Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-10-17
TRANSFORMING THEIR RIGHTS.

Early last Monday morning a gang OF
railroad laborers were seen laying a side
track on Church street, from near the
residence of Mrs. McPheeters, to the in
tersection of that street with Liberty
street, heal the depot of the Three Cs
Railroad. AS this was clearly in viola
ton of the agreement signed by the prop
erty holders on that street when they
consented to the track being placed in
the centre, the railroad asking only for
''six feet on each side from the centre of
the track" the Intendant and members
of the Council were notified of the pro-
ceedings. Mr.. John J. Hunter, of the
Council, at the request Of %Intendant Hart,
went to the scene of operations and noti-
fed the foreman in charge of the work to
desist. He did not Immediately stop the
work, but dispatched a messenger to Cap
tain Taylor, the contractor, who was sick
in camp, apprisirg him of the notice he
had received. The work still progressing,
however, pending the return of the mes
senger to Capt. Taylor, Mr.. Hunter return
ed to Intendant Harris office and inform
ing him of the situation, both returned to
the ground, and Intendant Hart explained
to the foreman the terms upon which the
right of way through the street had been
granted, and warned him to stop the
work, which he then did. Later in the
day, however, two laborers were seen by
a policeman in the act of driving spikes
on the work, but perceiving the police
man they ran.
Of course it is understood that Capt.
Taylor had orders from somebody to do
this work, and as the contractor he is not
so censurable, it not being his prerogative
to question the authority of those d.
recting the work; but as we are in
formed, engineers or others here having
authority to give such orders, disclalm
having had any connection with it, the
question is presented, who did assume
such high-handed authority? We suppose
no town on the line of the road has met
the construction company in a more liber-
a. spirit than Yorkyille. The road passes
nearly two miles through the corporate
limits of the town, at a cost to the COM
pany of not exceeding 1900 for right of
way through valuable property and title
to depot grounds. In the face Of this
action on the part of our citizens, to at
tempt by stealth to acquire possession of
the entire width of a street, is poor
recognition of the liberal disposition of
our people. to say the least.
ANOTHER MURDER.
About moor on Sunday last, an alterca-
ton occurred among some of the colored
laborers engaged in laying the track of the
railroad. Their camp is about two miles
west of town, on both sides of the railroad,
and it was at the camp the difficulty occur
red, a death resulting over a game of
'chuck-a-luck," and the amount involved
said to be only ten cents. The victim was
named John Gregory, and the man who
fred the fatal shot is named Alex. Berry.
The wounded man had the servfces@of4Dh
John F. Lindsay, who being not far from
the camp that afternoon, was notified of
the occurrence and went to the wounded
mans assistance. But on arriving, he
soon perceived that the wound would
prove fatal in a short while, which it did,
death resulting at about 6 o'clock.
On Monday, Coroner Caldwell, who had
been notified, impaneled the following
jury of inquest: John r. Ashe, foreman !;
A Rice, colored, A. Johnson, colored, w.
N. Kennedy, G. A. Wilkerson, Charles
Miller, colored, Ingraham Wilson, Jim
Bell, colored, Dave Flow, colored, w. F..
Armstrong, L. Gaines Grist, E. L. Owen,
d. l.. Witherspoon, colored.
DR.. J. r. Bratton, summoned as a med
ical expert, certified: 81 have this day
examined the dead body of the negro man,
John Gregory, and find a pistol shot wound
of the left laternal region, entering the
cavity of the abdomen just below the dia-
phragm, piercing the left lateral portion of
the liver and decorating the stomach, there
by producingipternal hemorrhage, which
caused his deaSh."
Only two witnesses were examined
Mason Cary and Julia Lockhart. The for
mer testified to the following facts: On
October 18th, at half past - o'clock, l was
present and heard Alex. Berry and John
Gregory quarreling. There were four per-
sons playing chuck-a-luck-John Gregory,
Alex. Berry, Chess Gist and John Hall.
They fell out over the game, the fuss being
between Alex. Berry and John Hall.
Hall and Gregory were partners in the
game, and John Gregory spoke of his