The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-21
DORTIC'S FATAL AIM
BLOOD POISONING CAUSED JACK
DECAYS DEATH.
SHOT CHRISTMAS WEEK
CORONER'S JURY WILL INVESTI.
GATE THE TRAGEDY TODAY,

Deegan Shot Dec. 26-BuIIet Broke
His Right Collar Bone and Lodged
in the Left Lung-Was Not at First
Relieved That Wound Would
Terminate FatR1Iy-WilIiam Il.
kavannugh. Accidentally Shot at
the Same Time, but Recovered
With the Loss of the Right Eye.
DOrtic Believed His Life Was in
Dnnger-Deegnn's Parents Deny
That He Assumed Responsibility
for Trouble.
AS result of blood poisoning pro-
duced by bullet from the revolver of
w. H. Dortic, a bartender, Jack Dee
gan died yesterday morning at st. Jo-
seph's Hospital, where he was taken
on the night of Dec. &C. For ten days
it had been known that the wound
would result fatally and his death was
expected.
Dertic, who has been held at the po-
lice station since the shooting of Dee
gan and William P. Kavanaugh in Lee
vans saloon, on Congress street, is now
charged with murder. Coroner Keller
will impanel jury to-day and a
formal investigation of the homicide
will be held. The bullet that caused
Deegan's death broke the right collar
bone, ranged downward and lodged in
the left lung. At first it was not be-
! lieved that the wound would terminate
fatally, although fear was expressed for
| the recovery of Kavanaugh
| The shooting occurred in the evening
when the saloon was crowded. Three
shots were fired by Dortic at Deegan.
/ One struck its intended mark,
another entered near Kavanaugh's
left ear and came out at
the right eye, inficting a flesh
wound in the shoulder of Dallas Ben
nett The third bullet went wild and
spent its force in the wall of the bar.
Dortic claimed then, and still insists,
! that Deegan was about to assault him,
and that fearing his life was in immi-
nent danger, he shot him.
THE prisoner claims that only a
night or two before he ran to escape
an alteration with Deegan, who had
been drinking, and looking for him
with a view to having trouble. Dortic
charges that Deegan visited the Con-
gress street bar several times on the
day of the shooting for the avowed pur-
pose of assaulting him, and that upon
| his last visit he was the aggreSsor. He
| charges that Deegan cursed him in the
most profane language and threw his
hand to his hip pocket, as if to draw
! revolver. The bartender claims that it
was at this time that he fired the shots,
one of which has resulted in the death
| of the man with whom he had formerly
1
| Dortic learned of Deegan's death he
wept and expressed the deepest regret
at the manner in which the shooting
| had terminated.
The family of the dead man insist
that he did not make the statement
that he was to blame for the trouble
| and that Dortic had acted properly
when he used his revolver. The father
/ of Deegan says that his son only ex-
| pressed regret at the fact that Kavan-
| augh an innocent bystander, had been
wounded and said that it was a great
| pity inasmuch as he had nothing to do
| with the trouble Mr.. Deegan says
that his son stated when he was placed
| in the ambulance that the shooting
was done in a cowardly manner and
that he afterwards told the same
| thing to his mother, who was present
when the alleged story generating
Dortic was told. Mrs. Deegan says
| positively that her son did not say
that he was responsible for what hap
| pened.
Deegan was 80 years of age and pop
ular with his associates. He was a
| splendid specimen of physical man
| hood and was a prominent figure at
| the Court House during factional bat
| ties. Besides mother and father, the
| dead man leaves three sisters and two
! brothers to mourn his loss. His fun
eral will take place at $3.50 o'clock this
afternoon from the family residence,
| at No. 80 Jones street east, and from
the Cathedral of st. John the Baptist
The interment will be in the Cathedral
| Cemetery.