The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-30
ONE PATROLMAN
KILLED ANOTHER
WHILE BOTH WERE ON DUTY.
r. o. ZIPPERER WAS SHOT AND
KILLED BY w. G. GOODMAN.

Held In the County Jail to An
sver That Charge-ShOOting Grew
Out of n Dispute over "A Trivial
Matter-Omcer MaIphus Had just
Separated Them When the Shot
Was Fired.
While both men were on duty Pa
trolman E. o. Zipperer, of the Union
Station force, was shot and fatally
wounded by Patrolman w. c. Good
man, of the city force, at the Union
Station, about Ills O'Clock yesterday
morning.
The wounded man died in the police
ambulance a half hour later, just as
his home was reached, and a coroner
jury last night declared the killing to
be murder.
Mounted Patrolman c. NJ. Malphus
Had just separated the two officers
when the shot was fired. He grabbed
Goodman's pistol and placed him under
arrest, as Zipperer fell to the pave
ment. The shooting took place in the
! driveway at the Union Station at a
busy hour in the morning, and caused
a great deal of excitement A large
crowd soon gathered and several physi-
clans were hurriedly summoned. 1t
was seen at once that there was no
chance for Zipperer to recover, how
ever. The bullet entered the right
breast and was from a 38-caliber re-
volver
Cause of the Shooting.
The cause of the killing was a trivial
dispute in regard to the duties of the
officers at the Union Station. They
were talking about the negro drum
mers for hotels and boarding houses
that hang around the station, and
Goodman told Zipperer he had no
sense.
Zipperer replied that he had as much
as Goodman. and Goodman answered
he didn't any such thing" The
| men then grabbed hold of each other.
Malphus, who was present during the
entire affair, separated them and step
ped in between them. The shot was
fired Immediately after they were sep
arated, the bullet passing close to NAL
phus, who was between them.
Statement by MaIphus.
Mounted Patrolman Malphus seems
TO be the only witness who was pres
ent from the beginning to the end of
the difficulty and heard the conversa-
ton that led to the shooting. Mounted
Sergeant Davis, Malphus, Goodman
and Zipperer had met in the driveway,
according to custom for the patrolmen
to meet the street sergeant SCRIPT.
Davis was present when the dispute
started, but left before there were any
indications that anything serious was
going to happen.
To the coroner's jury, which met last
night at o'clock at the office of Coro-
ner Keller, Patrolman Malphus made
| the following statement:
1T happened under the driveway at
the Union Station about Ill O'clock
Mr.. Zipperer, Mr.. Goodman and myself
! all met Sergt. Davis there. Mr. Good
| man and Mr.. Zipperer were discussing
| about two negroes, who drum around
! the depot, and who have recently been
arrested. Sergt. Davis engaged in the
| conversation and told of an experience
he had had several years ago when he
was approached by several negroes.
Each UnbuttOned COas.
HE had just rode away and Good
man and Zipperer kept on discussing
the matter after the sergeant left.
| Zipperer claimed that they were a
great annoyance to passengers, and
| Goodman didn't seem to see it that
way
He said as long as they didn't block
the sidewalk he wouldn't interfere with
| them and Zipperer said he would
| drive them away, or send them to the
| station. Goodman told Zipperer in
the conversation that he had no sense,
and that he wouldn't do that Zip
perer told him he had as much as he
did and Goodman said he didn't any
such thing.
They were standing very near to-
gether at the time, the three of us
right together. About that time each
| caught the others collar and pushed
each other back, Zipperer telling Good
man at the same time to take his hands
off him. AS they stepped apart each
| unbuttoned his coat. Goodman drew
his pistol and Zipperer rev his club
from his left hip pocker
Told to stop Nonsense.
when they commenced to unbutton
their coats, stepped in between them
and told them to quit their nonsense
and not make fools Of themselves. AS
soon as Goodman drew his pistol he
fired.
1T was all done as quick as a wink
l grabbed the pistol as soon as ii was
fired. | was standing near enough ia
grab 1t without getting out of my
tracks. We scufIfed for probably half
a minute and finally he gave it to me
| 'Zipperer staggered back and fell al
the crack OF the pistol. When l got
the pistol away from Goodman / saw
| Zipperer's pistol exposed in his right
| hip pocket, barrel up and butt down
and took the pistol out OF his pocket
"Oh, Lord, My Wife,"
Il carried Goodman over to the box,
and while waiting for the wagon some
one gave me the club that l recog-
nized as the one Zipperer had drawn
i turned Goodmans pistol over to
the sally port man, and / turned Zip
perer's pistol and club over to the SUI
perintendent of police. The only thing
l heard Zipperer say after the shot
was: oh, Lord: my poor wife and
childreni"
IN reply to a question from a Juror.
Malphus said zipperer did not try 10
strike Goodman. and that he was NOT
In striking distance when the shot was
fired. He also said Zipperer fell with
the club IN his hand.
W. T.. Combs Of Lakeland. Fla. was
the second witness examined at the in
quest. He said.
\ Strangers Testimony.
This morning between II and 1890
/ O'Clock I walked out ln the driveway
al the Union Depot and WAS sitting on
I the steps. ] noticed three officers
I Standing there AZ the time I didn't
pay any attention 10 the conversation
az they were not talking very loud
/ The only word that I did hesr dis
| tinctly WAS what ana the next thing
| WAS 40 1 didn't YnfnH 90. ..a O.. fi