The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-22
FROM SEVERAL PISTOLS
BULLETS FLEW FAST.
Morning News Carriers Had Duel
and Boy Was Shot.

Following a wordy war that had been
going on for several mornings, John
Proctor and Harry alias Bud Turner,
carriers for the Morning News, empt-
led their pistols at each other on Whit
aker street at o'clock yesterday
morning, and started a fusilade that
resulted in the firing of probably fif-
teen or twenty shots.
Harry Blake, one of Turner's back
ers who appears to have been unarm-
ed and to have taken no active part
In the ARRAY, was the only person hurt
although a large crowd of carriers was
on hand when the shooting began. One
of the bullets passed through Blake's
nose, ploughed it's way through the
flesh near the left eye and lodged near
the frontal bone. The wounded negro
was sent to the Georgia Infirmary in
the police ambulance, but upon his ar
rival at the hospital refused to become
an inmate. The wound is not regarded
as dangerous.
AS d result of the shooting Proctor
Turner, Mack, Lawrence and Joe
Johnson were arrested by Patrolmen
Merchant and McGrath on d charge
of assault with intent to murder. Lat
er in the day Harry Monroe, who is
alleged to have done some of the shoot
irg, surrendered at police headquar-
tiers and was released on bond. The
four who were arrested at the time
OF the ARRAY are still held pending an
investigation by the city detectives
Just who fired the shot that struck
Blake no one appears to know, and the
wounded negro himself is unable to
say.
A debt of Is cents was at the bottom
of the trouble and caused bad blood
between Proctor and Turner. Another
carrier named Andrew Cochran owed
Turner the money and when some
question about the payment was raised
Proctor took the part of Cochran.
Turner and Proctor had several argu-
ments as to each others ability from
pugilistic point of view, but trouble
was avoided. Both secured revolvers
and yesterday morning Turner APP
peared on the scene with Blake as a
bodyguard. The quarrel was renewed,
but Blake did little more than talk.
Suddenly each boy drew a pistol and
the shooting began in earnest Turner
says he doesn't know whether he fired
first and Proctor says ne is uncertain
on this point. Both boys, however,
admit emptying their revolvers. Tur-
ner explained that he didn't know just
how many times he shot, but that he
fired all the cartridges that his pistol
would hold. Both boys agree that
somebody else was in the shooting,
but are unable to say who it was or
whose bullet struck Blake
Johnson claims that he took no part
in the shooting. and was only an eye
witness. He is not certain who drew
the first pistol, but stated that the
first snot was fired by Turner. After
that the shooting became general.
johnson is sure that Monroe did some
shooting and is reasonably certain
that 1t was a bullet from his pistol
that struck Blake's nose. The shoot
ing caused CONSERVATION among the
carriers and the arrest of two of the
force, and the frightening away of
others. was responsible for a delay in
the delivery of one or two of the
routes yesterday, it having been neces-
sary to substitute boys for those sent
to the cooler. The case will probably
be finally disposed of by Recorder My
rick in Police Court this morning.