The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-25
JURY SAYS MURDER
w. II. DoRTIC MUST STAND TRIAL
FOR HIS LIFE.
THE SLAYER OF DEEGAN
INDICTED ny GRAND Inquest FOR
wILFUL MURDER.

Only Three witnesses Examine d
when the Members of the Jury
Pronounced Themselves Satisfied
and the True Bill of Indictment
Was Returned-Kavanau Frost
and FcItz Told Their stories OF
the Homicide-DeeGan's Dying
Declaration in Evidence-AIecl
Indicted for Murder-Many True
Bills Returned.
An indictment against w. H. Dortic,
charging him with the wilful murder
Of John A. Deegan, was returned by
the grand jury of the Superior Court
yesterday afternoon. Only three wit
nesses were heard.
Dortic must now face jury on the
charge of murder. In the legal ver-
nacular the indictment charges that
on Dec. rs, 1901, he committed wilful,
malicious and felonious assault upon
his victim, inf1icting a mortal wound,
from which wound Deegan, after lin
gering until Jan. 20. died.
A number of witnesses had been
summoned before the grand jury, but
after hearing read the dying declara-
ton of Deegan, and the evidence of
w. P. Kavanaugh, Bert Frost and
Tommy Feltz, the jury announced that
it had heard enough, and a true bill
for murder was returned.
Contrary to the current expectation
Lobody seemed to have come to the
court room for the purpose of hearing
the finding of the jury announced. and
when the indictment was returned
there was no one present other than
the court officers, the members of the
grand inquest and others whose bus
mess necessitated their attendance.
There was no excitement and appar-
emily little interest in the result of the
investigation by the grand jury. AS a
spectacular production, when COM
pared with the brilliant effect In this
line achieved at the coroner's inquest,
the investigation was a fiat failure.
In addition to the indictment
against Dortic two other indictments
for murder were returned. In each of
these latter cases the defendant is a
negro and the man he killed was of the
same race. In both cases the weapon
with which the fatal wound was in
ficted was a knife. Aleck Bowen was
indicted for the murder of Henry
Foreman and William Butler for the
murder of William Baker. Bowen ia
tally wounded Foreman, in a restau-
rant on River street, on the night of
Dec. 16, last, and Foreman died from
the effects of the wound a little less
than two weeks later. Butler stabbed
RCkar fn death in fol- a
supper at Sunnyside, south of the city.
The grand jury Investigated eighteen
cases. and in each case returned a true
bill. Three of these indictments are
against Paris Green, a negro, who is
charged in each indictment with OBJ
tanning goods under false pretenses.
BY forged orders, .purporting to to be
signed by Brennan & Co, and Collins,
Grayson & Co., Green managed to Sc
cure goods aggregating in value over
$50 from A. B. Hull & Co. and NJ.
Ferst's Sons & Co.
Rolla l.. Summerlin, the young SOL
der connected with the United States
army recruiting office here, who was
caught by two guests of the De Soto
on fire escape of that hotel, was in
dicted for burglary, being charged
by the grand jury with breaking and
entering the building with intent to
steal or commit some felony therein.
j. d. Martin was indicted for lar
ceny after trust: Seymour Brown for
burglary, John Durham for assault
with intent to murder; Charles Stew
art for assault with intent to murder;
Charley McFifer for larceny after
trust William Norman for larceny
from the house; John Bowden for as
sault with intent to murder; Ella
Small for burglary, and Charles
Thomas for robbery.
1t was a long session of the grand
jury, beginning at 4 o'clock and end
ing only few minutes before z. The
jury will hold another session next
Friday, when some additional criminal
cases will be presented for its consid-
Grafton