The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-28
WON A FATAL WAGER
GEORGE MONTGOMERY DRANK A
QUART OF WHISKY AND DIED.
BET A TEN CENT CIGAR
BUT RAW LIQUOR PROVED TOO
MUCH FOR HIS STOMACH.

Negro Well known in Police Circles
Had no Difficulty in GuIpinE Down
Full Quart of whisky at One
Time-VVas Smoking Cigar That
He Won When Death Claimed
Him-FOund on Sidewalk by PO-
lice. but Had Already Breathed His
Last.
In a drunken stupor, and smoking a
ten-cent cigar that he won on a wager
to drink a quart of whisky, George
Montgomery, a negro well known in
police circles, died on the sidewalk on
St. Julian and Montgomery streets last
night.
From all that the police were able to
learn, some one had doubted Montgom-
ery's thirst and offered him a ten-cent
cigar if he could sap up a quart of
whisky at one time. 1t was like find
ing money to the negro whose capacity
was questioned for the first time. He
was ready and anxious to tackle the
booze, not because he wanted the cigar,
but because he had a thirst that had
never been quenched.
a AudlL bOltlt VI Ai9hS VI ANNChA
birth was purchased in a neighboring
bar. and in the presence of several
persons George gulped It down. Nor
did he even make a rye face. He was
supremely happy as he left the bar
with a fine cigar and the reputation
that he had earned. He seated himself
on the sidewalk for the purpose of
h &c ai orar nd
passing patrolman to cart him off TO
the police station house.
Montgomery Died Happy.
But Montgomery died while he watt
ed. He was happy as the liquor trick
led down his throat and he was happy.
as far as he knew happiness, as he sat
in a drunken stupor with death hover
ing over him. Had he chosen the man
ner in which he wanted to die, it would
probably have been as it happened and
the usual grin was on his face when
he was found. Patrolman Douglas, on
his way to the Ocean Steamship Com
pany wharVes noticed the negro and
believed he was drunk. telephone
message was sent to police headquar-
ters for the patrol wagon and Patrol
man Meldrim was sent with it.
When the officer saw that the negro
was Montgomery he caught hold of
him for the purpose of lifting him into
the wagon, for Montgomery was never
made a prisoner when he was able to
walk to the patrol wagon. The officer
was startled to find that he had hold of
dead man. Coroner Keller was told
of the death from alcoholism and was
called upon for a certificate.
Montgomery was a well-known char
acter, and when not locked up for
drunkenness he worked around several
of the down town fruit stands. His
capacity for whisky was frequently
the cause of comment among the police
and his death was no more a surprise
than the Information that he had been
able to drink a quart of raw whisky.
No one who knew anything about the
negro would have wagered that he
could not drink a gallon.
Police Knew Him Well.
1t has been said around police head
quarters that Montgomery while in
helpless state of intoXication has made
a trip from West Broad street to
East Broad and back in a single night,
with the aid of uniformed men who
did not wish to lose sleep by appear
ing in Police Court in such a trifiing
case as one in which the prisoner was
charged with plain drunkenness.
One officer would drag Montgomery
from his division and leave him on
the division of another man. From
division to division Montgomery would
be moved without knowing it. only
TO be arrested by some man on the
first day relief who would have to be
patroling the street if he was not in
Police Court, and who did not mind
making an arrest of any sort.