The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-16
luis NECK WAS SAVED
,,,p,s WILLIAMS WILL GO TO THE
PENITENTIARY FOR LIFE.
FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER.
COMMUNICATION OF JURY SAVED
HIM FROM DEATH ON GALLONS.

william Shot and Killed Lewis
Green, a Negro NewsbOy, on Aug.
10 Last-TestimOny of states Wit
pesses Made the Homicide a Brutal
1 and CauseIess One, but the Slayer
Claimed He Had Acted in Self-De-
fense-His own Statement Showed
That He Had Not Acted Under the
Fears Of Reasonable Man when
lie Fired the Fatal Shot.
confinement in the penitentiary for
/ the term of his natural life.
This is the punishment that will be
/ meted out to James Williams, a negro,
/ tried in the Superior Court yesterday
for the murder of Lewis Green. The
verdict was returned shortly after
o'clock last evening, finding the pris-
oner guilty and recommending that he
be punished by Imprisonment in the
nenitentiary for life. This recommend
alton will be followed by Judge Sea-
brook when he imposes the sentence of
the law this morning.
When the case was called yesterday
morning Solicitor General w. w. Os-
borne appeared for the state and
H Messrs. w. F. Slater and Walter w.
Sheppard for the defense. The jury
to try the case was obtained with COM
paratively little trouble. 1t was made
up as follows:
w. Z. Coney, James NJ. Love, Will
liam S. Harrison, Harry White, John
D. Harness, Walter ]. Allen, James F.
Berry, Francis Harte, Fred A. Leon
ard. Henry Suffer, ]. Starke Clay and
Frank B. To-Day.
The prisoner to the arraignment of
the solicitor general, pleaded not
guilty.
A preliminary statement of his case
by the states counsel, in which Mr..
Osborne declared he intended to show
that the killing of Lewis Green, who
81 was a negro youth of about II, had
Neen wanton and unprovoked, preceded
the introduction of the evidence.
As is usual in murder cases, the
j county coroner, DIR. John G. Keller, was
d the first witness DIR. Keller testified
1 that the homicide had been commit
ted, near the corner of West Broad and
CASTOR streets, on the night of Aug. 10.
/ The coroner described the wound in the
boys side that had produced death and
said he had held an inquest over the
remains.
Jim Berrien's Story.
jim Berrien was the first and per-
haps the most important witness for
the state. He and another negro boy
had been with Green on the night he
was killed and standing with him near
the scene of the homicide. Williams,
drunk and quarrelsome, came along
about that time. 1t happened that
Green and Williams brushed against
each other, word or two was ex-
changed and without further provoca-
ton Williams drew his revolver and
shot Green in the side. Green was at
tempting to run away when the fatal
Shot was fired. Williams fired twice.
Counsel for the accused endeavored
TO obtain from the witness a statement
TO the effect that Green had cursed
Williams and placed his hand on his
hip pocket in a menacing and threat
ening fashion, but Berrien strenuously
denied that any such incidents had
ever occurred.
Willie Butler, a negro woman, told
substantially the same story. She
made 1t even stronger against the ac-
cused than had Berrien and with great
Vehemence described the brutal and
cruel conduct of Williams at the time
OF the homicide. She swore positively
mat Green had used no oaths and had
made no threatening gestures.
The evidence of former City Detec-
1--WE j. j. Clarity, who effected the ar
rest of Williams, after a terrific hand
o-hand struggle, next followed. He
nad come up almost Immediately after
, Ihe fatal shots were fired and had fol-
i w,',eed the fleeing murderer. Twice
Wlhams threw his revolver in Gar
Ilty face and told him that if he ad-
,tanced another step he would blow out
ms brains. Each time he succeeded
N inducing the ex-detective to stop for
moment, but Clarity would not aban-
uon the chase and at last brought his
prey to bay.
II was in house that the arrest was
sueCled. Williams tried to draw his
,ieIoIVer as Clarity entered, but the
,.dh.ter grabbed the negro's hand and
we pocket in which the weapon was
t, s! and showed his own weapon
n'o williams face. Even then he had
~ W nght in order to complete the ar
teat and to fight not only the prisoner,
'U' horde of negro women besides.
Said Green Threatened.
Pete Johnson and Mamie Golden,
~, uolh colored, were the witnesses for
ne ne defense. they stated that after
III IT. colllsion between Green and Will
ne oius' the former had returned and
Used the latter. applied to him a vile
TPh'lnet and told him to go away"
auTy sWore that Green, as he used the
en-, placed his right hand, in threat
t.F attitude, to his hip pocket and
NiiaI II was soon after this that Will
n"lHs hred. Johnson said that Green
~, shot as he turned to flee.
s. ne statement of the defendant him
~ was exceedingly brief. He said
90 on the night of the killing he was
fHs up West Broad street and in
f,WuHt OF the ice cream stand met three
he o"s, one Of them jostled him and
~ s y, Don't run into me this
b',. Ihey passed and then came
eri,a ana one Of them, Using a vile
tllnei said "Go on" and threw his
,p back 70 his pocket.
IL" was fearful OF my life," said Will
s,ei ana / shot him. had never
h., me man before and did not know
v' carried the pistol because
a. a. iihla 70 go across the old field
Ae neaboard Air Line shops on nav
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