The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-05-14
A SHOOTING SCRAPE.
A SOUTH BOUND ROAD CONTRACTOR
SHOOTS A MAN.


Dihlculty-The Wounded Man Brought
| to Columbia-Partioulars OF tho Shoot
| ing.
COLUMBIA, S. c., May News was
received in the city yesterday that
difficulty had occurred at the construc-
tion camp of Messrs. Webb e. Oates, on
the South Bound Road, about ten miles
from the city. in which a white man
named John lIammet had been shot
and morta!ly wounded by II. J. Stack,
member Of the firm of Stack Il Roof,
sub. contractors under Webb g. Oates.
The first news of the affair was
brought to the city by Felix Sharp, who
was the bearer Of letter to II. l.. Will
liams. The letter is as follows:
STACK & ROOF CAMP, April 80, '9f.
ur. II. Il. Williams.
DEAR FRIEND: John IIammet got
shot this morning. Seriously hurt.
Don't think he can live. Please notify
the Masons and X. Of P.'s. lie belongs
to both orders. Bring good doctor
with you. He will be paid we'll for his
work. Come right away. l am alone
Also l want you to send telegram to
Is. j. Ilammet, Blackville. He will
come to your stables. Have him brought
|
gram. Your friend,
Bob L. WILLIAMS.
The telegram referred to is as follows:
b. j. U0mmct, BluckuUc:
Johnnie is dangerously shot. Can't
live without change. Come at once
II. l.. WILLIAMS,
AT III. l.. Wiliams's stables.
IN response to the request contained
III the letter, DR.. Frank Green vas asked
10 go out to the camp and attend to the
| wounded man, and he started with that
Intention, but when he reached New
BTookland Trial Justice Green in
formed him that news had reached him
that the man was dead, and that it
would therefore be no use to go. The
party who gave this information to the
| trial j uStice stated that IIammett had
been shot three times, viz: through the
Wrist. the upper portion Of tho arm and
through the abdomen. 1t soon ap-
peared, however, after DR.. Green's re-
turn To Columbia, that the report Of the
man death was premature, and at the
last accounts he was still living but
with no apparent chance of recovery,
and wagon and mattress had been sent
TO the camp to bring him into the city
lie Is under the medical attendance of
Dr: Gelger, Of Lexington, who was sent
10 the camp as soon as the news Of the
oiooIllS was spread abroad.
THE CAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY.
There were many conflicting reports
on the streets as to the causes which lee
to the difficulty, but the following ac
count OF 1T from a gentleman who wa!
at the camp yesterday after the occur
renee, may be regarded as strictly relia
be:
1t seems that IIammet and his friend
IL. L.. Williams. two Barnwell men who
were In the employ of Stack & Roof
decided some days ago to quit work and
demanded their pay. With this demand
Mr.. Stack was unable to comply at once
as his firm only has monthly settle
ments with the chief contractors, which
are made OH the goth of each month
When informed that they could not get
Their pay at once, the report is that
tneSe men became very troublesome
and riotous, and with pistols in hand
prevented the other hands from work.
ing. Mr.. Stack then saw the chief con-
tractors, and with the view OF getting
rid OF these men arranged to have them
paid off, and they were paid Off by
checks on the Loan and Exchange
BANK, llammct receiving the sum OF
|, S24, which it is said was the amount
due him.
. The gentleman who gave the above
| information says that the story of the
further trouble as given to him by the
people at the camp. was to the effect
that llammet and Williams came ovel
TO Columbia after getting their checks
and then returned to the camp and still
lnterfcrred with the hands and proven
, ted them from working, and that thi.
; state of affairs continued until yester
> day morning. At that time Mr.. Stacl
being on horseback at the camp, wa:
= assaulted by IIammet, who came al
him with a pine knot in his hand anC
threw it at him, and Stack then drew
his pistol and shot Iiammet through
| wrist. Ilammet felt for his pistol, and
missing it, called to Williams to bring
| him his, which he did. Then Stack
tired twice again, one shot striking
= llammet in the upper part Of the arm
. the other striking him in the middle o.
the abdomen, passing clear through tn,
body: 1t does not appear from the &C
counts received that Williams took an,
c part in the difficulty except to hand hi
!, friend the pistol.
= AS soon as he had done { shooting
: NJ. Stack rode off and cam on to Tn
= city. lie has employed Messrs Meltol
n n Melton as his counsel, and by thei
advice has remained quietly at the resi-
Genco of his father, Captain w. II
. Stack, to await the result of the wound
ana submit TO the process Of the law
90 The statement Of Williams. as mad
e to his friends in this city, varies from
IS the above in one or two important par
$ ticulars, and it is to the effect tha
s Stack and IIammct renewed their dis
{ pute about the settlement. yeSterda,
G morning, and that Ilammet told Stacl
r. that if he would get down off his horse
G he would whip HIM, whereupon Stacl
l. rode off a short distance and was fol
r lowed by Iiammet, who had no weapon
l. Of any kind, and that Stack then turned
and fired five shots at IIammet, three o.
!. which took effect as above stated. The
e brothers of IIammct came up to Colum
d bia last night and employed Messrs
Skinner 81 Williams, and together with
;. Mr.. Skinner proceeded to the camp tt
{ get the wounded man and bring him tC
q the city. IT was stated that Mr.. Skin.
= ner would cndeav0r to procure Ham
NETS ante-mortem statement if posi-
Dle.-Itegister.
@ Heavy Frost and Ice.