The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-02
TIE NIX SHOOTING AFFAIR.
A Tempest In u feapot-fhe True Story of
tile "Tragedy.,
Special Dhpatch 10 Me s,etes and Courier.
l,tAcKyI1LE. 8. G. Sent o. 1870

the ,lleged conspiracy against Fred Nix.
Jr., recently appointed Post Master hero.
have earnestly endeavorod to get at the
iacts In tho case, approaching every one
| conversant with the affairs or supposed
to be. regardless Of color or politics.
| Against Nix's vague assertion that a
conspiracy was formed against him, II
| would be difficult TO procure rebutting
testimony, inasmuch as he names no
names and gives no dates. The principal
witnesses to the net, which Nix gives as
the consunmation OF the alleged conspi-
racy, arc Mr. Thompson OF this town, n
colorcd man named Ch'rolin, AMI an
| other named Robinson. Other parties
wcro present Immediately after the shoot
Ing, and tho testimony Of all, together
with that OF many citizens Of both colors,
confirms the following statement:
a. Luther Williams is young man,
probably about lS years old, tho son OF
Mr.. j. G. Williams, planter, living
about five r!ilcs from this place. Young
Williams, who Is not g voter, and thore-
fore takes little or no part I'm politics, was
arrested last year on the affidavit Of Nix,
pating In an attack upon him at q meet
ing during tho campaign of 1878. De.
spite all efforts 10 convince Nix of his
innocence, ho was forced TO give bond
and appear Mt tho sessions Of tho United
States Court In Columbia and Charleston.
v.
lie WAS promptly released upon the last
calling Of his caso, he proving incontcst-
ably that mt the time of the assault upon
Nix he was In Allcndnle, twenty miles
away.
This created n bitter feeling against the
negro, aud when they met here about u
month ago tho quarrel WAS renewed, aud
eliminated in Mr.. Williams striking him
several blows with Is bugg-' whip. On
that occasion Nix went he me, and 1t is
supposed armed himself, after which he
return"d and indulged In much gross
abuse of his assailant, insulting, taunt-
ing and dofying him in tho public streets.
This was month or more ago, and be-
fore there was the fnintost suspicion that
Nix was to stiperccio Miss Maher as
Post Master. The affrny of tho 10th was
evidently only continuation of this
| affairs.
On the day mentioned Mr. Williams
camc to town Oil business for his father,
| accompanied by cOlorcd laborer named
Dave Glover. His intentions seem ut
| frs: 20 have been pacific enough, as he
/ iIsposed of his revolver soon after his
arrival, Lending It to friend who was
| going to Barnwell. I can find no ono to
whom ho expressed tho slightest inton.
| tion Of interfering with Nix IN any way
| | suspect that ho was drinking during
the day. Several persons who saw him
!ln'noa:":3iy before and aftor tho firing
|
| considerably in their estimates Of the ex-
tent To which he was affected. During
tho afternoon ho entered a guiismith's
| shop ncar tho post ofllco, and almost op-
| posito to tho depot, and asked to borrow
Il pistol, stating that ho had loaned his
own, and folt AZ If ho should have ono.
Two hours afterwards he stood on the
| sido of tho broad street opposite tho
office, called Glovor, and Instructed him
TO go after tho mail. Glover crossed the
street and entered the post office, passing
Mr.. Thompson and Chisolm, who were
sitting on the steps OF tho piazza in front
or the door Mr.. Williams followed
Glover. giving the two good evening""
| and walked quietly in. In very few
| seconds shot was heard in tho office.
Mr.. Thompson and Chisolm roso and
Glover ran out of the door, with Mr..
Williams after him. Either ono or two
| shots, L could not certainly ascertain
| which, were fired from inside tho parti-
| ton. There is now bullet hole through
tho window opening from inside the lit
tic room formed by this partition, the
| ball that made 1t narrowly missing by
stnnder's head. This shot was undoubt-
edly fired by Nix, who had been heard
to exclaim something to the effect that
some fellow or "thut fellow" had shot
him. Williams walked from tho post
Office piazza to tho street, and along tlo
pavement towards the building in which
the gunsmith's shop, is located. about
twenty feet away. Nix mcanw lille had
gone TO the far end of his little apart
ment, passed through door In the parti-
ton opening into the main room OF the
post office, and walked out on the piazza
with his pistol in his hand. In reply to
question shouted by colored by
| stander, he said that he was shot, and
| fired at his antagonist, who was just
walking up the steps of tho other piazza.
Young Williams then drew his pistol,
and the two seem to have spent some
little time dodging about on tho two
piazzas trying to get shots at each other,
and exchanging hard words and def
ances. Quite crowd collected. Nix
called on no one for assistance, and no
one attempted to Interfere in any way.
A colored man on the piazza with VIII
liams called to Nix, Look out, Fred,
DR. It, don't shoot me-" to which Nix
replied, "Well, d-n you, keep out'r do
*syy, den" W!il!ams finally cd ont
| from his piazza, until he reached the
street, about opposite the door of the
post office. At about this time one of the
| town wardens, white man md n Demo-
crat, ran up, having dispatched q mes
| senger for the town marshal, soized Nix
| and ordered him to go inside the post
office, and atop the disturbance. Nix re-
| fused to go, wheroupon tho gentleman
ran over to young WilliamD, ard tocS
hold OF him, ordering him to desist.
"Af. w tiiaiuS Iepidceu MS pistol III ltS
case, stood a moment, and then ran to
his horse, mounted and rodo Off ct full
| speed. When near the corporate limits
he stopped, and remained there some
little time, while tho marshal, who had
| arrived, was laboring under tho dclusion
| that he had gono. Subsequently he rode
| around the town, and dashed down the
main street, finally disappearing on the
road to his homo. These facts are all un-
disputed, and, I believe. indisputable.
Regarding what took place Immediately
previous to tho firing of tho first shot,
there is conflict OF testimony. Nix's
statement has already been given.
called upon him for tho purpose of oh.
tanning further particulars of his side OF
the story. He came from within the par
ton aforementioned, (with his hand on
way,) and refused 20 say anything, re-
marking that tho ching was so shame
full he didn'C like to speak of it," or
something to that effect. He is a bull
necked, powerful looking darkey, hav-
ing mixture, SO am told, of low white
negro and Indian blood in his veins.
! visited young Williams ut his fathers
plantation and found him quietly at
work in the cotton-gin. He looks as lit
tic like murderer as any boy I ovor
saw, and with his fair complexion and
hair, blue eyes and perfectly smooth face,
tho National Republican outrage man him.
self would doubtless never suspect him
OF being A. Luther Williams, tho des-
perato executor OF the desperate design
OF desperate and bloody-minded conspi-
rators. Mr.. Williams states that he had
had difficulty with Nix on the same
day preceding the shooting, growing out
Nix, without authority. placed on one of
! mis- irttoru, do States TINT ON InaL Occn-