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

warrant having been granted for that purpose.
Before the committing trial justice Columbus
said he did not know where the gun was. Some
time after the trial his musket was found where
it had been concealed in some seed cotton in a
small house in his yard.
On the testimony detailed above the jury, after
a short absence to their room, returned YER
dict of guilty of murder. On the following Mon
day morning Major Hart, of the prisoners coun-
sci, made motion for new trial, the points OF
which he argued with much ability; but Judge
Cothran denied the motion and sentenced the
prisoner to be hanged on the 10Th of December.
On November 10Th, a representative of the
ENQUIRER, accompanied by Major Hart, visited
the condemned man for the purpose of recelv-
ing any statement that he might see proper to
make. He perfectly willing to talk and
made lengthy statement which was published
on the 4th Of December. The burden of this
statement was general denial of all knowledge
Of the murder. but an effort to connect Giles
Good with it, on the ground that Giles and the
deceased had had previous difficulty and on one
OCCASION as Giles believed, Ellison had fired at
him in concealment the ball grazing his FORE
head. He then said that he was sitting in his
yard at the time Ellison Sanders was killed;
that five shots were fired, and he heard the re-
port Of the guns distinctly. He declared that he
did not fire either Of the Shots and while he had
belief as to who fired the fatal shot, he had no
positive information as to which of several per-
sons did it.
Through the intercession of his counsel the
Governor granted respite until the 9Th Of Feb
ruary; and in the meantime evidence was pro-
cured warranting the arrest of Giles Good, Sam
Good, Quay Tigler and Wallace Reed, all color
ed, as accessories before the fact to the murder.
Trial Justice McCaw issued the warrant for their
arrest and they were brought before him for a
| preliminary hearing. In the progress Of the
| hearing Wallace Reed desired to make a state
ment. He was cautioned by the Justice that if
he did it would be at his peril but he persisted
| in his request, and permission being granted
him he made statement to the effect that it was
he who fired the gun, and that conspiracy ex-
listed among number of colored men-Colum-
bus Crawford, Giles Good, Quay Tigler, Sam
Good, himself and perhaps others, to murder
Ellison Sanders. This statement made under
the solemnity Of an oath, justified the Trial
Justice to commit all four to Jail to await the
action Of the grand jury at the approaching
March term Of the Court.
| On these facts being presented to the Governor,
he again respited the condemned man until last
Friday, the 10th instant, in order to give him
the benefit of any new developments that might
| be made in the trial.
| For reasons but recently stated in these col
umns, Giles Good only was put upon his trial as
an accessory before the fact Wallace Reed was
made States witness; but his testimony shed
| no new light upon the case. On the witness
stand he denied all knowledge of who shot Eli
son Sanders, and as explaining the contradiction
of his statement before the Trial Justice and his
testimony then in Court, he said he was acting
upon what he understood to be a principle Of
law, that if on a preliminary examination one
of the accused acknowledged the crime and
on the trial "took it all back, then all Of them
would come clear" This point was not we'll
taken, though Wallace got out Of the scrape by
pretending TO turn States evidence; Giles Good
was acquitted and Sam Good and Quay Tigler
are now on bail.
| Columbus Cranford's days on earth were now
rapidly drawing to close, and the reporter
visited him again last Thursday, accompanied
by the doomed mans faithful counsel, Major
! Hart.
| The Sheriff admitted Columbus to the passage
| between the rows Of cells on the third floor Of
| the Jail. He was pleased to meet his interview
ers, especially his counsel and probably from the
fact that Quay Tigler and Sam Good are yet to be
tried for alleged completely in the same murder,
he seemed to entertain hope of either a respite or
eventually pardon. Certain, that at noon on
| the day preceding his DEATH he entertained but
a slight idea that he was rapidly nearing the
shores of eternity.
| After general conversation Of few minutes,
Major Hart told him that if he had any state
| ment to make before the final scene, the report
er for the ENQUIRER was present and would
print it just as he might see proper to make 1t.
Crawford replied that he did not think he could
| say anything more that would be to his benefit
| than he had already said on the first interview
| with the reporter. His only idea seemed to be
that telegram to the Governor would secure
| pardon. While he made no formal statement, in
the course Of the conversation he said that Wal
lace Reed was the instigator Of the murder, the
cause of Ellison Sanders offence being that he
had joined the Democratic club and voted in the
primary election. He said that Wallace's plan
was to organize at least thirty men and kill every
coored man who was known to have voted the
Democratic ticket With this movement, how
ever, he said he did not sympathise He said
he, of his own knowledge knew Of only two
persons in the conspiracy, and they were Wallace
Reed and Quay Tigler; that Giles Goods wife
knew of it, but was opposed to it. He also de-
| MED having any conferences or exchanging
| tokens with Giles Good while Giles was in Ches-
ter Jail.
| 1t was evident that he then had no confession
to make, and it was apparent to his auditors that
| he could impart more than he seemed disposed
to communicate. The first intimation he ever
| had that his gun had been found was now given
| him by the Sheriff, who told him where it had
| been concealed, and that it was found some days
| after the trial. This evident surprise to
Crawford but it soon passed over and his CONVEX
sation wandered back to the subject of pardon.
Major Hart assured him that all hope Of execu-
| tive interference was then utterly vain, and inn
pressed upon him the Importance of directing
his thoughts to future state and making his
peace with his God, assuring him that all had
been done for him that could be accomplished
here, and his only hope was to look to Him be-
before whom all must be judged. Maintaining
his innocence, he was returned to his cell, re-
marking to the Sheriff, he entered, that
from this time on he desired to act with the
white people, and that if the Governor would
the white men, and that Ellison Sanders was
killed because he voted the Democratic ticket:
Shortly after this interview, Rev. T. R. Eng
lish, pastor Of the Presbyterian church, called
upon HIM as spiritual adviser, and though he
had the opportunity of spiritual consolation at
various times after his sentence, this was the
first time that he gave outward manifestation of
being impressed with the solemnty of his situa-
ton. He was not stolid he was not stoical
he possessed more than the ordinary intelligence
of one in his station of life :; but yet there was
in his outward demeanor a strange display Of
indifference to his impending doom, or an endur-
ing hope that it would yet be averted.
On Friday morning he heard the noise of the
workmen making preparations for the closing