The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-05
sUMTEHs SCARLET STAIN.
The Bowman-KeeIs Feud Ends In
Bloody ARRAY.

SUMTER, December 90.-The Bow.
man -Keels feud, which has been Great
ing some excitement in this county
during the past two weeks, reached q
terrible and bloody elimination at about
9 p. m. to day in this city.
While number of the parties inter-
ested were-in the Office of Trial Justice
Haynsworth this afternoon, preparing to
give bond to keep the peace, shooting
and cutting affray was precipitated,
which resulted in the woundirg in q
more or less dangerous manner Of John
r. Keels, K. Pennington, P. G. Bowman
and Walter J. Hardy, and in the death
of Trial Justice George E. Haynsworth.
The affair is undoubtedly the most ter.
rible of the kind that has ever occurred
in this county, and is made doubly so by
the high standing of all the parties
engaged in it.
Your correspondent was absent from
town when the affair occurred, having
gone to Bishopville to ascertain the facts
in the shooting affair of last week. He
returned, however, short while after
| the tragedy and proceeded Immediately
in search Of the facts and circumstances
attending the terrible occurrence.
When he reached the trial Justices
Office, at about o'clock, the parties par
ticipating in the shooting had all been
carried off by their friends, and the
almost lifeless body of Mr.. G. E. Hayns-
worth, the trial justice, was stretched on
q pallet on the floor in the front room.
| He was soon afterwards removed to the
residence Of his brother on Calhoun
street where he fingered until few
minutes past six this afternoon, when he
breathed his last. It is impossible to
say by whom he was shot. His death OF
course. was accidental. he was struck
| Just under the right eye by a pistol ball,
which it is thought penetrated the brain,
lodging near the base of the skull behind
the right ear.
There was not a man in Sumter County
more highly esteemed by every one than
the deceased, and his untimely. and
tragic end has cast deep pail over the
entire community. He was a graduate
of the Citadel Academy just at the
beginning of the war, and was the man
who fred the first shot of the war at the
"Star of the West" as that vessel was
seeking to relieve Major Anderson at
Fort Sumter.
When your correspondent reached the
scene of the shooting this afternoon the
excitement was go intense that it was
almost impossible to gain any definite
information concerning the affair, and
even after the first flush of excitement
had died away it was hard to gain any.
thing positive about it. The whole
transaction took place 80 quickly that
the spectators had but little time to take
| in the details.
Your correspondent visited all of the
wounded men this afternoon and got
their statements of the affair.
WHAT THE ELDER KEELs SAYS.
Capt. D. E. eKeels was found at his
sons residence in bed, although none of
his wounds are of a dangerous nature.
His statements about as follows: He
came to town this morning with Mr.. K.
Pennington, from Lynchburg. He went
to his sons Office, on Main street, and
was there informed by two policemen
that p. G. Bowman was waiting at his
Office for him with a gun. he staid at
at his sons Office until about 2 o'clock,
and when he was about to go to dinner
Sheriff Sanders, Policeman j. T. Hurst
and Mr.. Pennington came in and
arrested him and his son, John R. Keels,
for the purpose of requiring them to give
a peace-bond. They left their pistols in
the Office, and went to the trial Justices.
AS they entered the Office MIR. P. g..
Bowman was walking up and down the
floor, and as he passed him Bowman
turned with q drawn pistol and nred at
him three times. The first shot struck
him in the leg. AS he rose from his seat
policeman struck Bowman on the head,
knocking him down. Just then Alr.
Walter ]. Hardy, who was standing
across the room by the fireplace, fred at
him. He rushed across at Hardy and
grasped his pistol, preventing the further
use of it, not, however, before Hardy had
struck him in the face with the butt of
1.-The weapon. In the excitement and con-
fusion which followed he could tell moth
ing more that was going on.
| Mr.. Keels says he was unarmed the
whole time. He was wounded on the
inside of the left thigh, was shot tbroug b
the left wrist and in the left hand,
besides some other severe bruises.
STATEMENT OF THE JUNIOR MR.. KEELs.
Mr.. John r. Keels, who is in the Gus
tody of the police, was seen at the city
guardhouse. He received slight flesh
wound in the left arm. His statement
was substantially the same as that given
by his father. He said that when
arrested he objected to going to the trial
Justices Office unarmed, fearing an
attack, but the sheriff insisted on his
giving up bis arms and he acquiesced.
When they reached the Office of the trial
Justice P. G. Bowman was walking up
and down the floor. After a moment or
two he turned suddenly with pistol
already drawn and at q distance of about
| five feet fired three times at D. E. Keels
and once at him, ]. R. Keels. Somebody
then knocked Bowman down and the
deponent ran out of the Office to his own
Office and came back with four pistols.
but was stopped before he had reached
the scene Of the shooting, and was
arrested.
P. g. BowAAN's ACCOUNT.
Mr.. P. G. Bowman was found at his
residence suffering considerably from his