The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-29
GARR!TY SHOT
BY MIKE DRURY
NOT DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED.
sCAVENGER SUPERINTENDENT FIR
ED UPON BY FIREMAN.

men, But Only the Fatty FOrtloh
of stomach Was Penetrated ana
wound is Not seriOus-Garrtty
Had Been Told That Drury Said
He Was Going to Kill Him, Bur
He Did Not Think He Would
shoot.
John J. Clarity, superintendent OF
the city scavenger department was
shot by Fireman Michael J. Drury
shortly after o'clock last night, at
West Broad and Taylor streets.
The bullet entered the pit of the al
domen, but penetrated only a short dis
tance, and came out within an inch
of where it entered. Ninety-nine times
out of a hundred a shot in the same
place would be fatal. and Garrity's es-
cape from serious injury was by
narrow margin.
The two men clinched almost
simultaneously with the shot, and fell
over a barrel on the sidewalk. With
one hand on his adversary's throat and
the other on the pistol, Clarity held
Drury until Deputy Sheriff T. j. For
garty, who was present, got posses
sion of the weapon. Patrolmen Nc
Grath and Sims arrived about the
same time and also grabbed Drury.
How 1t Happened.
Clarity was sitting in a window with
his coat on his arm waiting for
street car and Drury was sitting on
barrel on the sidewalk, not more than
six feet away Immediately before the
shooting According to an eye wit
ness, Drury reached for his gun
at the same time getting up, and Gar
rity, who had been watching him, leap
ed for him. The shot was fired either
just before, or just as the men went
together
AS soon as others secured the gun
and took hold of Drury, Clarity re-
leased mis- hold and got into a cab
with Charles II. Levan and drove to
the Office of DR.. W. L. Fitch. There it
was learned that the wound was not
serious, and Clarity returned to the
scene of the shooting for his hat. He
afterwards went home in cab and DIR.
w. B. Crawford was summoned to
dress the wound. Only the fatty part
of the stomach was penetrated.
Were Talking Together.
Clarity and Drury had been talking
together not five minutes before the
shooting took place. On Tuesday night
Clarity had slapped the face of Jim
Drury, a II or 1S-year-old brother of
the fireman, and it was this that led to
the difficulty. Drury asked Clarity
about slapping the boys face. but the
statements of the two men differ as to
what was said. The shooting did not
take place until several minutes after
this conversation.
Drury was carried to the police sta
ton and locked up on a charge of as
sault with intent to murder He ap-
peared to have been drinking, but
seemed to know what he was doing
and saying. Just as he entered the
police station he asked to be allowed
to look at his pistol. and the officer,
who had it, broke it and let him look
at the shells. 1t was a 3S-calibre
weapon. Only one shot had been fired.
His face was bloody, where some say
he struck as he fell, though he says
Clarity stamped him after they fell.
Garrity's Statement.
Clarity. after reaching home, made
a statement of the affair to the Off
GERS and a number of friends. He said
that Jim Drury went to the Fogarty
home, next door to his house, on
Tuesday night and was disorderly
Young Drury had been running some
children and Clarity was called to the
house to put him out. He says he
slapped his face because of his con-
duct. An uncle of the young man aft
erwards came for him and carried him
home, Clarity says, and there was no
trouble at all about 1t.
Dan Kelley, Clarity says, went to
him yesterday and told him that Mike
Drury had said he was going to kill
him before he went to bed. Clarity
says he did not think Drury would
shoot him. He was not armed last
night. He says when Drury approach
ed him and asked him about shaping
his brother he explained exactly how
II was, and that Drury did not do any
thing. He was sitting in the window,
he states, when he saw Drury reach
for his gun and he then leaped at him.
He says he grabbed the pistol and held
it SO that he would not be shot again.
Drury Rather Retfcent.
Drury did not have much to say
about the shooting When he first ar
rived at the police station, he refused
TO make any statement at all and ask
ed for cup of coffee. An hour and
a half later when he was seen, he
wanted to know what Clarity had to
say about it before he would say
anything.
HE made for me and / shot him, -
he said
AS to the conversation he had with
Clarity, Drury says Clarity told him
he had slapped Jim's face and would
slap any of his kin people. He says
Clarity started for him and that he
fired. They fell over the barrel and he
says ne was stamped in the face.
An Eye witness Talks.
Charles Fl. Levan, who was sitting
in the window with Clarity says
there was not a word spoken before
the shooting. He had called Clarity
over to the window to talk with him
and Drury was sitting on a barrel a
short distance away
Il saw Clarity watching him, though
/ didn't know then that he had been
told that Drury had said he was go
ing TO kin him." said Levan. when
Drury went to pull his pistol Gar
rity made for him. The shot was fired
just before. or just as Clarity got
him with one hand on his throat and
one on the gun. Clarity threw
him over the barrel. and Fogarty grab
bed the gun. ! grabbed Garrity and
made him get into a cab. and we
drove to the Doctors. II Clarity had
not been nervy he would have beer
killed. As we got I'm the cab Gar.
rity said, Thank God, l was facing
him."
Drury Was Suspended.
Fire Chief Mcguire said last night
that Drury had been suspended from
the department in the morning. Tues.
day was Drury's day or, and he failed
10 show nm Wednesday r,ornfur