The shooting Cass.
--
Granville Montelle, charged with shooting Susan Hill, a free negro, near
Glenn &
Davis's brickyard, on Friday night last, was yesterday called before the
Mayor to answer the offence.
The wounded party was not in Court, her condition being too critical to permit her to appear.
The following is a summary of the evidence elicited:
--
Gilman, sworn.--Was standing in Susan Hill's yard on Friday night last, when Montelle passed by me and went into the house where Susan was; soon after heard one report of a pistol, and in a second or two after another.
Simultaneous with the second report Susan ran out of the door into the yard and disappeared around the house.
Montelle then came out, and jumping into a buggy which was standing at the gate rode off. He had a pistol in his hand.
There was with him when he first drove up another man, whose name I do not know; he did not go in the house.
I did not go into the house at all, nor did I inquire of Montelle anything about the shooting.
In the upper part of the house occupied by Susan there lives another negro woman; she was in the building at the time of the shooting.
Watchman
Fabius Hicks, sworn.--After lighting the lamps on Friday night, about 8 o'clock, my partner informed me that there had been some shooting going on at Susan Hill's house.
Went in search of her, and found her at a neighboring shanty lying on the floor on a pallet.
She said that Montelle had shot her, and, as he had threatened to kill her, she hoped she would not be left alone, as he might come in and execute his threats.
In a few minutes Montelle came in, and going to the wounded negro remarked, "Susan, what's the matter?" Her reply was she had been shot.
Montelle did not inquire who did it; but immediately asked for a drink of water, and then left the house.
As soon as I could get through with an engagement which I had I returned to where Susan had been first found, but she had been taken away.
With the assistance of some of the members of the night police I then went in search of Montelle, and succeeded in arresting him. He had a pistol in his belt.
Watchman
Perdue substantiated
Hicks's statement, and also testified that a negro woman occupying the same house with Susan told him Montelle shot her.
Henry Morse, sworn.--Saw Montelle when he drove up to Susan Hill's gate, and alighting from the buggy, go into her house; soon after heard two reports of a pistol, but did not know who did the shooting.
In a few minutes Susan ran out of the house, and, going around the back yard, jumped over the fence into the yard of another negro, into whose house she ran. Montelle then came out and rode off in the buggy which he came in. There was another man with him, but he did not enter the house.
John Switzer, sworn.--Was standing on the opposite side of the street from Susan Hill's house, when I saw Montelle drive up and go inside.
In a short while the firing took place, but do not know who did it.--Montelle soon afterwards came out and drove off. Another man was with him, but he did not go in the house.
Dr. H. W. Davis, sworn.--On Friday night Montelle called at my office and said he wished me to go to see a woman who had been shot.
Not feeling well, I at first declined to do so; but on his representing the case as one of a very serious character, and offering the use of his horse, I complied with his request.
Found the woman shot in the back part of the thigh; probed the wound several inches downwards, where I found the bullet lodged against the leg bone; extracted it, and after dressing the place left the house.
I inquired of Montelle how the shooting occurred, but he made no reply; do not consider the wound as necessarily serious.
At the conclusion of the testimony the
Mayor announced that he should send the party on to the Hustings Court for further examination.
An effort was made by prisoner's counsel to obtain bail, but His Honor refused to accede to it, and he was thereupon committed to jail till the sitting of the Hustings Court.
