The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-15
SHOT BY A GUARD
ED HARRIS, CONVICT, ACCIDENT
ALLY KILLED AT CAMP NO. 3.
GUN CARELESSLY HANDLED.
CONTENTS OF GUARDS WEAPON
LODGED IN HARRIS THIGH.

Guard Was Cleaning or Playing
with the Weapon When 1t Was
DIscharged-Harris Came Around
the Corner of the Mess House just
in Time to Receive the Load in
His Left Leg-Fcll to the Ground,
FearfuIly wounded-Crude Efforts
Made at Camp Did Not Serve TO
stop the Flow of Blood-Died at
Georgia Infirmnry Five Hours Aft
er Receiving Mortal Wound.
Ed. Harris, negro convict at Camp
No. 8, near White Bluff, was shot and
guard at the camp, yesterday after
noon. Harris died at the Georgia In
Urinary, where he was carried, five
hours after he was shot. The shoot
ing was accidental.
Allen is a recent addition to the
force of guards and possibly was Meth
er too skillful nor too careful in the
handling of his weapon-the invariable
doubIe-barrelled shotgun, loaded with
buckshot, of the guards.
He was seated at the side of the
mess house cleaning some portion of
his weapon and had been foolish
enough to leave 1t loaded. While he
was lingering the hammers or trig-
gers of the gun Harris came suddenly
around the corner of the house, Allen
started, the piece was discharged and
the entire load entered Harris left
thigh.
Made an Ugly Wound.
At the close distance at which the
shot as fired it made a fearful wound,
the negro fell to the ground, suffering
almost uncomfortable agony. The blood
gushed in constant stream from the
gaping wound in his leg.
Crude efforts were made at the camp
to stop the floor of blood, but they
were almost entirely unsuccessful and
the desperately wounded negro was
loaded into camp wagon and brought
in to the Georgia Infirmary. He reach
ed there, weak and i'll and almost
fainting from the loss of blood, short
ly before o'clock in the afternoon.
DIR. Weichselbaum, superintendent of
the hospital was Immediately sum-
moned, and County Physician Keller,
who had been notified of the occur
renee, arrived soon afterwards. To-
gether they bound up the wound and
stopped the flow Of blooA
Attention Came Too Late.
Attention, however, had come too
late, II IT would ever have availed to
save Harris life. The loss of blood had
been great and Harris, very weak when
he reached the IrernaaryS grew gradu-
ally weaker and weaker as the hours
passed. He died at $50 o'clock.
During the afternoon Harris was Wis
tied at the Infirmary by Clerk G. Reu-
ben Butler, of the board of County
Commissioners. He was too weak to
give any very lucid or extended ac-
count of the manner in which he had
received his death wound, but
managed to say that the guard,
Allen was playing with his gun when
1T went off," He lapsed into uncon-
seriousness after this conversation with
Mr.. Butler and the deep sleep of ex-
haustion and loss of blood shaded
gradually off into the deeper and I'M
ending sleep. of death.
No official report of the occurrence
has, yet been made to the commission
ers, but one will be made to-day. It
is probable that an investigation will
be ordered.
The coroner has not yet had an op-
portunity to make an investigation of
the case and therefore has not decided
whether 1t will be necessary to hold
an inquest. This will depend upon the
presence or absence of eye-witnesses
and other circumstances surrounding
Harris death.