The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-12
GUILTY OF MURDER.
Gilbert Pitts Held for killing sam
ueI Mitchell.

uel Mitchell.
Coroner ]. G. Keller held an inquest at
Isle of Hope yesterday morning over the
body OF Samuel Mitchell. the negro oys-
terman who was shot Wednesday after
noon off Little Tybee, and the jury re-
turned a verdict of murder charging Gill
bert Pitts with the crime. The inquest
was held at Barbee & Bandy's place, and
four witnesses were examined although
only two knew anything about the cir
oumstances that lead up to the killing.
Before the inquest was held DR.. Keller
made an examination of the body of the
dead negro and found three buck shot
wounds, either one of which would have
produced death. One shot entered about
an inch below the right nipple and pene
trated the lung; another struck the right
base of the neck and caused internal
hemorrhage: the third entered just UNI
der the right eye. After examining the
remains, which had been brought to Islc
of Hope In the boat in which Mitchell
was killed, permission was given by the
coroner for the removal of the body.
John Pollne. coored, was in the same
boat with Mitchell az the time of the
homicide and made a clear statement TO
the Jury He said that he had gone with
Samuel Cade and Samuel Mitchell on
sloop to Little Tybee and that Cade was
a short distance away in another boat
when Mitchell was killed Poline stated
that he and his friend were raking for
oysters and had just taken load to the
sloop when a white man came up in
row boat.
HE asked Mitchell what he meant by
taking the oysters after he had sent some
Iar ffsNIr1 a before
him to get out of the creek" said the
witness. Mitchell answered that it was not
him because he had not been down there
at that time. The white man then said
that he had a warrant for Mitchell ana
Sam said that he guessed he could afford
to spend as much money in law as him,
(meaning Pitts. We then pulled over to
the right side of the creek and the white
man pulled to the left side. We began
raling again and the white man rowed
over to our side and went out in the
marsh. He was there for about five min
utes, and came back and got in his boat.
He then picked up his gun and shot
Mitchell, who was standing up at the time
raking for oysters. Mitchell fell on his
face in the boat and the white man rowed
off. He had two guns in his boat and
we never had any weapons. There was
nothing said just before the white man
passed at AN Mitchell lived about five
minutes but never talked after he was
shot. The beds were not marked and are
not private Sam Cade and ] went and
got George Hudson and we left Mitchell
in the bateau and tied the little boat De-
hind the sloop and brought it to the
city. l don't know what the white mans
name is"
Same Cade told story that agreed in
every respect with the statement made
by Poline, except that he did not see the
shot fired He witnessed all of the events
that led up to the homicide and saw
Mitchell fall, but a clump of marsh pre-
vented his seeing who fired the shot Cade
did not know the name of the white man
who had been talking to Mitchell. The
witness said that the oyster beds>were not
marked, as far as he knew.
George Hudson was half a mile away
and heard the shot fired, but knew moth
ing OF the tragedy itself. Up 90 this time
the name of the man who fired the shot
had not been made known to the jury,
and at the request of the foreman, Coro-
ner Keller made statement to the effect
that Gilbert Pitts had surrendered and ad-
mitted that he had done the shooting 1t
was upon this evidence that the jury had
to make up its verdict, and after a study
Of the law of murder and manslaughter
the aforementioned verdict was rendered.
All six of the Jurors were white men. and
under the evidence they considered the
homicide wilful murder A warrant
charging Pitts with the higher grade of
crime was signed by Coroner Keller and
lodged at the jail, just as soon as the jury
returned its verdict.
Pitts is still confined in the county Jail
and refuses TO talk 90 newspaper report
ers, although it is known that his con-
tenton is that he acted in seIf-defense,
charging that Mitchell not only invaded
private properly which he had been en-
pioyed TO guard, but also threatened vio-
lenoe. Mr.. w. f. Slater was present at
the inquest as a representative of the
prisoner, but was not permitted to cues
ton the witnesses or take any part in
the proceedings Mitchell was buried near
Isle of Hope yesterday afternoon.