The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-17
THE OIRCUIEICOURT.

to Agree. e..
On Thursday morning tho Court Of
General Sessions entored upon tho trial
of DR.. VIM. Il. Sykes for tho killing
Of Mr.. .Benjamin 5}rlgman in September
last. Tho State was represented by
Solicitor Galstoll a,id Messrs. Douglass
.pnd Ragsdale, and the defendant by
Col. James II. Rion and john Baus.
kett, Esq, of Columbia. Tho asfcnd.
ant being arraig,iod H. the usual form,
4e pleaded "Not guilty" After sew
.eral challenges the following jury, all
white, were :empaneled;: r., Wade
Drico (forcman), Joseph r. Wishctt,
John P. Jones', James ~. Jones, J. G.
Chappcll, Saml.. S. Coleman, John A.
Simpson, Leroy d. Black, Adolphlse
Whitonor, james NJ. higgins, Thomas
W. Robertson, Lloyd A. Davis.
The evidence for tho State was then
fadduccd, rs follows: ;:
George Brigham, sworn: Benjamin
Prigman was my brother. He was
killed. on the 2Yth of ScptcmbN last, il,
this county. bought two mules from
Dr. Sykes, on n contract. In July he
borrowed one, promising to bring it
back. He never brought it back. lie
put it in the pasture, AND it broke out
and came home, aud put il in tho
stable. I put her up, wrote him Il note
and told him that If he bad any claim
on the mule to lct's acttle it before q
trial justice. This was on a Sunday.
Dr. Sykes had my crop lcyiod.on--so
DIR. Edmunds.. told mo. On Wcdncs-
day Jimmie Sykes came to take the
mu lc. l said he, could not t&ke tho
mule that way. About midday took
the mule home. Wyatt Gibson told
,nc that his Pa told him that DR.. Sykes
had gono to Fiannigan's to get his gun,
and he was going TO have blood: Ben
and were picking cotton. J told him
the gun. 1. went down to the place
told me that Sykes was gone for his
gun and would have blood. at the
wagon in the :Reld I saw jim Sykes
Mrs. Sykes was with Dir. Sykes: she
sDo. Doctor, don't shoot; W It's my my
'mulc". l stopped. Bill Augustine
was Oil tho milic. iio got down, and
called mo tocomc down there. went
down to the wagon. When l got
there, DR.. Sykes says to Jim, eli n,
take that mule out Of that wagon", l
said, "No, Doctor, that's my mule".
JIG says, "God damn you, if you touch
that mulo, I'll shoot you". Mrs. Sykes
says, "Your mule! What have you
done to pay for a mulc?" Dr.. Sykes
says, "Jim, take the mule". l said,
'tIf you take it I'll indict you for it'.
lie says, "God damn you, indict".
Jim threw the gears Off the mule, and
started off. Augustine says, doctor,
that's my briCle-you can't carry oil
my. hridlc". Jim Sykes turned tho
mule loose, and started Towards me,
cursing, and drew his pistol. 1 turned
7pund to go for him, and as turned,
DR.. Sykes fired on Ben, who was in
ten steps of me when I turned. Ben
cried, "Ohl Lordw I went to him,
and Jim Sykes fired at him. got the
gun and didn't stop to cock it. ]
popped cap at Jim Sykes. Ilc had
fired ut me-. Dr.. Sykes, when Bon
fell, said, ''Now, damn you, bring q
gun to the ficd". Jim then got on tle
1pulc, aud the Doctor and his wife
went to where hs had the buggy
When Boii, was shot, he ii,d his gun
across his left arm, holding it near the
guard. He never raised it. lie had
just como up good and stopped, when
he WAS shot. He never shot. The
gun was never fired. Tho crop on the
land was. ~,ninc. I1and / had rented
J.was gathering the crop under direc.
tons Of shcriff's agent. The crop had
been levied upon by the sheriff. My
brother was nearly twcnty-sevcn years
old. lie had been married. His wife is
dead, but he left ope litlo child,
Cross-cxamined: I popped a'cap al
young Sykes. 1t was tho right hand
barrel. Don't know who put on tho
cap. Right barrel, WAS .loadod. After
rhat loaded the loft Barrel. / popped
cap Oh right barrel. Left was out o
nx. Sometimes it would fire both bar
rels at once. Made no use Of the lef>
barrel. loaded it 'that evening.
didn't know whom. ! might need IT,,
heard was tho one Sykes wanted tc
kill. Tho left. barxpl would shoot.
'am tho twin brother of dcceascd.
don't know Augustipc's age; he is
about my age, and my bfotlrcr-in-)aw
Nellie, tho gray mulo, was tho one Dr.
Sykes wanted. The other mule bought
from Sykes died. ! think l made this
same statement before tho coronor't
jury. I may have left out something
Redirect: Brother was shot in The
left breast. fle died in ten or tlftccl
minutes. This l(gun produced] is my
gun. Tho tubc is in tho same fix no"
as then. 80. a.
Rccross: My brother did not have
tho gun cooked.
John IL. Cooper, sworn: J. had tho
men Bon Brigham, George Brigham ant
Bill Augustine, and eighteen or twenty
hands employed In gathering tho crop
under tho shcrff's orders. [ ha(
weighed up some cotton, fixing t.
move to another place in the field. DR.
Sykes came up and said, elbow ar,
you, Jom?" Hc said, "I hate to I'm
terfero, but have come for my mlllo'
Augustine was on the mule. DIR
Sykes told his son, "Jimmic, take tha
,mule". Augustine said, II have nothing
to do with the mule, and hollercd to
George. George said, "Doctor, that
my mule, and I want it"--or some
thing like that. Mrs. Sykes said, "lt
my mule. After that, Jim Sykes hat
t@kom Ito mu!o ont of tho wagon an,