The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-07-21
SHAW SHOWS UP.
THE "LYNCHED" MAN APPEARS IN
HIS LAWYERS OFFICE.

IN HIS L'fe-HanGod, Whipped and
Threatened with Death-A wild Dash
for Ltfo and Liberty.
GREENv1LLE, s. c., July 8.-'rhe first
newspaper luan to ste and interview
Dave Shaw since his mysterious dis.
appearance from Laurens county, was
reporter for The Daily News. The
alleged interview with Shaw In the
Atlanta Constitution was Il fake. AS
many supposed. The News is able to
give the first straight story OF the out
rageous affair which, for over a month.
has been shrouded in myestery.
IL was on Friday night of the 9th of
May that Dave Shaw was subjected to
what he claims was most inhuman
cruelty by a mob Of Laurens county
cltlzens, some of them influential and
prominent men. Since then the
whereabouts of Shaw has been known
to few, and all kinds of wild rumors
nave filled the air and gone uncontra-
dlcted, because the truth was not
known.
Dave Shaw is 2G years old and is five
feet seven inches high. He weighs
about l8O pounds, and Is dark ginger
bread color. His face and chin are
smooth and his healthy condition is
evidence that he has been we'll treated
since the night that he ran like deer
Tor his life. He seems to realize that
frightened roll of the eyes and a quick.
startled turn of the body are noticed on
the approach of an unknown person.
| Under the right side of the chin are
scars where rope cut into the flesh,
and Shaw's back is yet sore from the
terrlDle beating he received. A scar
on the right side Of the face tells where
ne was struck a singing blow.
The story Of the negro is a wonderful
one. Shaw, arrived yesterday afternoon
from below here with a colored man,
MS cousin. and white man who has
been friend to him. He went to the
Office OF =. +. Dill, who has for years
been his attorney, to seek advice about
what ne shall do. He had not been in
the Office three minutes before News
reporter had been introduced to him,
On being told that the reporter WAS q
friend he lost the startled expression of
his eyes and, on being asked, at once pro-
ceeded. to tell the story of what was the
nearest call to death he ever knew and
OF moments when he thought he would
soon meet his Maker.
Shaw's language was that Of the typi-
cal darkey and no attem pit IS made to re-
produce his exact words. lie said that
he was arrested about o'clock in after
noon IN his field by Constable Aber-
crombie, William Abercrombie, Will
liam Watkins and James Bolt. The ar
rest was on warrant charging him
with breaking into the store of w, l.,
Hopkins. The men allowed Shaw to go
to his house to get his shoes and coat.
lie remained there about half an hour
and was then taken to Hopkins house.
lie was placed in corn crib for safe
keeping and was kept there until after
Gafh. lie was given some food, which
ne placed in the hip pocket of his trous-
ers. Shortly after dark the two Aber-
cromDles, accompanied by one of the
Hopkins started to Laurens with their
prisoner. The three men were riding
horses. Shaw was riding behind the
constable. Three-fourths of IA mile
from Hopkins house is Rabun creek.
On reaching the stream the constable
told the two others that he would walk
across the foot log with the prisoner,
and asked them to take charge of his
horse and saddle, the saddle girth bav.
ing become loose. The constable and
Shaw started up the hill. The two
others tarried behind. About $50 yards
from the creek Shaw, Notwithstanding
1t was dark night, saw the CLEAN Of
shirt bosoms in the bushes on each side
of the road. lie did not have time for
meditation, for the mob Sprang from
the bushes, fired pistols and guns and
cried, "We want that prisonerw The
constable stood beside his prisoner,
While nothing more was seen by him of
the two other alleged officers. Shaw
says that there were at least fifty men
IN The mob. Constable Abercrombie
said nothing and did nothing in defence
of his prisoner.
They took me-" said Shaw, "across
into the pines, going about fifty or
seYenty-tive yards. When the Aber-
crombies and Hopkins left Hopkins
mouse with me they had my hands tied
hard behind mo with my own plow line,
with which l was plowing when they
arrested me. The crowd stopped under
a pine and told me they were going to
nang me II did not tell them where
MT. Hopkins goods were. | told them
| knew nothing about the goods. They
then united the rope around my hands,
and put 1T over my neck. They pulled
OIL my coat and threw tower my head"
Shaw then graphically described his
first experience in hanging. The object
OF the mob at the beginning was to
make him confess the robbery and not
to kill him. They tied knot in the
rope 80 that it wouldn't tighten and
kill him. The end of the rope was
thrown over limb of tree and Shaw
was pulled up. He was let down and
commanded to make confession. lie
protested his innocence. Six or eight
times he was drawn up and let down,
each time suffering ag0nies Some one
IN the mob said, "D-n him, he's rest.
ing too easy" and then the rope was
fixed 80 that it would tighten. In the
face of what he thought to be death he
again declared his innocence. He was
pulled up, the rope lighted and after
short time he lost consciousness. A
pleasant feeling stole over him after
brief suffering and he thought he was
IN his own home, with his family around
him. He does not know how long he
was hanging, but the first he remem.
bers was the sound of voices. A voice
said, "D-n him, he amt dead, he's
only possuming," and he was dealt a