The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-27
KILLED her JUST SO
ROBERT FARMER HELD FOR THE
MURDER OF MARIA REED.
NO INQUEST BY CORONER.
RECORDER MYRICK CONDUCTED
INVESTIGATION.

The WOman's Dying Statement In
Evidence-Farmer Claimed the
Shooting Was Accidental, but the
Circumstances Indicated That 1t
Was NOt-witnesses Testified I'm
Farmers Behalf.
Believing the statements made by
the witnesses, and the prisoner him
self, to be untrue. Recorder Myrick at
yesterdays session of Police Court re-
manded Robert Farmer, colored, for
trial in the Superior Court for the MUIR
der of Maria Reed at No. ZIG Guerard
lane.
The woma1 was shot on the stoop of
her home last Tuesday and died Fri
day morning Because she was attend
ed by a physician and there were eye
witnesses TO the homicide no inquest
was held and Recorder Myrick made
the investigation that resulted in the
holding of Farmer. 1t was the first
murder investigation Recorder Myrick
has Investigated since he has been ON
The bench, for tie reason that pre-
Niously lnquests have been held
promptly
All of those who witnessed the Shoot
ing, together with Farmer, testified
that the wound resulted from the ac-
cidental discharge of the pistol. The
witnesses set forth that the negro
known as Old Man was sitting on the
railing of the stoop toying with pis-
tol when he lost his balance. In try
ing to catch himself the weapon was
discharged. The recorder, however,
was not inclined towards the accident
theory and in the face of the woman's
dying declaration made to her ply
stefan, DIR. G. w. Heriot, and other per-
tinent facts he ordered Farmer held
for an investigation by the grand jury.
DIR. Heriot reduced the womans
statement to writing and read it on
shooting was done was also produced
and it was shown that at the time of
the shooting it only contained one cart
ridge. For the shot to have been fired
this cartridge had to be directly under
the hammer. 1t was further shown
that although a self acting pistol it
was broken, and had to be cooked be-
fore it could be fired. A mere pressure
on the trigger was not sufficient in
itself to cause the hammer to go back
and this fact was demonstrated to the
Court.
The womans dying statement as
read by DR.. Herior follows; and while
no motive for the crime is shown the
fact was established that the shooting
followed the commission of an unlaw-
full act, the pointing of the pis-
toll. Such a homicide, without motive
would be involuntary manslaughter
under the letter of the law.
The Old Man Farmer), was play
ing with a pistol all the evening He
Kept pointing it at me and l told him
10 stop. Gallie, woman he goes with,
was present when he shot me. I fell
back and he caught me and said: oh,
oh, 'Riah! did not go to do that l
told him if he didn't he ought not to
have been playing with the pistol all
the evening. He was about seven feet
from me. We had had no trouble and
we're good friends. He had said sew
eral times he was going to kill me- He
was pointing pistol at me and 1 told
him not to point it at me; that it would
go off and it would be too late to say,
Oh His girl occupied the same house
that l did. When he pointed it at rue
he said: Riah l am going to kill
you" said what for?' He said, Just
So and ! said, you amt got any right
to do that and then the pistol went
off"