The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-06
OVER A CIGARETTE
FATAL SHOOTING ENDED sCUFFIE
FOR A BUTT.
10 GRAHAM'S THROAT
A BIG LOAD OF BIRD SHOT WAS
FIRED BY GORDON.

Negroes Had Been EngnEed in
Friendly Scufue for Possession of
Cigarette on the Ogeechee Road.
Graham Won Out in the ScuIIie
and Gordon Went TO House "A Few
Feet Away and Secured shot
gun-With MuzzIe of Weapon at
Grahnm's Throat He Pulled the
Trigger OfYers no Excuse for
Deed.
Following a friendly scuf1e for the
possession of a cigarette stump, Joe
Graham, a negro lad, was shot and
probably fatally wounded, by Thomas
Graham, aged 16 years and colored,
yesterday on the 4Ogeechee road, near
the Seaboard Air Line crossing
With the muzzle of a single barrel
gun loaded with No. shot within two
feet of Grahams throat Gordon pulled
the trigger and inflicted a wound that
the physicians say is certain to produce
death. The entire charge of shot en-
tered near the wind pipe and ranged
downward, penetrating both lungs, 1t is
believed. Graham is a patient at the
Charity Hospital and Gordon, thor
oughly unconcerned, is prisoner at the
police station house.
The case is a most remarkable one,
in that Gordon declares he was not
angry when he fired the shot. and at
the same time offers no excuse for
what he did. He had been rabbit hunt
ing and had stopped on the road with
several half grown men. Graham and
Charles Reddy. who had been on the
hunting expedition, were in the party.
Reddy gave a cigarette stump to Cor
don and Graham asked for it. Gordon
refused to deliver the smoker and a
playful scufle followed, during which
Graham declared he would make Cor
don throw it,"
Gordon was finally forced to drop
the cigarette. 1t was picked up by
Graham who began smoking. Gordon
went into a house twenty-five feet
away. where he had left his gum and
Graham walked over to the steps
smoking the stump that had been in
dispute a minute before. Gordon in the
meantime had gone into the house,
gotten the gun and cooked it. He
walked to the doorway, put the weap-
on to his shoulder, and, with the muz-
zIe at the very throat of Graham,
pulled the trigger. Immediately after
firing the shot that is certain to ter
inmate fatally, Gordon ran.
He was pursued by Reddy, who Dor
rowed another gun. Reddy says that
he called on Gordon to halt and that
the fugitive started to load his gun
again. Reddy had the drop, however,
and warned Gordon to let his weapon
fail, and throw up his hands. This the
negro was forced to do. He was
promptly made a prisoner and turned
over to the officer in charge of a chain
gang camp near the scene of the
shooting. BY this officer Gordon was
brought to the city and handed over to
the police,
The prisoner declared that the shoot
ing was accidental. when first deliver
ed to the police. The officers were not
satisfied with this statement and the
superintendent of police and Detective
Murphy went to the scene of the
crime. Then the officers learned the
truth of the affray and located half
dozen or more eye witnesses Without
exception they told the story related
above and later Gordon admitted that
it was true version of the affray. He
stated to a representative of the
Morning News that he was not mad
when he fired the shot, but could offer
no explanation for his act, although he
admitted that he cooked the gun, knew
it was loaded, aimed it at Graham, and
pulled the trigger.