The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-09-05
Bloody Work III Blackyille.

little village occurred in the main street
of the town directly opposite the passen-
ger station. Solomon Brown, the twen-
ty-two-year-old son of Simon Brown,
and John Gribben, ofthe State dispensary
constabulary force, lie cold in death.
This double killing is the result of a
feud of long standing. At the time when
Tillman was first nominated as Governor,
Gribben, then the town marshal, was es-
pecially active in his cause, thereby in
curing the enmity Of the Conservative
citizens of the town, who in the ensuing
municipal election supported and elected
q council, the members of which pledged
themselves in advance not to appoint
Gribben town marshal. The influential
Brown family were earnest supporters of
the Conservative faction and did much to
bring about the defeat of the men who
favored Gribbens continuance as town
marshal.
After his defeat and a short time prior
to the passage of the Dispensary Act
Gribben posted letter rejecting upon
the Jews, which further widened the
breach. After his appointment as a
mem ber Of the State constabulary upon
three occasions he opened packages con-
signed 10 various members of the Brown
family, which naturally engendered bit
ter feelings. To-day, about ! p. M, he
entered the freight shed and opened a
ed to Solomon Brown, ostensibly to
search for liquor brought into the State in
violation of the Dispensary Act.
Shortly after 2 o'clock Simon Brown,
the father, meeting Gribben in the street,
reproached him for opening this particu-
lar package, accusing him Of persecution.
The argument was warm and Simon
Brown was joined by his three sons,
Solomon, Isadore and Herman. Crib
ben offered to fight any one of them, and
Isadore Brown, youth about 20 years OF
age, promptly accepted the challenge,
asking him TO remove his coat and OH
cial badge. Gribben struck in the direc-
ton Of Isadore Brown, who parried the
blow, knocking Gribben against the wall
of Geo. A. Stills store. At this juncture
pistols were drawn by Solomon Brown,
Herman Brown and Gribben, and six or
seven shots were fred in rapid success
sion.
Gribben was shot through the left
shoulder and near the heart, the ball en-
tering the left lung, and staggered into
Mr.. Stills store, firing at Solomon Brown,
who fell half way to the ground at the
first shot, which was quickly followed by
effect in the head, penetrating the brains
another in the right side, and third en-
tered at the back, perforating the heart,
causing almost instant death. Young
Browns remains were carried to his
home by friends. who quickly reached
the scene of the awful tragedy. Gribben,
after being shot, walked through Mr..
Stills store to the backyard, where he
fell and died within ten minutes.
Solomon Brown was the third son OF
Simon Brown, and had recently en-
barked in the furnishing goods business
on his own account. He was engaged to
be married to young lady in Savannah,
Ga, and beautiful home, to which he
expected to conduct his young bride, is
now under construction. He was an es-
pecially shrewd business man, popular
and courteous, and his untimely death is
deeply deplored by all who knew him.
John Gribben, the dispensary consta-
BILE, was native of Ireland, about ~
years of age, and came to Blackville as
town marshal in 1887, and was regarded
as competent o@cer, but rather lacking
under several administrations, losing it
when he espopsed the Tillman cause.
Before coming to Rlackyille he had been
successively private in the British ar
NV, in the United States marine corps,
from which he. had deserted, and after
wards in the 5th United States artillery,
from which be was discharged. He was
an especially active member Of the con-
stabulary force, and though esteemed by
tho supporters of the Dispensary Act,
his course had made him very obnoxious
to those not in sympathy Herewith. He
leaves q widow and four children.
About p. m. Coroner II. P. Dyches,
who, it is asserted, fired the shot which
killed young Brown from inside his
store, empanelled jury to view the re-
mains of the dead constable and proceed
ed to o grove near by to hold the inquest.
After examining Messrs. a. D. Johnson,
J. G.. Strobel and partially examining
George A. Still as witnesses to more or
Less OF the unfortunate afray, commu-
nication from Solicitor Duncan Bellinger
was placed in his hands suggesting that
in view of the fact that it was openly
charged that he fired at least one shot du-
ring the melee it would be better that he
should nok preside at the inquest. In
this opinion, however, the jury did not
concur, and insisted upon concluding its
duties.
The examination of Mr.. Still was re-
sumed, when q bailiff from the sheriff 8
office notified the coroner that the sheriff
was on the way to the inquest. which he
desired should be held by trial Justice
Hammett. Notwithstanding this official
message, however, the Jury persisted in
the performance Of its duties.
Coroner Eyches, who had interrogated
the witnesses as to whether or no they had
seen him fire shot at Solomon Brown,
and also if it was possible for Gribben to
. have shot young Brown in the back in the
position they occupied respectively, to
which hereceived negative replies in both
cases, was not at all loath to conduct the
inquest to an end, and evinced no desire
to exercise his prerogative to adjourn the
proceedings. The examination of Mr..
Still was again resumed, when Sheriff
Lancaster, accompanied by Trial Justice
Hammett, appeared on the scene, and
summoning the corner, drew an official
document from bis pocket and placed him
under arrest charged with the murder OF
Solomon Brown.
This sensational document caused the
immediate cessation of the inquest.
Trial Justice Hammett proceeded at
once to empanel jurors apd summon wit
nesses. The facts elected are in: accord
ance with the above, and the verdict. OF
the jury over the remains of John Crib
ben is that death was caused by pistol
shot wound from pistol in the hands OF
Herman Brown, and that Simon and Is
adore Brown are accessories before and
after the fact.
The inquest over the remains Of young
Brown is set for a: 70. Wednesday
morning.-Special to News and Courier.
An Appeal to the People.
WASHINGTON, August Ex-senator
Buffers announcement that he would
not make make the contest in the pri-
maries occasioned quite tlutter in the
South Carolina colony. : met him in
the Senate chamber this morning shortly
before the Senate convened. He was
holding quite levee at his desk, which
was surrounded by South Carolinians,
who are here with the knights of Pyth-
las. all of his callers congratulated him
upon his aggressive campaign against
Tillmanism, and they were surprised to
hear him say that he would not go into
the primaries, but make his fight at the
general election. It was apparently very
gratifying to the South Carolina visitors
to find at least one of their Senators on
duty at Washington, and they were
pleased with the courteous manner in
which Gen. Butler received them. In
fbn Hnusa Iudpa TZlar was the OnlV mann :