The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-20
SAVED HIS LIFE
GRIT OF REECE PREVENTED NAL
Plus BEING KILLED.
PATROLMAN WAS WEAK.
WHEN COLORED COMPANION CRAP
Piled WITH DESPERATE PRISONER

with Left Eye Closed and suffer-
Account of Manner ina which As
sauIt and Shooting Occurred.
But for the grit displayed by the
negro who accompanied him when he
sought to arrest William Blending in
a house on William and Farm streets
late Monday night, Patrolman C. NJ.
Malphus would probably have been kill
ed. The fatal shooting of Blending by
the police officer was published in the
Morning News yesterday.
The wounded negro died at the Char
ity Hospital at 10 o'clock yesterday
morning before an ante-mortem state
ment was obtained. Inasmuch, how
ever, as there were eye witnesses to the
shooting, Coroner Keller announced
that no inquest was necessary. The
statement of the negro. Isaiah Reece
of No. IA Guerard lane, who was en-
deavoring to have Blending arrested
for theft and who was with Malphus,
agrees with that of the patrolman who
is now confined to his home at No
401 Park Avenue, west
Policeman Cut over Eye.
While Malphus' condition is by no
means serious, he is suffering from an
ugly cut over the left eye and that
optic is closed. The officers left hand
is also cut and bruised. and he win
probably be in bed for day or two
The cut over the eye is over an inch
long and opened the flesh to the from
tai bone. The patrolman complains of
dizziness. and is in a rather weak
condition
The first complete statement that he
made of the shooting was given to
representative of the Morning News
yesterday afternoon. Although his as
sailant had been dead several hours
the patrolman at that time received
the first news OF the result of the shots
that he had fired. The story told by
Malphus makes it apparent that but
Tor the presence of Reece he would
probably have been beaten to death.
The Offcer's story.
"Reece told me that = he had been.
sent to me by Desk Sergeant McCool
and said that Blending was then in a
two-story brick house on William and
Farm streets" said Malphus in giving
an account of the fatal ARRAY. The
negro said that he had positive evil
dence that blending had stolen a
quantity of clothing from him and at
the same time explained to me that
he was a burly and vicious negro.
Reece and l went to the house in ques-
ton and Reece went upstairs to see If
Blending was in. He returned in a
few minutes and said that he was.
1.-THE nlnpa 10 u Il I
upstairs ahead of Reece. When we
got into room that was only lighted
by the fire that was burning at the
time, Reece pointed out Blending and
] placed him under arrest. l had my
right hand on my pistol as l caught
the negro by the trousers with my
left. He was surly, but offered no re-
sistance. He must have been getting
ready 10 go to bed and his shoes and
coat were off.
There were two or three negroes in
bed in the same room and when
started towards the door with my pris-
oner they asked that he be permitted
TO dress himself. l agreed to this and
Blendlng sat on a chair to put on his
shoes. He was lacing his shoes when
he called for his coat. A woman was
IN the act of handing it to him when
suspected treachery and took the
garment from her saying that l wish
ed to look in the pockets before he put
IT on. | thought that there might be a
pistol in the coat.
Murderous Blow struck,
1T was while 1 was going through
the pockets of the coat that / heard
Blending say hand me that. daugh-
ter turned around inst
as Blending struck at me
with a billet of wood. 1t was a
murderous blow, aimed between my
eyes did not have time to dodge 1t,
but threw my head back just as it
landed over nv left eye. 1 staggered
Tor an instant as / felt the warm blood
trickling down my cheek 1 was COM
pletely dazed for a moment. but re-
member that the desperate negro
struck another blow at me-
Almost involuntarily | threw I'D nv
LETT hand and caught the piece of
wood. The blow was a terrific one and
my hand burned as though it had
Grasped burning coal. l did not have
strength enough to hold either the
piece of wood or the man, who was a
powerful fellow, and would probably
have been beaten to death if Reece
hadn't gotten into the fight. l was fast
losing my strength and the cut over
my eye made me feel queer, to say
eAAC iCdSl VI II.
1 remember distinctly that as the
second blow was struck Reece jumped
forward and Blending aimed a vicious
ploW at him. The piece of wood struck
the negro who had been robbed. but
ne ala not give up. He grappled with
Blehdlng and together they began a
vicious fight in the dingy little room.
In the meantime l was becoming
weaker and weaker, and it seemed as
though my legs were going to give
away, ana that l would fall. l felt
1hat in few minutes it would be all
OF with me unless l acted promptly,
and l reached for my gun.
How Shots Were Fired.
In may weak state 1 feared that
might shoot Reece and l had to be
particularly careful. As the men pitch
ed each other around the room l watch
Ell my chance and whenever the on
portunity offered itself / shot at Blend
ING. He was game to the last and al
though | knew the. bullets were going
into him he continued the fight. Al
the fourth shot he showed signs OF
weakening and my pistol refused to fire
the NTH time. 1t may have been be-
cause / didn't have strength enough
left in my finger to pull the trigger
but just about this time Blendine
went tumbling down the narrow steps.
l staggered behind him with Reece
at my heels. Blending, however, had
disappeared and didn't have strength
enough lett to follow him. With the
assistance of Reece / made my wav
TO the Gamewell box and reported tbe
shooting to Desk Sergeant McCooI
knowing that 7 had sbot -. - : =