The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-26
TO SAVE HIS LIFE
GEORGE TUTEN, WOUNDED, KILL
ED GEORGE w. CHILDs.
THE TRAGEDY IN A FOUNDRY.
TUTEN WAS EMPLOYED AS FORE
MAN IN MACHINE SHOPS.


ten With CIeaver and but for
the Latter's Stin Hat Would Have
Killed Him-WOuhd Made That En-
posed Frontal BOne-Tuten Emp
tied His Revolver at the Negro.
ChiIds HaS Refused to Leave au
Emery Wheel for a White Man.
Negro Who Claims to Have Wit
messed Homicide Says Childs Used
CIcaver After He Was shot.
Blinded with blood flowing from an
ugly wound in the forehead that left
the frontal bone fully exposed TO view,
George Tuten, a foreman in Rourke's
machine shops. emptied his revolver
at George W. Childs a negro black
smiths helper. shortly after . o'clock
yesterday afternoon. Two of the bull
let's struck Childs and he died few
minutes later.
The negro struck Tuten with a
blacksmith's cleaver, and but for the
fact that he was wearing a stiff hat
he would have been killed. The cleaver
cut through the hat and the force of
the blow was broken by a heavy piece
of wire around the brim of the derby.
A wound extending four inches from
the right eye upward across the fore
head exposed the frontal bone and Tu-
ten bled profusely. Just how the
shooting occurred is not clear in the
fact of the statement made by the
prisoner and two eye witnesses, al
though the white witness agrees that
Tuten was assaulted before he used
his revolver.
Tuten's story of the Shooting.
Tuten came to Savannah from Tai
lahassee, Fla, several years ago and
has for some time been in Rourke's
machine shops. He made a full state
ment of the shooting Immediately af-
ter its occurrence to a representative
Of the Morning News, and before he
had his wound dressed He said that
Childs was an insolent negro and he
had made complain against him more
than once. He had given instructions
that the negroes at the foundry should
not use a certain emery wheel at
which Childs was standing at the time
of the trouble The foreman saw
Childs using the wheel while Harry
Hudson, a machinist from Macon, who
only started to work yesterday, was
waiting to sharpen some of his tools,
start of the Trouble.
According to Tuten, Childs paid no
attention and he went forward and
ordered him away from the wheel The
negro continued to sharpen the cleaver
and Tuten again told him to make
way for the machinist. Childs became
angry and struck at him viciously with
the cleaver. The iron clashed through
his heavy hat and landed on the fore
head. Tuten says the blow staggered
him and in his dazed condition he saw
the negro making for him. He stag
gered to his desk about Is feet away
and got his revolver, a 3S-calibre Smith
G. Wesson. Childs was still advancing
and striking at him when he began
firing.
Tuten says that because of his con
dition he does not know how many
times he fired, or what bullets struck
the negro. All five chambers in the
pistol were empty when ii was taken
from him by MIR. Rourke who was in
the shop. With the blood streaming
down his face Tuten accompanied Mr.
Rourke to his office where ne remained
until the arrival of Patrolman Harri-
son and Meldrim, and Detectives Stark
and Wall. The detectives took the
wounded man in charge and carried
him to the police station in cab. Dr.
Saliba was summoned and dressed his
wound
Childs had been shot in the mouth
and body and ran several feet be-
fore he fell on his face dead. Coroner
Keller gave permi ssion for the removal
OF the body and it was taken to his
home at Atlantic and Bolton streets.
Hudson's Statement
Hudson was arrested by Patrolman
Meldrim Immediately after the shoot
ing and is held at the station house
as a witness. Although he is positive
that Tuten was justified in what he
did. his story does not agree in every
particular with that told by the pris-
oner. Hudson says that when the ne
gro would not leave the emery wheel
Tuten said = you, niger, didn't I
tell you to get away from there and
let that white man sharpen his tools, F."
at the same time pushing him. Childs
then raised the cleaver and struck the
foreman the blow that came near caus-
ing his death. The witness is certain
that Tuten reached in his pocket and
pulled his revolver and began firing.
He says he is positive the foreman did
not go to his desk for his revolver, and
he is equally positive that the negro
used the cleaver before the first shot
was fired.
Dixon's story.
Don Dixon, a negro employed in
the blacksmith shop claims to have
witnessed the shooting, and was also
held as a witness. Dixon claims that
Childs did not use the cleaver until
after he had been shot. He says he
was standing some distance away. but
that he saw everything that happened
He heard Tuten, he claims, curse the
negro and then saw him go to his
desk and get his revolver. He saw
him put the weapon in his pocket and
go back to where Childs was standing
Tuten's attitude, he says, was
threatening and Childs raised
the cleaver as if to strike
Dixon says that the ball entered Childs
body and caused him to double over
Childs raised up and struck Tuten
and the other shots followed.
Because there We're eye witnesses Il
the homicide no inquest will be held
by Coroner Keller and Tuten will b'
given a preliminary examination by
Recorder Myrick in Police Court thii
morning. Both witnesses now helC
prisoners 1T the station house will b,
examined and the prisoner will prob
ably make his statement The killinG
created a great deal Of excitement II
the foundry, where a large number o.
men are employed. and on the Eas