The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-01
HELD FOR MURDER
PRoCToR TO ANSWER FOR THE
KILLING OFF LYMUs LAWRENCE.
DENIES He FIRED THE SHOT.
BUT CoRoNER's JURY BELIEVED
HIM GUILTY.

Elijah Freeman's Testimony mt the
Inquest Threw New Light ON the
Tragedy-His story Showed That
| Proctor Intended to XIII Him In
stead of Lawrence-The Testimony
Did Not Help Proctor's Case, How
ever.
Although he continues to protest his
innocence Phillip Proctor was held by
the coroners jury last night for the
murder of Lymus Lawrence. The hon.
icide occurred on Huntington and
West Broad streets Friday night An
account of it was given in the Morn
ing News.
The arrest yesterday morning of
Elijah Freeman, the third negro in the
fatal brawl, threw a somewhat differ
ent light on the homicide, although it
did not change Proctor's position any.
Freeman told story in the main SIM
liar to those given by John Jenkins and
Small. He thought that Proctor must
have shot at Lawrence, because that
individual stopped the bullet. His story,
however, showed clearly that Proctor
intended to kill him and not Law
renee.
The men had been drinking during
the evening and Lawrence had kicked
Proctor. They continued to go from bar
to bar, and at every stop Proctor made
some reference to the kick that had
been administered, saying that II he
did not like Lawrence he would hurt
him. The same remark was made in
the saloon on the corner where the
shooting occurred, and the bartender
ordered the men out of the place be-
cause of the noise they were making.
Freeman says that the argument was
continued on the sidewalk. He remark
ed that Proctor had been talking all
night about what he would do but for
| his feeling of friendship towards Law
renee. Freeman says that he made up
his mind to see what Proctor had, and
| grabbed him by the coat saying, you
are talking about what you would do.
| I'm going to see what you've got, and
| If you have got anything l am going to
have you arrested" According to Free
man, Lawrence was at that time sew
! eral feet behind him. Proctor jerked
back and reached to his hip pocket, dis
| charging the revolver before he had
brought it to a level. Freeman says
that he went home at once, and went
| to bed, where he was arrested by Pa
trolmen j. Farrell and Hicks. The po-
lice theory is that Proctor fired at
| Freeman, but shot Lawrence.
A post-mortem examination was held
by Police Surgeon Osborne, and it was
found that the bullet has passed entire
ly through Lawrence's heart. 1t en-
tered just below the right nipple and
ranged upward. passing through the
heart and coming out under the left
shoulder. The wound was probably
made by a bullet from a 3S calibre re-
volver. The police made a careful
search for the pistol with which the
shooting was done, but without any
| success.
Proctor still insists that he
did not fire the weapon, and of course,
did not throw 1t away. He charges
that Freeman carried the gun away
with him. The jury did not consider
Freeman in any other light than that
of witness and he was released after
he had testified. Two members of the
police department served on the jury,
and after the inquest Proctor was COM
mitted to jail on Coroner Keller's war
rant charging murder