The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-02-13
THE wELLFoRD TRAGEDY.
An Ohcial Statement from Chief
Constable Fant-He Makes it n
Clear Case ofSelfDefcnce.


Constable Fant-He Makes il a
Clear Case ofSelfDefcnce.
Columbia Register.
Governor Tillman has received the
official account of the bloody tragedy
at Wexford, in Spartanburg County.
Before the official statement of Chief
Constable Fant is given, it will be in
teresting to say that on Sunday the
Spartanburg correspondent of several
papers sent TO these papers n story
that there were about fifteen men in
that county who went armed with
Winchester rifles and other weapons,
and boasted that they sold whiskey
when they pleased and that none of
the constables dared to try to arrest
them. This is the same party which
the posse was after when it had the
shooting with Ballew and Moore, and
the dead man and the wounded man
were two of the fifteen who had detied
arrest and said that they would sell
whiskey when they pleased. This is
given as an explanation of the opening
part of Constable Fants report. which
is as follows
1t had been reported to me for the
last two weeks by different parties
that crowd of men from CLASSY
Mountain had established themselves
at Il trestle, nine miles from this place,
and were selling whiskey to anybody
law, and swearing that they would not
be arrested and that any officer who
attempted it would bite the dust.
Having obtained sufficient evidence to
convict these parties of selling whis-
key, warrants were sworn out against
five of them and placed in the hands
of the Sheriff. His deputy summoned
me and my constables as q posse and
we went where it was reported the
whiskey was being sold, but found no
one there. We met party who in
formed us that he had just bought
from them at house near by. He
told US that the whiskey was not at
the house, but if we would go to the
house and give them the money, one
OF the men would take lantern, go
to the swamp and get the whiskey.
We got this man and two others to go
back to the house and mako another
purchase. We Secrcted ourselves
near the swamp where the whiskey
was supposed to be. In few minutes
man came toward lis with Ii lamp,
but on the opposite side of the ~wamp.
He disappeared awhile and then
started back toward the house. We
followed but could not cross the swamp.
We then went up the swamp to the
railroad above us. Dean, Massey and
Jackson were ahead of me few PAGES.
They made rush at the man. He ran
and fired back at the officers. Dean
and myself returned the fire. The man
fell crying for help, and calling for
Ballew. Ballcw responded "Yes,
--, am coming" and he came firing.
There were not less than Il half q
dozen firing on us before he came.
shot six times with my doublc-barrel
shot gun at the flashes of their guns.
After the firing ceased, we got a Ian
tern at Il house near by, and won't to
look after the man who was wounded
at the first of the fight. We could not
find him but found his lantern with
blood on it, denoting that the man was
wounded. Hearing hollering ut a
house near by, we went up the path to-
ward the noise and saw u man coming
toward us with pistol in each hand
We told him to drop his pistols. He
lowered them to his side, but kept the
muzzles toward us and halted within
twelve feet us. We again told him to
drop his pistols. He would not do so
but raised the one in his right hand,
and Massey shot him, killing him in
stantly. He fell, holding on to his
pistols until Jackson took them from
him."
News and Courier.
The other side of the dispensary
killing has been told. Perry Moore
says that some men were sent to him
for whiskey. They pretended to be
drinking and begged him for more.
He let them have some, and after
awhile they asked him to show them
the way out to the railroad He went
with them and kindly proposed to help
them across the trcstle. They de-
clined this, and about that time some
one commanded him to halt and sur
render. Not knowing what it meant
he ran. a shot was fired at him, and
while rctrcating he fired in return.
Then whole volley was fired at him
and he was shot in the leg and dropped
to the ground. After remaining there
awhile Ballow came out in his night
clothes to see what was the matter.
Finding him wounded he carried him
on his back towards the house, but
said that he would be killed if placed
in the house, and therefore he was left
in the field for safety. The constables
then came up to Ballcw in the field and
shot him down when he was making
no resistance whatever. According to
the statement of Moore and his friends
it was q murdcrous assault, and the
constablcs shot without any provoca-
tion whatever.
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