for
ping oysters. He went to drive them
away, when they became abusive and
threatening. Pitts finally had to shoot 10
protect himself. He discharged a load of
buckshot from his gun into Mitchell, kill
ing him almost instantly.
The story told by John Poline, who was
In the boat with Mitchell at the time
he was killed, is as follows: Mitchell was
captain of the sloop Ada, which lay to
off Beach Hammock creek, with sam Kate
left on board, while Mitchell and Poline
put off in small boat to gather oysters
in the creek.
That was not the first time PoIine said,
that they had visited the place. There
was no notice against trespass posted and
no one had ever driven them away, so
they supposed there was no objection to
their gathering oysters. They had been
at work some time when, at about $3.50
o'clock in the afternoon, a white man.
whom they had never seen before, APP
preached in a rowboat. He told Mitchell
that he had a warrant for him, to which
Mitchell replied that that was all right.
The men thought. Poline said, that the
white man was joking, He got out on
the marsh first, thought better of what
ever he may have intended doing, got
back into the boat. pulled away about 200
yards, raised his gun and fired. He then
lowered the gun and picked up another
from the bottom of his boat, took aim,
but lowered the piece without firing. Re-
Stunning his oars, he pulled away. Poline
then rowed with the dead body of Mitch
ell to the sloop, and the two made their
way to Isle of Hope, where the coroner
will see the body to-day.
Coroner J. G. Keller was noti-
fed OF the homicide yesterday morning,
and left at ! o'clock for Little Tybee
which is about ten miles from Thunder
bolt. The coroner made the trip in
naphtha launch, but was unable to find
any one when he reached the point where
the killing had occurred He spent some
time in the neighborng waters looking
for the body or for some one who could
tell of the killing. DR.. Kellar left Little
Tybee in the afternoon, and when about
five miles from Thunderbof, the launch
broke down. Fortunately the coroner had
the tide in his favor, and with the aid of
oars reached Thunderbolt He returned to
the city at II o'clock last night without
information of the homicide Upon learn
ing that the remains are at Isle of Hope,
DR.. Keller decided that he would go to
that place to-day and hold an inquest.
Pitts was brought to the city by Depu-
ty Sheriff e. c. Hartigan and lodged IN
Chatham county jail, before the departure
of the coroner for the scene of the hom-
icide. A representative of the Morning
News was at the Jail during the after
noon, but Pitts refused to be seen. He
stated that he would be represented by
Mr.. Walter p. LaRoche