A Fatal Mistake.
Victor Phillips, Formerly of Galveston, Enters the Wrong House in Atlanta.
MISTAKEN FOR A BURGLAR.
The Owner Shoots Him Through the Heart. Phillips Was Drunk at the Time. Relatives in This City.
Chief of Police, Walter C. Jones, received the following telegram yesterday:
Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 18.-Walter C. Jones, Chief of Police: Victor Phillips was killed here Friday. Particulars by mail.
A.B. CONNOLLY, Chief of Police.
Mr. Jones at once notified Mr. W.J. Burk, who runs an art store on Market, between Twenieth and Twenty-first. Mr. Burk married a sister of Phillips. Phillips was born in Galveston and lived there all his life. He left here about two years ago for Atlanta and has been there ever since. His mother resides in Germany. Up to the time of leaving Galveston he conducted a book and stationery store on Market street.
The following account of the killing is from the Atlanta Constitution of last Saturday:
"Victor Phillips, manager of the Gridiron restaurant on Wall street, at the corner of Lloyd, wandered into the house of T. E. Hamilton, a car conductor, on Fitzgerald street, early yesterday morning, and was shot to death for a burglar by G. W. Pritchett of Henry county. Phillips was drunk at the time and undoubtedly entered the house through mistake. The shooting was declared justifiable by a coroner's jury, the evidence showing that the drunken man was taken for a burglar and was shot by reason of his failure to explain his presence in the house when called to by Pritchett. Pritchett regretted the tragedy, but felt that he was not to blame for it. Phillips doubtless believed that he was entering his own home at 99 East Ellis street. He was drinking heavily and in his wanderings ambled into the Hamilton yard, and finding the door unlocked, entered the house. He made considerable noise tramping around in the vestibule and Pritchett got his pistol and called to the unknown man in the house to explain his presence there, but no response came. Pritchett called the second time and Phillips mumbled something about the house being a two-sided one. He did not know what was being said to him and he continued to grope about in the dark. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton reached a door leading to the vestibule about the instant that Pritchett appeared in another door on the opposite side of the vestibule. Pritchett raised his pistol and fired in the glare of a light from a match struck by one of the women at the instant.
"Just as the flash of the shot lighted up the small room Hamilton rushed forward with a chair in his hand and brought it down heavily on the head and body of Phillips. The drunken man reeled and fell to the floor, the pistol ball having entered his heart, which with the terrific blow struck him by Hamilton, ended his life without pain. As he reeled and started to fall the dying man gasped for breath and uttered the words "Hold Up!" The police was notified of the tragedy and at 3 o'clock yesterday morning Officers Brenning, Hamilton, Abbott and Lewis arrested Prtichett and took him to police headquarters, where he was detained under guard until Coroner Paden released him after the inquest. Phillips has been a resident of Atlanta for some time. He was formerly a steward at the Aragon hotel, leaving there several weeks ago to accept a position with Cook & McBurney, proprietors of the Gridiron restaurant, he being the manager of the place.
"Phillips was last seen by his employers about 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon. He left the Gridiron at that time, telling Miss Lulu Chapin, the cashier, that he would return in fifteen minutes. He was drinking at the time and failed to return, having been relieved from duty for the day. He had been working day and night for two days and it is supposed by his employers that that fact, together with his having been in a state of worry about his wife's health, caused him to get drunk. His wife is sick at the Grady hospital and Phillips feared that she would not survive an operation which was to be performed. She had not been informed of the death of her husband last night. Phillips lived at the number stated on East Ellis street, and how he wandered out on Fitzgerald street, a dozen or more blocks away, is a mystery to his friends. He was about 35 years old and had a wife and child, a little girl 9 years old."
Source: The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, Texas, Tuesday, November 19, 1895; Pg. 8, Columns 5 & 6
