The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-12
TELL TALE BLOOD
BRANDS ED GREEN, CoLoRED, As
SMITHS ASsAILANr.
WAS LAST PERSON SEEN
WITH GROCER WHO WAS cow
ARDLY ASSAULTED.

Green Claims 10 Have Gone Home
at 1890 O'clock. but Was Seen in
smiths Place Arguing About Mon
ey After II O'eIOck-When Ar
rested by Nose Davis Blood Was
Found on Coat, Hat and Razor.
Told Several Conflicting Stories
and Officers Certain They Have
Right Man-POst MOrtem To-day.
Facing circumstantial evidence tina:
is considered strong, and badly fright
ened as a result. Ed. Green, colored, is
a prisoner in the police station. be-
lieved 10 be the murderer Of T. r
Smith, who was fatally beaten early
Sunday morning in the rear Of his gro
Gerry and bar at Bay and Farm streets
The negro was arrested yesterday
morning by Patrolman Nose DAVIS,
who accompanied Smith to the Savan-
nah Hospital shortly after he had been
assaulted. When arrested there were
blood stains on Green's hat and coat,
and razor with blood on it was found
in his possession. The negro made
conflicting statements and the officers
have evidence enough to warrant them
in charging him with the crime.
Green was employed by Smith in the
grocery and bar. He had trouble with
his employer, and Saturday night sew
eral witnesses heard Smith and the ne
gro in a heated argument about some
money that Green claimed was due
him. Green claims to have left the
CT nj II
witnesses swear positively that ii was
after IL o'clock when they left Smiths
place, and that at that time the grocer
and Green were arguing about money
due the porter.
Green Was There Last.
After the arrest had been made by
Officer Davis the detectives began
gathering evidence against the ac-
cused. So far as they were able to
learn, and they worked assiduously
Green was the last person seen with
Smith before the assault was com
mitted. 1t was then in the neighbor-
hood Of 11:30 o'clock and the two men
were contending about the money due
the negro. The assault was commit
ted about 80 minutes after that time.
The accused claims that he reached
home before IL o'clock and was let in
| by girl who afterwards stated TO
Detective Murphy that she did not get
home until o'clock in the morning ard
that she did not see Green. The
prisoner also declared that he talked
with his wife upon his arrival home,
and she stated to the same PLAIN
clothes man that she was asleep and
did not know when her husband got
| in.
Accused Badly Ratified.
Green denies that on the night of the
| assault he wore the coat and hat that
| bear blood, stains, but cannot account
for the stains. He claims that the
1 blood on the razor is his own and that
he cut himself slightly while shaving
| Saturday There is no sign of o cut
or scratch on his face or neck. Once
while undergoing a cross-examination
he slipped and said that he left Smith
at u, but quickly corrected himself and
| said 1880 o'clock He was greatly
confused when this was noticed.
The porter says that Smith promised
to pay him in full Sunday morning and
that there was no row. He went to the
grocery Sunday and claims that for the
first time then he learned Of the as
sault He denies absolutely that any
one saw him in the store after 1920
o'clock, in the face of the statements
of three witnesses, one of whom is
white. One of those who saw Green
in the place half an hour before the as
| sault is Preston Stewart, a negro who
at one time worked for Smith, and he
is held as a witness.
To Hold Post MOrtem.
Because it has never been positively
determined what caused the death OF
Smith a post-mortem examination will
be held this morning. The man died
in commissions and there was evidence
| of epilepsy. Thus far no fracture of
the skull has been discovered, and it
will not be known whether the blows
on the head caused death until a thor
| rough examination has been made.
The theory of the police is that
! Green was angry because Smith would
not pay him all that he owed him. 1t
| can be shown that the grocery man
gave the negro 81 So and told him that
| he could get the rest of the money Sun
| day morning. The officers say that If
! the assault had been premeditated the
assailant would have gone to the place
with weapon to do his dastardly work
| with. AS 1t was Smith was struck over
| the head with a lightwood knot that
| had been in the yard. The blow was
a vicious one and broke the piece of
wood. The police hope yet to be able
| TO find an eye witness to the assault,
but are absolutely certain that they
have the Tiphf in,