The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-11-10
coroner's inquest Over Warren Williams.


Warren Williams:
&c. Carlisle sworn-says: Am q prec.
ticing physician, graduate of New York
College; was in Mrs. Cromer's house on
! Tuesday, day of election; heard a noise
went TO window; saw nine or ten men
coming down road by Cromer's Clubhouse
got my hat and came down to road; the
men had passed Will Jackson's house; One
or two were in road opposite store; I ran
to viii Jackson's house; saw man there
with pistol in hand on horseback saw N.
NJ. Buford holding bride, reins of two
horses, calling or those men to stop row
saw other men doing same as Buford; men
stopped, and w. thought we bad stopped
the fuss cne man wheeled OF his horse
and rode towards well, and others followed
as if row vas stopped; l went towards Mrs
Cromers house; one Of the parry dis
mounted, and begged him to stop this
matter: begged hn to get boys to stop
fuss; he raised pistol and said would see
what l would get. Saw four men at we'll
where there was confusion-not so very
great; saw one rock, size of double fist, fall
over into road within twenty feet Of tho
four men alluded to; saw rock fall in ten
feet Of same party-both rocks coming
South from Cromers well; just after wards
heard three or four pistol shots; don't
know who did the shooting; sll was over
in one or two minutes. was ordered BY
Buford into line to stop fuss and resist
these men did fall into line. These par.
ties went up the road there vas firing from
these parties and from parties on the South.
erybody here regrets the difficulty. Heard
many white men say, "Shoot the rowdies".
Outcry in ten minutes, somebody killed" :;
I asked who; nobody knew afterwards
heard it was Warren Williams; went to the
body, and left; went 10 the well, and col.
ored man banned Lewis Holman said he shot
FIRST and he began and repeated twice. Said
J. R. Swindler, Dr., shoot them or stop them.
Swindler and several men Of this precinct
had guns and pistols in line to stop row.
Never saw more quiet election up to time
OF disturbance. knew the secrets. of the
campaign, and no man knew Of the coming
Of the rowdes nor the men who indu!ged
in the row; thought it WAS party on frol-
ic. Instructions were to keep the peace,
which Was done until the, disturbance :;
many white men ran risk of their lives in
trying to stop it; two men had their hands
badly hurt trying TO stop it; one white
man said that he got lick on his head from
one Of those rocks. Votes had pretty well
been cast at time of,row. Great confusion
prevailed. The last shooting from these
parties was from gin-house. 1t was impos-
sible to have shot deceased from either
we'll or giD-house. Ali arms here were for
seli.protection had been informed there
would be attempt to take box. Asked two
colored men 10 keeping peace they prom
ised to do it. 1t was proposed by Repub-
licans that he and another would put card
in papers approving conduct Of whites at
this box. Fifty or seventy-6ve in road
when party came up, and refused to give
road. All was pleasant up to difficulty.
R. G. CARLISLE.
Samuel Atchison, sworn-says: Was
here on election day. All was quiet till
some unknown parties came dashinG up in
noisy way. All Of US, as general thing, at
once tried to stop thenl-aud l thought
had stopped them, when they dashed up
towards the well, where was crowd o!
colored people; then shooting began.
grabbed .ne of their pistols and tried to
take it away, and hurt my hand so I let ii
60; he threatened TO shoot me. We quiet
ed them again. and they weptto gin-house;
then there was firing from gil-house and
also from the back of the gin by other par
ties than the unknown party. Was order
ed out by Capt. Buiord to keep the peace
and there ended difficulty. Don't know
who shot Warren Williams could moi
nave been shot from gin-house, and there
are houses between we'll aad where body
lay dead. Lewis Holman said he shot
twice from behind we'll asked me if they
did not shoot first. Guns were here to keeI
peace, and heard before that box would be
taken BY Republicans. l was Marshal o.
the day, and knew the intention was tc
keep peace. S. L. ATCRlSON.
Dr.. W. N. McCarley, being swop-says
I certify, to the best Of my Knowledge, tha
the deceased, Warren Williams, came to hi!
death by d gunShot wound, entering tht
mouth at the right side, breaking out tooth
| then ranging upward and backward, sever
| ing several blood vessels, and lodging neal
the base of the brain iust above the Sphenoi(
bones, and was sufficient to be fatak
W. II: MoCARLEY, N. D.
Milton Sanders, sHorn-says: Was her,
on election day; saw crowd CT red shirt mer
come up with sticks and begin to beat col
ored man; next saw one Of them shoot
great deal of shooting done; don't know
whether any shooting was done from 10
where colored men were; saw one red shir
! man in the lot. All quiet till this party CAM
up. Do not know any of the party who cam'
up. White men here dio their best 10 keel
the peace. Williams was dead when I sa7
him. know the red shirt men who came
here do not live about here. Williams had {
little stick in his hand all day. Saw a roct
thrown-don't know who threw it.
bis
MILTON X SANDERS.
mark.
Lewis Boyd, sworD-says: Vas at Gro
mer's Store on Tuesday last. Everything
went we'll till 12 o'clock, when ! saw SOM
men coming down road; one of the men hi
me twice with stick. Did not expect an,
diff lculty on that day. He passed, and
went into store; he went to we'll aud hi
others with stick, and shooting began. D.
not know who hit me. When shooting be
gan rau, Us did many others. Saw Warrel
Williams fall. Large crowd Of colored mel
about we'll. Saw one man fall-don't knou
whether it was Warren Williams. I saw
what I did from window in store. Saw whit
men here trying 10 stop difficulty. Bufort
caugh: bride Of one, and club was draw
on him. Saw three white men that I knew
trying to stop the row. Do not know any o
them. Am sixty years old, and it is strange
I do not know any Of them:
LEWIS ~ 4 BOYD.
Thomas F. Ray. sworn-says: Was her
on election day; saw crowd with sticks cou.
ing; crowd from here caught their brides Il
stop them, and thought had done so whe,
crowd rode up to we'll, and shooting began
and saw two rocks thrown from we'll toward
storehouse. Eight or ten Of these parties
! Did not look for dificulty-was surprised
Warren Williams was Killed. Great Difficult
, ty to tell who shot him, on account Of ex
! element Was ordered by Capt. Buford 4
get gan and stop difficulty, and hurt m,
hand in so doing. Pretty much all whit
men and some colored men engaged In re
sisting parties. All quiet between the race
up TO time of row. Do not know cause 0
trouble. Dou't know that party lives ebou
| here THOS. F. Ray.