The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-10-29


or TO DO Hung.
MARION, S. c., Oct. lT.-Willt&m
Somerset, colored, was convicted on last
Wednesday Of the murder OF Ed Nj. Fore
on January 10, 1885, and sentenced by
Judge IZlar to he hanged on Friday, the
18th day Of November proNim0. The
trial was IN many respects the most re-
markable ever had i'll Marion County
and excited more interest and feeling
than perhaps any trial had III Eastern
Sauth Carolina in many years.
When Ed Fore was killed it was not
supposed that he, quiet, pcaccablc as nc
was, had an enemy in the world. Such
being the case 1t was impossible for his
friends and the public generally TO fix
upon any theory as to how he came TO
his death, or suspect q motive on the
part Of any human bein" for The pGrpc-
tratiOn OF the crime, ard his death was,
therefore, attributed to accidental
causes.
All suspicion Of foul ,ay was lu}lcd
into inactivity. Days, weeks, months
and even years rolled by, aud still the
guilty parties remained iii security. But
"murder will out" ''thc Gamucd snol
will not rub out" William Somerset.
the bold cunning hirclinm ON I'd F0rc'8
plantation, lullcd INTO security by an un-
suspcCting public, became boldCr and
boldcr in his conduct. With nothing to-
recommend i'll personal appearance, aud
with only the manners and mind Of an
ordinary negro, in some uuarcOuntnJic
way he managed, before the death Of his
victim, to insinualc himScl, into the
good graCcs Of the wife Of his cmplOvcr,
and strange TO say events proved that
II possible she WAS more in love with
him than he with her. Before pre-
died il came to his cars that Somerset
IN his absence was taking too many Jill.
critics with his household. but uOIilc M!up
that he was he refused to listen tN the
ISLANDERS that were hci"% whispered
about III connection with The woman
whom he had vowed 1T the altar to
Glove, honor and lctcnd,' and the ont
side public knew nothing Of what WIS
going on or was suspected.
Somerset continued to work ON thc
place. Peter GOdlO Old, an old rulurcd
hrcling on tn" place a.l whom Mr..
Fore regarded as one of tlc ll%slv lnrl-
les Of the oldcn tilrc, warned him Of
SomcrSCts conduct. SOmcrSct'S nest
move then was to %ct rid OF old Peter,
and he runningly got Mr.. Fore TO sus-
pecting Peter of having committed some
offence, for which he was elected from
Hlr Fore's premises, anl Somerset as
sisted the constable in cirrtiDw him.
Peter moved over the BIZ pcc-Ncr.
ltlvcr. But Mr.. Fore became more
watchtul of Somerset, and no dnuhl lis
increasing vigilance caused Somerset to
conceive the plan OF putting Kim out "l
i,Nt,,l ,lN,.
18TH. was selected as the most lru},i-
tlous time to commit the bloody act
Mr.. Fore owned II place at Wjy.ins',
Landing on the river. TO reach if Mr
had to 90 through the slash country.
The road was in Il terrible condition and
cncompassedo on either side with marshes
thick underground, and the low, Hat
slash" land. At the time ne was rn-
gagged in hauling lumber to his river
place to make some improvements there
on in the way of buildings.
About sunrise on the morning Of iliy
10Th Somerset came up to the Forc's
house and asked for him. One Russell
Berry was engaged at the time loading
the wagon with lumber. Somerset WAS
told that Mr.. Fore Was in the house
warming brick to put TO his feet TO pro-
tcct him from the extreme cold oi tllc
day. pom getting such Information
Somerset Immediately LETT and went in
the direction the wagon was to 90, and
was about one hour ahcd Of it.. He was
not seen about the place that day amy
more until late in the afternoon. Mr..
Fore started and reached what is known
rs Balary Marsh Causcway in the
"Siashcs." The causcway is ouiyabnu;
eight !cet wide and ilankcN hv Il VIDE
ditch ON each side, which was then
about two feet deep in water. On that
callscWaY MIR. Fore was found about TO
O'Clock leaning against his wagon and
his team standing perfectly quiet in tie
ROAD. There was Il deep indCntauon OF
the skull on the right side OF the head,
apparently made by an axe from behind.
lie was carried back to his !athCr-in-lnw.
Ar. Charles llascldCn's house, but never
spoke after he was found.
FROM that time forward Somerset con-
tlnued TO live on the place and to mau-
age 1t, rs il it belonged to HIM. He as
suncd more authority over it than any
one else. = is said that he even ate al
the Widows table with ed Forc's chill
drcn, and slept 4 good deal y! his time
at the house. Their condnc: became
bolder and boldcr, and iinaty became
stencil to the whole community.
Somerset received numerous warnings
from Tie ncighborhood to cease his
lechcrous conduct, but to no avail.
Finally it became intOiCruhlc. and an
inccnsed body OF citizons had him taken
up under Il prctcnsivc warrcnt, and ar
rested by constable. The intention
evidently was to lynch him, and stad
old Marion County would have 1c"n
Stained by iirst-class lynchng if Ivy
some means Somerset had not escaped
from The constable IN charge of HIM.
lie fled then to Columbia. whittier his
infatuated paramour followed him. That
was about two years ago. The wrctchcd
woman, however, came back last year
Tor few months, and Somerset slipped
back several times to sec her. About
the first Of the present year she went
back to Columbia, where they were Iiv-
ing when Somerset was arrested and
br0uobt to Marion