The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-01
HOMICIDE IN GO0sECREEK.


HOMICIDE IN GOOSECREEK.
A Colored Man Accidentally shot-haot
In the Country-Arrest OF the Parties
Implicated.
S. C. Brown and S. o. Virgins, two white
men, were brought to the city yesterday al
ternoon under arrest and taken before q trial
Justice on the charge of being implicated IN
the killing of a colored man named Tnarin
Grant, on last Monday, in st. James GOOSE
creek. From the afidavlts upon which Inc
prisoners are confined and their OWN state-
ments the following facts are taken: has'
Monday afternoon, about two O'Clock, brown
and Virgins, who are planting a place on
Goosecreek belonging to the Rev. MI. Miles,
went out shooting fish in the creek. Alter
they had been gone some time their powder
rave ont and they returned to the house for
more. While returning they met Grant and
talked with him some time, he Laughing with
them and claiming the load In the gun as his
own, az he had loaded 1t with his own ammu-
milton in Mr.. Wiggins's absence. The two
prisoners proceeded on their hunt and cap
tured a large fish. They then started oacA,
and the gun was placed in the bottom OF the
boat. They soon got back to where Grant was
sitting on the edge of the canal, ana broWn
states that he was busily pushing the boat
along when suudenly the gun was discharged
and he saw Grant double up and fall over.
Wlggins states that he had the gun, without
knowing it was loaded, pointed towards
Grant, who told him to be careful and hold
the muzzle down. he was doing this when
the piece was discharged. Virgins then
iunped out of the boat and waded to Grant,
put his arm around him and said, ''Oh, Grant,
you know it was an accident" Grant merely
said "Oh, my God, 1 am shot," and died al
most Immediately. The load of shot had gone
clear through his breast. The prisoners, see
ing he was dead, lett the body where 1t fell,
and, taking>a wagon at the house, drove 10
Porcher's Statiop,l on the Northeastern Rail-
road, for the purpose Of taking the train 10
the city and delivering themselves up to the
proper authorities. In the meantime the
body was found by some colored people, who
speedily spread the news abroad. The color
ed people were highly excited, and a large
crowd armed with guns, knives, poles, &C.,
started In pursuit of the prisoners. The lat
ter were found at the station, and were i'm
mediately taken into custody by the mob.
The more infurlated presented their guns
and knives, and wanted to kill the two
prisoners outright, but fortunately others
who were more moderate in their
views succeeded IN restraining the mob.
Surrounded by the crowd, the two white men
were then taken from the depot towards the
scene OF the accident. Their captors pressed
upon them on every side, and, while passing
through q field, Brown wes struck and KNOCK
ed senseless by a blow upon the back OF the
head. The crowd carried the men before the
father of the deceased Grant, and they here
stated how the killing had been the result OF
accident. The father heard their statement,
and must have beenpersuaded it was an acci-
dent, as for the time he was Judge and jury,
and any extreme sentence from him would,
douBIlessly, have been executed BY the inturl-
ated crowd. Yesterday morning the prisoners
were conveyed by their captors to the depot,
and brought under guard, to Charleston. as
first stated.
An inquest will probably be held over the
body OF Grant, and the prisoners are held to
await the result of the investigation