The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-08
A KILLING NEAR WAYcRoSs.
WHITE MAN AND NEGRO FOUGHT
IN BUGGY ON ROAD.

siIas johnson Attempted to Cut Mr..
Mitchell }. Joiner, and Received
Three Bullets in His Forehead
The Horse Ran Away During the
Fight and Both Dead and Living
Men We're Thrown Out-COroner's
Jury Rendered Verdict of Justifi-
able Homicide.
Waycross. Ga, April 7.--Silas john
son, colored, was killed by Mitchell j.
Joiner this morning on the public road
near Waycross. Mr.. johnson was
riding in a buggy with the negro,
when the latter undertook to cut him
with a knife. Johnson raised his
right hand in which he held an ugly
knife, at the same time catching Mr..
Joiner by the shoulder with the other
hand. Joiner grabbed the hand of
the negro that held the knife with his
left hand, and with his right drew his
pistol. The negro kept trying to cut
Mr.. Joiner, but before he did so
Joiner planted bullet in his fore
head. He shot him three times, each
ball taking effect in his head either
wound being sufficient to produce
death.
When the pistol fired the first time,
the horse began running, and when
the negro fell from the buggy dead,
Mr.. Joiner fell or was thrown from
the buggy on the opposite side. The
horse ran three or four hundred
yards down the road when he was
stopped by Rev. A. Grant, a colored
preacher, and some other parties.
The difficulty occurred just beyond
Mr. Joiner's country residence, three
miles north of Waycross. on the road
to Waltertown. The tragedy was wit
messed by MIR. ]. S. Joiner, father of
the man who did the shooting, who
happened to be working at the time
about one hundred yards from the
place where the trouble occurred, and
by Mr.. Walters, a farmer who was
travelling along the road. meeting the
parties, and was only a. short distance
from them when the difficulty occur
red.
Immediately after the shooting Mr.
Joiner came to town and reported the
affair: placing himself in the hands Of
T. J. AcClelland sheriff of Ware
county.
Coroner jackson Grimes. empan-
neled a jury and went out at once to
hold an inquest over the remains, the
verdict of the jury being justifiable
homicide.
According to tt statement made by
Mr.. Joined before the jury, which was
corborated by the other witnesses, the
negro Silas Johnson, had asked him
about ten days ago to buy him horse
on the installment PLAN Mr.. Joiner
agreed to let the negro have horse
until he could buy one for the hire of
the horse, and two dollars to go to-
wards purchasing the one Mr.. Joiner
was to select for him. Yesterday the
negro exhibited a receipt to Mr.. j. S.
Joiner, father of Mitchell Joiner, which
was for fifteen dollars, the receipt
which Mr.. Joiner had given him for
five dollars having been raised to that
amount by some one, according to the
statement of Mr.. Joiner. The negro
claimed that he had the receipt at his
home about half a mile from Joiner S
residence. and they started for the re-
ceipt. After crossing the branch the
negro said he had forgotten about it
until then, but that the receipt was
left at Mr.. Joiners house, whereupon
they had started back when the
tragedy occurred.
The knife with WHICH the negro at
tempted to cut Mr. Joiner was picked
up in the buggy, and Coroner Grimes
has in his possession. 1t is a large
two-bladed knife the blades being
nearly three inches long. Another ne
gro told the coroner the knife was his,
that he had loaned it to Silas john
son this morning, and it is presumed
he borrowed it expecting some trouble
with Mr. Joiner.