Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-16
THE GALLONS.


Crawford, colored paid the penalty OF foul and
cowardly MURDER committed in the southwest
ern part of this county, near the dividing line
between York and Chester, on Sunday night the
5th of last October, his victim being young
colored man named Ellison Sanders.
On the following day number Of colored men
of that neighborhood, among them Columbus
Crawford, were arrested on suspicion. Two in
quests were held, one on the 9th and the other
on the Sth. The testimony elected at the in
quests was deemed by Trial Justice Good, acting
as coroner, sufficiently strong against Columbus
Crawford to warrant him in committing Colum-
bus to Jail, while all the others suspected were
discharged This evidence, which was substan-
tally the same as that produced on the trial,
which was held in the Court of Sessions on Sat-
urday the 1st day of November following, was
TO the effect that feud existed between Giles
Good. colored, and the deceased Ellison Sanders,
and a prosecution was brought up in Chester
county bv Ellison against Giles, resulting in the
committal of Giles to the Jail of Chester county.
The charge against Giles, we believe, was lar
cenv. The term of Chester Court was approach
ing, being only eight days subsequent to the
date of the killing Giles Good and Columbus
Crawford were friends. They had held in
terviews after Giles was committed to jail
and it was proved that Columbus had said, after
one of these interviews, that if he could put
Ellison Sanders and two others out of the way,
Giles Good would "come clear" This declara-
ton of Columbus Crawford sworn to by a color
ed woman named Sylvia Thomson, was relied
upon by the State as the motive of the accused to
commit the murder. Other testimony offered by
the State. showed the following facts: The hon.
icjde was committed about four hundred yards
beyond the house of Columbus Crawford. The
shot was fired from the bush. The deceased was
at the time with three other colored men, the
four walking on the wagon road leading through
the plantation. They were walking in disorder
as follows: Oliver Robbins, first; Wilson Rob-
bins, Jr, second; deceased, third; and Junius
Thomson, fourth. 1t was on bright moon light
night, and the three men testified that the per-
son who fired the shot, who was squattlng IN
the bushes, jumped up and ran. They pursued
him. and Oliver Robbins swore that in the pur-
suit, as the assassin ran one way, and he another,
thew met face to face, and he was thus enabled to
identify Crawford.
The defence relied upon the following testi-
mony: There were two inquests. At the first,
held on the 9Th of October, Oliver Robbins swore
positiyely that the assassin was Columbus Gram
ford. On being pressed Tin this same examina-
tion) he modified his statement by saying that
he could not swear positively that it was Colum-
bus Crawford who fired the shot, but he was
satisfied that it was he On the same inquest,
Wilson Robbins, Jr swore that he believed the
murderer was Columbus Crawford, but he could
not swear positively, nor could he swear that the
one who tired the shot was a white or a colored
man. On the second inquest, held on the oth,
all three of the witnesses swore positively that
the murderer was Columbus Crawford; and on
the Sessions trial they swore the same.
On the trial, Junus Thomson excused himself
as to his testimony on the first inquest, because,
he said. he had been advisedby Mr.. Jason Jones,
Jr.. to be careful how he charged Columbus with
the crime before Columbus was put under arrest,
the reason assigned for this advice being that
Columbus was dangerous, desperate man. Mr.
Jones verified this statement.
The prisoner sought to establish an ahoa by
proving that at the time the shot was fired he
was in his yard, sitting in front of his house.
This the prisoner swore, and was sustained in 1t
by Mariah, his wife, Julia Ann Crawford and
sam Good The abb failed, however, in con-
sequence of contradictory statements made by
Sam Good on the morning of the 7th, when he,
the prisoner, and others were arrested on sus-
picion.
The current belief was that the shooting was
done with musket. Columbus Crawford was