Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-12-04
THE CONDEMNED PRISONER.

On Saturday last a representative OF the En-
QUIRER, accompanied by Major J. +. Hart, of
| counsel for Columbus Crawford, i'll Jail under
sentence of death for the murder of Ellison San
ders, visited the condemned man for the pur-
pose of receiving any statement that he might
see proper to make for publication. The prison.
er was led from his CELL on the third story Of the
Jail, to the ante-room on the same floor. He ap-
peared calm and collected. He is of medium
height, though stout and thckly set about forty
years of age and of light yellow complexion.
On the object of our visit being made known to
him by Major Hart he expressed his willing
ness to make Il statement. Major Hart admon-
ished him that he need entertain no hope of
clemency from any earthly power, and suggest
ed that the statement he was about to make
would probably be the last he would have the
opportunity of making before he ascended the
gallows, and as nothing could now be gained by
conceaing any facts, he advised him to tell all he
knew of the affair. The prisoner then made the
following statement which was tax Ell down sub
stantially in his own words:
T. Columbus Crawford, convicted at the Octo
ber term, 1884, of the Sessions Court of York
county, South Carolina, of the murder of Ellison
Sanders feeling that l cannot make my peace
with nv Maker, without first giving full
statement of my knowledge of the murder, make
the following statement. The statement | here
make is my most solemn asseveratiOn, and may
be the last public statement that Will ever have
to make.
On Friday, the Doth day of August, 1884, Eli
son Sanders waylaid Giles Good, when passing
on the road to jim Goods about three miles
below McNeels store in York county, and shot
at him, as was supposed, intending to kill him.
The ball graZed his forehead. Sanders was ar
rested and was examined before Trial Justice
Good on the 18th of September following and
was discharged. On the next day, Sunday the
18th, there was a religious meeting at Hopcwell
Church. Giles Good had also been arrested for
drawing a gun on Sanders, previously to San
ders shooting him. Good was under bond for
his appearance before trial Justice in Chester
county, the alleged offence having been COM
mitted in that county.
At Hopewell Church on the day above named,
the colOreu people there assembled were much
excited over the shooting of Giles by Ellison
and the fact that Ellison had been discharged.
The general sentiment as expressed among them
was that if the law would not punish him for his
crime the people should take hold OF 1t, as he
was deemed by the cOlored people OF the COM
mllnity to be Il dangerous man, and ought not to
meeting but went on to Chester next day ana
after examination before Trial Justice Darby
was committed to Jail for the offence of drawing
his gun on Sanders.
Wallace Reid and Ed. Tiglcr, Goods bonds
men, accompanied him to Baton Rouge, chester
county, and on the same evening Wallace Reld
sent for me to 70 to Giles Goods house TO see
him. On going there he said to me prlvatcly,
Cant we do something for this young man,
meanng Sanders) and not allow him to 20
about shooting people," He said that Giles had
asked him to see me, and he wanted 10 near
what had to say about it, as the law would not
do anything with Sanders, because we were all