The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-01

cured his order of court from Judge
Watts. On being served with this Mana
ger Gray wired General Attorney Fear
ons, who instructed him to adhere to for
mer orders, that Supt. Tree would ar
rive here tomorrow and that a writ of
habeas corpus would be sued out by the
company's Charleston attorney immedi-
ately on his arrest for disobeying the in.
function,
Gov. Tillman bases his claim for pos
session of the telegraph lines on the gen
eral statues of South Carolina, section 2,
5S2, of which reads as follows:
The governor of the state when in his judg-
ment the public safety may require it, is
hereby authorized to take possession of
any, or all of the telegraph lines in
the state their officers and appurtenances;
to take possession Of any or all railroad lines
IN the state, their rolling stock Offices, ETC. to
prescribe rules and regulations for the hold
ing using and maintaining of the aforesaid tel
graph and railroad lines in the manner most
conductive to the interest and safety of the
government, and to place under military con
troll all officers, agents and employees belong
Ing to telegraph and railroad lines, thus taken
possession Of so that they shall be consid-
cred part Of the military establishment of the
state subject to all the restrictions Imposed
by the rules and articles Of war.
THREE CoNsTABLEs ARRIVE.
Unknown to buff people, three con-
stables who were in the fight at Darling
ton, arrived in Columbia tonight on a
special train from Sumter, and are now
safely housed in the penitentiary. They
tell the most thrilling and graphic story
Of the tragedy which has yet been heard
The three men who arrived here were
G. B. Mcdonald, j. L. Nunnamaker and
w. d. Owings. Mcdonald was in COM
mand of the others and talked to the
Register reporter, who went to the peni-
tentiary a few minutes after the men
were safely landed there. They came here
as stated on a special train over the Coast
Line road. The train did not stop at the
depot, as is customary, but went to Plain
street and stopped, the constables and
the squad which had accompanied them
for protection disembarking there A
squad of military men were at the cross
ing to protect them if any demonstrations
should be made against them Fortu-
nately so few knew that the constables
were coming that only two or three peo-
pie saw them when they got off the train.
M'DoNALD's STORY.
Constable Mcdonald is a dark-haired
dark-eyed young man, who seems to have
plenty Of nerve. When asked by the re-
porter, to tell the story from the begin
ming of the fight to his arrival here, he
said: give of US had been detailed to
stay in Darlington while the others went
to Charleston. When the squad. which
was going to Charleston, went to the de-
pot, where the fight took place,
we went with them. While
we were there Billy Floyd
and Rogers, the man who started the
whole thing, got into an alteration
They had a fight and Floyd got the best
of it. About that time a negro driver of
the bas for the Enterprise hotel at
tempted to strike Floyd Constable Nc
Lendon, who was mortally wounded, re-
fused to let the negro attack Floyd. who
had. done the constables several good turns,
and they liked him. McLendon told the
negro to stand back, Then the telegraph
operator at the depot ran out of his Office
and asked what McLendon had to do with
it. McLendon said that he did not have
anything particular to do with it, but he
did not propose to see Floyd crowded.
The operator went back into his office and
got in the bus and went up town.
1 suppose he went up there to get crowd,
for in a short time ne came back with fif-
teen or twenty men.
THE DIFFICULTY RENEWED.
"Rogers renewed the difficulty with
Floyd, and cursed the latter fearfully.
He went toward Floyd, but Chief of Po-
lice Dargan interfered and commanded
the crowd to disperse. The crowd re-
fused to do so, and Rogers again cursed
Floyd for the most vile things. Floyd
said he would not stand it, and went to-
ward Rogers. The chief of police separ-
ated them. Rogers then turned to Nc
Lendon and said, There is the
- who caused me to
get whipped McLendon said this
was a lie. Then Frank Norment, who
was killed, stepped forward and pointed
to McLendon, saying: "Tsere is the
Cd - there" McLendon re-
fused to stand this and cursed Norment
in return. l was standing right between
McLendon and Norment. Before ] knew
It one OF them reached over my shoulder
md fired pistol l do not know which
)ne fred the first shot The shot started
the battle The citizens were armed with
pistols and Immediately began firing at
he constables. The officers were stand
n a body and were the targets of the
whole party. The constables returned |
.he fire."
THE WEAPONS USED.
"Did the constables use rifles or pis- |
,olsl" asked the reporter
"Only eight of the men were armed |
With Winchesters. L did not have one. /
10 not know how many of them used |
'ihes. l do know, however, that Con- |
stables Pepper and McLendon did not /
nave rifles and used pistols. McLendon |
,mptled his pistol before he seemed /
% know that he was shot Pepper !
vas killed soon after the firing began. | |
10 not know how many times he fred, |
u whether he fired at all do not know !
Who shot Pepper. The shooting was |
,ver in a few seconds. The first thing |
Knew of the ending of the fight was see !
ng the cOnstables making for cover. /
They remained long enough to see that /
hey would be crowded, as couriers had /
tarted to the city at once for reinforce 1
nents. / was one of the five men de- /
allied to stay in Darlington and did not |
'un of with the main body OF the con- !
tables