The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-21
KILLED BY HUSBAND
LEWIS M. AsHBy SHOT HIS WIFE
TO DEATH.
BABY DAUGHTER A WITNESS.
MURDERER FIRST DRANK WHIS-
KEY AND MORPHINE.


Trunk While He Sent Bullets
Crashing Through Her Breast and
Brain Reloaded His Revolver
over Her BIOOdstained Form and
Fired Three other Shots-Ashby
Made His Escape, and officers Are
Searching the County for Him.
Held fast to a trunk, upon which she
was sitting, Mrs. Matte j. Ashby was
shot to death by her husband, Lewis
M. Ashby, yesterday morning. The
crime was a brutal and cowardly one,
and the coroner's jury last night re-
turned a verdict of murder.
With his 2-year-old baby girl within
a foot of him, Ashby emptied his re-
volver into the frail woman's body,
and then coolly and calmly reloaded
the weapon, fired three other shots and
made his escape. The tragedy occurred
at the home of Mrs. E. G.. Sims of No.
314 Jone sstreet, west, where Mrs.
Ashby was boarding.
w. E. Sims, young man who was
arrested by Patrolman Goodman i'm
mediately after the homicide, for
breaking Jail in Liberty county, where
he was held for a misdemeanor. wit
messed the tragedy. If the story he told
is true it is probable that Ashby did
not leave the city after firing the fatal
shots. Sims says that Ashby drank a
pint of whisky and took a large guam
tity of morphine before he killed his
wife. The police say that if this is
true, and they have reason to believe
that it is, Ashby will probably be found
in some nook to-day, cold and stark.
story of the Crime.
The young white man says that he
was on the corner talking to a friend
when he saw Ashby enter the house
where his wife was living. Sims has
been living there with his mother since
his escape from Liberty county, and
feared that Ashby was going to the
house for the purpose of assaulting
his wife. The young man followed and
went inside. He says that Ashby
made several efforts to get his wife to
talk to him. and that she positively
refused, saying that she was done
with him for good.
Ashby continued in his effort to get
her to make up with him. without
success, and she told him if he did
not leave her alone she would summon
patrolman and have him arrested.
Sims says that Mrs. Ashby went on
the front steps once, and that her
husband picked her up and carried her
back in the house. She still refused
70 Gfa To hi
by stated that he was happy and that
his day had arrived.
He pulled a pint flask of whisky from
his pocket and invited Sims to have
drink. The young man refused and
Ashby swallowed half of the contents
of the bottle. A minute later he drank
the rest of the whisky. According to
Sims, Ashby then took out a white
powder and drank it with some water,
saying that it was morphine, and that
it would make him happy before the
sun set.
Sims says that Mrs. Ashby was sit
ting on a trunk, and that Ashby put
his hand on her shoulder and asked
her If she intended to talk to him. She
again told him no, and he drew his
revolver and began firing. Sims saws
that Ashby held his wife by the shout
der and fired the contents of his pis-
tol rapidly into the breast of the
helpless woman. Sims mother ran out
OF the room with two babies, and Sims
says that he did not remain within
range, for the reason that Ashby
pointed the smoking pistol at him. He
says, however, that he watched Ash
by coolly throw out the exploded car
tridges and reload the weapon. Sims
then ran to the corner.
Police on Many Quests.
The shooting was not reported to the
police until some time after Ashby had
made his escape, and a score of ru-
mors sent the officers in as many di-
rections. 1t was known that Ashby
remained in the house several minutes
after the shooting, and that he had
made his escape by jumping over the
back fence.
Mrs. Ashby was still alive when the
police reached the scene. bur an ex-
animation by physicians showed that
her condition was hopeless She was
unconscious and had four wounds in
the head and breast. The police am
bulance was summoned and she was
removed to the Savannah Hospital,
where she died two hours later.
To the police 1T was reported that
the murderer had secured a cab and
had left the city Supt. Reilly and
his men and County Detective Charl-
ton and other county officers took up
NhC NioSC AiAllllGQldleIy. OIuCe1S lett
at once on the several roads running
out of the city, and every foot of
ground within radius of twelve miles
was covered. Some of the officers did
not return until last night, but no It'd
ings of the wife murderer had been
secured.
The man who had been seen to get
in cab was arrested by Mounted Pa
trolman Sandiford near the water
works and was brought back to the
city. He in no way resembled the flu
gitive. Another individual, supposed
to have been Ashby, was followed by
Detective Wall and Deputy Sheriff
Fennell. The officers were on foot and
walked to Pooler before they overhaul
ed and arrested the man whom they
were following. He partly fitted the
description of Ashby. but was not the
man wanted. The officers returned to
the city on a freight train.
Patrolman Brown, who knows Ash
by, reported that he saw him in a
street wagon on West Broad street and
Oglethorpe avenue a few minutes be-
fore noon. The murder was not known
to the police at that time. officer God
bold found a woman who saw Ashby
travelling out West Broad street on
foot about the same time, and dozens
of other stories were heard by the po-
lice. In each case the clew was fol-
lowed, without success, and il is now
believed that Ashby did not leave the