The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-18
DESPERATE FIGHT
WITH PRISONER
C0NNELLY LANDED NEGRO.
ON HUNT FOR MEN WHO RoBBED
HERNDON POSTOFFICE.

| Ohicer Was Convinced That IshmaeI
Brown, CoIOred, Was One of Of
tenders and Located Him at Saw
miII-PrisOner Asked to BE Allow
ed to Go Home for CIOthing-Aft-
er Leaving House He Turned On
Sergt. Connolly, who ChOked Him
Down.
Bruised, bitten and bleeding, yet
with the satisfaction of landing his
prisoner, Sergt. Joseph NJ. Connolly
of the Ocean Steamship Company
force returned last night from Hern-
don, bringing with him Ishmael
Brown, wanted on a charge of break
ing into the railroad station and post
office at Herndon.
The negro was brought to Savan-
nah because no justice of the peace
could be found to take charge of him.
1t is thought that three or four other
serious charges will be brought against
the prisoner.
Sergt Connolly was at Egypt when
the message came to go to Herndon
to investigate the case, and he was
consequently without handouts. He
left Monday night and began his in
designations Tuesday morning.
He soon ascertained that Brown and
other negroes had been seen hanging
around the town and after some
search found that the negro had gone
| to Midwife and was working some
| where on the Swainsboro road. The
! negro final IU 1Oao Cd af s-ox
and arrested.
Was Only "A Ruse.
At first the negro submitted quietly
and when he asked the officer to allow
him to go to his home and get some
| clothes his request was granted. 1t
| turned out later that the scheme was
| to escape.
1t was after they had left the house
that the struggle began. The negro
| jumped on Sergt. Connolly, who choked
| him to the ground. The performance
was repeated and at the third attempt
| the officer drew his pistol, but found
that it would not work. He then club
bed it and used it on the negro's head.
In the desperate contest which en-
sued, and as the officer and prisoner
| fought over the revolver, the officer
was bitten three times by the negro,
had his eye nearly gouged out, besides
| getting numerous bruises about the
neck and breast.
When the police sergeant finally
rounded up his prisoner at the railroad
station he was drenched with blood
and his clothing had been torn and dis
| arranged. So strong was the feeling
provoked by the. appearance of the Of
f1cer that there was talk of lynching
the negro, though nothing came of il.
story of the Fight.
At his residence No. 447 Montgom-
cry street, Sergt. Connolly was seen
by a representative of the Morning
News. The officer had treated his in
juries and salved his bruises, and
though worn by his long fight talked
| fully of the incident.
1T was the first contest of the kind
1 ever had" said Sergt. Connolly, "and
l hope it will be the last. 1t seemed
at one time as if 1 would be overpow-
cred.
The negro was arrested at a saw
mill and came along without resist
ance. He asked to be allowed to go to
his home and get some clothing.
| Though this was two miles or more out
| of the way l consented to accommo-
| date him.
When we got there the negro got
churlish and would not take anything
except a wool shirt which he wanted
me to carry OF course, declined, and
! he threw the shirt back We then
| started out to the station, and had
only gone a short distance through a
| field when he turned on me.
Il choked him to the ground and
let him up. He came again and l
treated him to the same medicine.
When he came back l drew my pis-
tol which was my only weapon. 1t
| failed to discharge and the negro tried
to close in.
Struggle for Revolver.
81 saw there was nothing but
hand-to-hand encounter and for TWEEN
ty-five minutes we struggled. The ne
gro begged me to kill him and then
to take him back home and kill him.
Once my gun fell and he fought to get
it, but failed. He then called loudly
for his mother, who finally heard him.
When she came she took sides with
me and told her son to go on without
trouble.
Two white men came up about this
time. but would not assist me. One
OF the men had reared the negro and
was called on by him to help.
THE negro finally grew a little weak
err and 1 was able to throw him down,
and his mother helped me to tie his
hands. In this way we marched to the
station. When we got to Herndon the
people were so indignant that they
talked of treating the prisoner rough
ly.
Brought to This City.
"As there was no justice of the
peace at Herndon that 1 could find
decided to bring the negro to Savan-
nah, as there were other charges
against him"
In the matter of the robbery at
Herndon ii has snot been decided
whether the postoffice money was
taken or merely the money from the
station till. In the former event the
federal officers will take cognizance of
the case, which has not as yet been
reported to them. 1t is known that
the negro had a number of pennies
after the robbery which he said he
won In gaming.
acknowledgements TempIar-odd