The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-02
VOLUNTARY MANsLAUeHTER.
VERDICT OF THE CORONER'S JURY
IN THE SMITH INQUEST.

six Witnesses Examined, Nearly All
of whom Testified in Favor of
GabIe-Smith Said to Have Been a
Hard Drinker and Under the In
huence of Drink at the Time of the
Fight That Led 70 His Death-An
Autopsy Performed by DIR. e. 5.
Osborne.
Coroner ]. G. Keller held an investiga-
ton last night of the circumstances OF
the death of William Smith, white car
penter employed at Fort Screven, who
was injured in a fight with A. ]. Gable,
also white carpenter, Sunday afternoon,
and was found dead in bed Monday
morning an account of which was pub
lished in yesterdays Morning News.
Six witnesses were examined, nearly
all Of whom saw the disturbance that led
to the fight.
The principal witness was Fred j. AS
kew His testimony, in substance, was
that the trouble occurred Sunday after
noon about $50 o'clock, in the mess room.
He and several others, among them Smith
and Gable, were at supper, when dis
cussion arose about bicycle Smith made
some remark about it and Gable took to be
personal, and resented by saying to
Smith, You have been picking at me
long enough, and it's got to come to one
thing or another" This remark, the wit
ness seemed to think, uncahed for, be-
cause, he said, Smith had been address,
ing his remarks to him, and not to Gable.
At Cables remark, however, Smith turn
ed and said to Gable, IF you mean fight,
1 am ready now" Smith and Gable were
sitting at opposite sides of the table, and
Smith came around the corner of the ia
BILE. AS he did so he stumbled
over pile of bedding that
had been put there and as he was falling
Gable struck him with milk pitcher that
he had taken from the table. The force
of the blow broke the pitcher but with
the fragment of it that remained in his
hand Gale struck Smith again, while
Smith was on his hands and knees on
the floor, and then struck him several
times with his fists. The witness then
said that with quite an effort he had
pulled Gable off Smith but that as Gable
was being taken out of the room by
number of the men that had been either
present or attracted to the scene by the
row he had seized a vinegar bottle from
the table and wanted to strike Smith
again.
Smith was taken to his quarters where
his wounds were washed. He then went
out saying he would return in three quar-
tiers of an hour. He came back in about
that time staggering from weakness, and
got INTO bed without taking off his clothes
or even removing his shoes The witness
tod him to take off his shoes but Smith
SAID That he was not able to do so, so
Askew took them off and undressed him
after which he apparently went to sleep
Inc next morning the witness attempted
TO wake him and found that he was
dead.
In reply to questions Askew said that
Cable weighed about 125 or 1870 pounds and
tlat Smith weighed about 10 When Ga
bic struck Smith the first time he said.
l will kill you.
Another witness, Charles Austin, said
that the men were at supper when there
was some talk about a bicycle and that
after words had been passed between
them they both got up and met at the
end of the table when Gable struck Smith
twice with pitcher. Il got up and went
out" Austin said, because | did not
want to see any more"
Phillip A. Williams another of the wit
nesses said that he had left the table.
some talk about bicycle. and turned
back. He heard Smith say: Damn Won.
Wen settle it now Smith got up and
walked to the corner of the table towards
GABLE. When he reached the corner. Ga
bic said Don't come any further" but
Smith continued to advance and then Ca
bic got the pitcher. The witness said that
Smith had something in his hand. but
he ulu not know what. Both men raised
at he
Gable strUlk Smith with the pitcher.
which broke. He struck at him again
but missed, and then struck him again
with the remnant of the pitcher, after
which he struck him with his fist. Both
men fell on the floor but as they were on
the other side of the table the witness
said that he was unable to see which was
on top OF the other Askew then separated
them.
The witness said further that the men
had been picking at each other" ever
since he had been on the island about
seven weeks. Smith, he said, seemed to
| be drunk, and usually seemed to be un-
der the influence of liquor
The testimony of VIM. N. Landers which
referred only to the quarrel and fight,
was with a little. more elaborated de-
tail practically that of Williams
Clarence Fenley, who also testified told
| practically the same story of the diff
| Guilty, except that he was more positive
! that Smith had been the aggressor both
in the conversation that preceded the
fight and in the hostile steps that were
taken up to the time that Gable struck
him with the pitcher. He stated also
that as Smith was advancing on Gable,
Gable said to him MIR. Smith don't come
on me, we are friends and l don't want
to have any trouble with you; you have
been drinking. Smith kept on, however,
he said. saying, - -, this is as
good a time to settle 1t as any,"
After the men had fallen, he said,
Askew had taken hold of Gable telling
him to stop, and he had quit at once At
ter the MEN had left the mess room Gable
was washing his hands, and Smith start
ed for his quarters, but went only
twenty or thirty feet when he started
back towards Gable saying: I'm going to
settle il now" The witness advised him
to go home, and others finally induced
him to go.
Middleton w. johnson, soldier. had
seen the men only after they had clinch-
ed. When they had been separated. he
said and Smith got up, he took something
from the table TO strike Gable with, and
Gable not yet out of the room. had turn
ed to defend himself. This witness, too.
told of Smiths attempt 20 renew the fight
even after he had started for his mar