Shot By His Own Pistol (Monday, July 01, 1901) Savannah Morning News Archives
Stephen Crawford Probably Fatally Wounded. Bullet Entered His Back. Fell From Street Car and Revolver Exploded In His Pocket. Peculiar Accident at West Broad and Bryan Streets, Which Will Probably Cost Young Man His Life -- A Passenger on a West End Trolley Car, He Fell on the Cobble Stones. Weapon Was in His Hip Pocket and the Hammer Struck the Ground -- Bullet Ploughed Upward and Made a Serious Wound -- Attending Physicians Hesitate to Probe for the Ball.

Stephen A. Crawford, of No. 507 Park Avenue, west, was accidentally shot, and seriously wounded, in a peculiar manner at West Broad and Bryan streets, about 11 o'clock last night. A ball from a 32-calibre revolver, which he carried in his hip pocket, entered his back and lodged somewhere in the abdomen. The wounded man suffered intensely until placed under the influence of morphine.

Crawford was first taken into Dukes' drug store, on the corner where the shooting occurred, and was later sent to the Savannah hospital in the police ambulance, which had been summoned by telephone. The man groaned continually and en route to the hospital he begged for some drug to deaden the pain, which he said was in his stomach.

Crawford was a passenger on Westend car No. 21, and signaled the conductor to stop at Bryan street. The car was going north and the passenger prepared to get off before the street was reached. The car had not yet come to a standstill when Crawford jumped to the ground. In some manner he lost his footing and fell backwards on the cobblestones. The fall was followed by an explosion and a cry of pain.

The streets were crowded with pedestrians, and several rushed to the man's side. An examination disclosed the fact that the hammer of his revolver had struck on one of the cobblestones, and caused a cartridge to explode. The ball entered the man's back, near his pistol pocket and ploughed upward, lodging at some point in the abdomen. The wounded man's suffering was intense. The police were at once notified of the shooting.

The car was stopped and the wounded man was taken into the drug store by the conductor and motorman. The trolley men remained with him until he was taken away in the ambulance. Those of Crawford's friends who learned of the incident anxiously inquired as to his condition. At an early hour this morning he was resting quietly, but no effort had been made to locate the ball. The physicians, after a consultation, decided to await further developments, before attempting to probe.

Crawford realized that he had been seriously injured and said in the ambulance that he would not live. It was with the greatest effort that he talked and then it was only to ask for some opiate. He could give no explanation as to how he fell, except that it was an unavoidable accident.

The young man in employed as a clerk in the liquor house of C.P. Connery, on St. Julian street, near the city market. He is well known and was an active applicant for a position on the police force several months ago. He was known to many members of the force, and on more than one occasion, in recent years, assisted the police and detectives in making arrests. It had been his habit to carry a revolver.
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Died From His Wound (Tuesday, July 02, 1901) Savannah Morning News Archives
Pistol Ball Caused Death of Stephen A. Crawford.

Stephen A. Crawford of No. 507 Park Avenue, west, died at the Savannah hospital yesterday afternoon from a pistol wound inflicted Sunday night under peculiar circumstances. The story of the shooting was given in the Morning News yesterday, and it was believed from the first that the wound would terminate fatally.

As has been related Crawford fell from a West End trolley car and a 32-calibre revolver in his hip pocket was exploded by coming in contact with a cobble stone. An investigation by Detective Murphy yesterday disclosed the fact that Crawford had been in the habit of carrying his pistol with the barrel sticking out of his pocket. In this way the peculiar manner in which the bullet intered the back and ranged upward was explained.

Coroner Keller made an investigation of the remains and the bullet was located in the abdomen. The statements of several passengers on the car, including the conductor and motorman, were taken and an inquest was deemed unnecessary. Crawford was a well known young man and had quite a number of friends who are grieved at his tragic death.