The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-16
HELD FOR MURDER
RENRY sHIG REMANDED BY THE
CORONER,S JURY.
KILLED HENDERSON FRASER.
STRONG CHAIN OF CIRCUMsTANTIAL
EVIDENCE.

Shot Gun, Exploded Cartridge ant
Fresh SIugs shown to Jury h,
Chief Deputy Sweeney, WhS
Worked Up the Case-Fraser ShOt
From Ambush as He Sat in ChurcI
Preparing to SinE-ShiE Has Told
Several stories, and Left for Sand
Fly Station on Night of Homicide
He Had No Use for Fraser and Wns
Prosecuting Him for Assault With
Intent TO Murder-Omcers believe
That They viii lie Able to Obtain
/ More Evidence.
Henry Shig, Jr., colored, was held by
the coroner's jury yesterday for the
murder of Henderson Fraser, at the
Sandhy Station Church last Thursday
night While no one saw the shot fired
from ambush Chief Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Sweeney had accumulated a
chain of circumstances that was suf-
ficiently strong, in the opinion of the
Jury. TO warrant a verdict of murder
being returned against Shig
Several witnesses who were in the
church on the night of the killing tes-
titled. but their statements threw no
light on the tragedy. They were start
led by the report of a gun and saw
Fraser fall to the floor dead None of
those in the church knew who had
fired the shot and none had seen the
negro Shig that night.
Jim Hayes, a resident of Sandhy
Station, and a brother of Jasper Hayes,
the murderer of Motorman Lucian
Varnadoe, testified that there had been
bad blood between Shig and Fraser.
Hayes saw Shig on the evening of the
killing. Shig was going to Sandfiy
Station on the 1880 o'clock car, and
talked for a few minutes with Hayes,
before the car left the junction at For
tieth street.
Hayes asked Shig why he did not
drop the case against Fraser, inasmuch
as they had been brought up together,
and Shig stated that he had already ex-
pressed a desire to have the indict-
ment nolle pressed. Fraser had shot
him, and he had sworn out a warrant
for his arrest. on a charge of assault
with intent to murder. When Shig
left the city he had no weapon, and
only carried a basket. The witness
went to his home at Sandfy, just after
the shooting.
Deputy Sweeney furnished the cir
cumstantial evidence that the jury
considered strong enough to hold the
prisoner on. The officer had been noti-
fed of the tragedy and left at once
for the church. He found Fraser dead,
and no one appeared to know who had
done the shooting. The officer knew
that Fraser was under indictment for
having shot Shig, and when he could
find no other enemies of the dead man
he went to work on the theory that
Shig had fired the fatal shot.
Deputy Sweeney knew that Shig Wis
tied the home of George Hudson at
Cedar Hammock and went to that
place to find his man. Shig was not
there and had not been seen by Hud-
son in several days. The officer re-
turned to the CITY, after learning that
Shig had left for Sandfiy on the same
evening. The fact that Shig had been
in the neighborhood and had not call
ed upon Hudson was a suspicious cir
cumstance to the officer. Fraser's wife
did not appear to be greatly excited
by the killing, and inquiries developed
the fact that her husband had obtained
a peace warrant for her arrest on the
same morning. The woman was ques-
toned, and admitted that Shig had left
the city on the same car with her.
She did not see him get off the car.
The wife of the dead man was placed
under arrest the following morning and
is now held in Jail. She stated that
when she reached Sandhy she went at
once to the house of Jim Hayes. and
that she was there when the shot was
fired. She heard the report of the gun,
and few minutes later was inform
ed of the death of her husband. She
declared that she had not seen Shig
around the station. either just before,
or after the shooting.
When Shig learned that the officers
were looking for him he surrendered to
Detective Murphy, and was placed in
Jail by Deputy Sweeney on a charge
of murder. He told the officer that he
had gone to Bakers Crossing for the
purpose of getting his boat, which he
said was at Hudson's place. The boat
was not there. accordingto Hayes, zvho
had taken il somewhere else, with
Shig. The suspected murderer then
stated that he had gone out to get
some money in his house. and that
when he arrived at the crossing he
found that he had left the key in Sa
vannah. He did not have a nickel and
walked back to the city at once. Shig
told the deputy that he passed no one
on his way into the city, and that he
did not like to ask any of his friends
at the station TO lend him five cents.
Deputy Sweeney stated that he went
TO Shig's home, on Anderson street,
Sunday morning. and secured key TO
the place at Sandfly Station. The Off
Ger found a singlebarrel gun, which
contained an exploded cartridge. A
new shell was found on a shelf nearby,
and by it's side was a lead slug. The
slug corresponded with two slugs that
entered Fraser's body and produced
death.
The gun case was on the floor. near
the weapon, and the surroundings i'm
dicated that the gun had been placed
in the house i'm a hurry. and the time