The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-24
SHOT DEAD FROM AMBUSH.
CONTINUED from Twelfth Page.)

roadside. No one had a suggestion
to offer, and all were standing around
discussing the matter, without any .ap-
parent idea of what was the best thing
TO do.
AS soon as the train stopped Deputy
Sweeny and his posse went right to
work. Lanterns and torches were Sc
cured, SO as to locate the exact spot
where the shots were supposed to have
been fired from, and the dog was put
on the scent For half an hour the
work of searching for the trail was
kept up before the bloodhound gave
voice and lights were extinguished.
The Chase Begun.
off through the swamp the dog start
ed, giving voice at intervals of a min
ute. The posse was, in pursuit, and
were able to keep within hearing. The
dog circled the swamp and came back
to the starting point, where the trail
was lost.
After an hours futile effort to take
up the trail again it was decided to
abandon the hope of trailing the as
sassin with the dog. The section
hands were summoned and closely ex-
amined. They all told the same story.
None of them had seen the man who
fired the gun. They were working
when they were alarmed by the first
shot. They had been warned to stop
work and they were afraid. AS soon
as the first shot was fired four of
them took to their heels, and the fifth
was soon following in their wake.
Saw Man with n Gun.
James Larkin said he had seen a man
standing in the road about 200 yards
from the railroad shortly after 1 O'Clock
He could not say whether he was
tryhf 70 ~ Or ho ba
a gun and was dressed in overalls. He
took no particular notice of him. The
same man was seen by an old negro
who was hauling crossties. None of the
section hands heard Mr.. Murray make
any outcry when he was shot,
Told Murray to- BE Careful.
An old negro man named Scott, who
has been in the employ of Mr.. F. NJ.
Murray, the father OF the murdered
man, told young Murray day before
yesterday that he had better be careful
This old negro could not be found, but
it is believed that he will be able to
give the officers a valuable clue.
Trainmen on No. So in the morning
said that a negro wearing overalls had
been put off the train Just this side of
Fleming because he was known to be
one of the delegates who was going up
the line melting the road hands to
strike. This clue win be followed and
an effort will be made to trace this
man and his movements during the day
He is known to the officials
After the investigation no one was
held in suspicion. and it is not even
known whether the murderer was one
of the strikers or not. 1t Is believed
that the person who committed the
murder had no intention of killing Mr..
Murray. The size of the shot. and the
way in which the crime was committed
would bear out this theory
The shot with which Mr.. Murray was
shot We're what are known as BIB size.
just a little larger than squirrel shot
and unless shot into a man at close
range they will not ordinarily produce
death. From this it is believed that
had the person who killed Mr.. Murray
meant to murder him he would either
have secured a Winchester rifle, or
have loaded his gun with buckshot or
s.u=s.
Murder Was Not Planned.
Another fact in support of this the
ory is that no person could have hoped
TO have gotten close enough to Mr.
Murray to kin him with a load OF such
small shot, and il was. the merest ac-
cident that he went into the woods at
that particular time and in that par
ticular direction. II is believed that
the assassin went to the SPOT where
Mr. Murray and his gang were at work
with the intention of firing load Of
small shot az them and frightening
them into joining the strikers. When
Mr. Murray approached the tree be-
hind which the man was concealed he