The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-12
FOUR TO ANSWER
FOR JONES' DEATH
FOR CHRISTMAS KILLING
OF WILLY JONES, FOUR NEGROES
WE'RE INDICTED BY GRAND JURY.

Shooting Occurred at West Broad
and Gwinnett Streets and Was
Without PrOvOcation Negroes
Shot at White Man who Pursued
Them-DIand Later Made Confess
sion to POlice-Henry Martin In
dfcted for Murder of Tebe Gard
ner at Snyder.
For the murder of Wylly Jones, COL
ored, Walter Lloyd, Willie Jenkins,
Willie Bland, alias Rabbit" and Will
lie Ferrebee, all colored, must stand
trial before the Superior Court. In
dictments charging them with murder
were returned yesterday by the grand
jury
The murder of Jones was, from the
evidence, unprovoked. The four ne
groes indicted had been skylarking on
Christmas night with a revolver, own
ed by Walter Bagnen of No. sos Oak
street. At the fruit stand on West
Broad and Gwinnett streets the party
met Jones and after few words be-
gan firing at him. The first shot was
fired at his feet, but one of the others
was shot directly at him. The bullet
entered the left breast near the heart
and Jones died almost instantly.
The negroes started to run and were
followed for short distance by a
white man, Mr.. j. p. Wise of Stilson
The fleeing men turned and fired at
their pursuer and this had the effect
of stopping him. Shortly after all of
the men, with the exception of Lloyd,
surrendered to the police.
At first the men agreed on a story
which gave every evidence of having
been concocted for the occasion. This
placed the blame for the shooting up
on Lloyd, the only member of the
party who was missing. The story
told by Ferrebee and the others was
that Bland fired the first shot at
Jones feet. Lloyd then repeated the
act, firing twice at his feet and then
directly at him. This story was agreed
in in every particular by the other two
men.
Broke Down Under Examination.
Under a severe cross-examination,
through which each of the prisoners
were put separately, the men broke
down and told different stories. All
agreed, however, in fixing the blame
upon Lloyd, who had not yet put in
an appearance. Later Bland admitted
having fired two shots, one of which
was fired to frighten Jones, and the
other at Mr.. Wise, to avoid being
taken prisoner. The confession was
made to Detective Murphy, and after
wards reduced. to writing.
On the second day after the shoot
ing, the same on which Bland con-
fessed to having fired two shots, an
found hu tho Yanlira
who positively identified Bland as the
slayer of Jones. At the coroner's in
guest a surprise was sprung when Mr..
Wise positively identified Willie Jen-
kins as the one who fired the fatal
shot. The coroner's jury held Jenkins,
Lloyd, Bland and Ferrebee as RESPONSE
BILE.
On the day following the inquest
Lloyd came into the city and surren-
dered himself to the police. He adj.
mitted firing the revolver twice, but
claimed that both were fired at Jones
feet and could not have inflicted the
fatal wound.
Second Indictment for Murder.
Besides the Indictment of the all
legged slayers of Jones, an Indictment
was found against Henry Martin,
charging him with the murder of
lobe Gardner. Gardner was badly
beaten about the head with a blunt
instrument at Snyder, on the Seaboard
Air Line, on the night of Jan. 81.
Gardner was brought to Savannah
on the day following and taken to
the Charity Hospital. Everything pos
sible was done to save the life of the
injured man, but he died on Feb. T.
Evidence duplicating Martin was found
and this proved sufficient to hold him
for trial.
Besides the two indictments for muir
der, indictments were returned as fol-
lows:
State against NJ. H. Fulton, larceny
after trust. Fulton is accused of hav-
ing spent $14.10 entrusted to him and
the property of the Atlantic Coast
Line.
State against Gebert Jackson, lar
ceny after trust. ]. S. Frankling is
the complainant and SO is the amount
alleged to have been misappropriated
Fred Salfelder was indicted for lar
ceny after trust. The sum of $50, the
property of the Southern Mercantile
Company, is alleged to have been spent
for the defendants own purposes.
William Brown was indicted for rob-
berry. Brown is accused of obtaining,
through force and intimidation, rs