The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-07

bouts In WhatIs DOW berkeley He was
tried once tor laarder and strongly
suspected Of other fetouies including
the burning of his own house. whereou
he failed to secure the payment Of
insurance, the jury rendering verdict
for the company without leaving their
seats
He moved to Mcclellan and
there displayed publicly new phase OF
his Infamous character. He beat his
little SOD, by former wife. in such an
iuhuman manner that the scars on the
boys body showed for weeks afterwards
The citizens of McClellanville held an
indignation meeting, broughs Lucker
and the poor boy to Charleston aud
turned the brute over to the authorities.
Full testimony was taken before the
late Master Leland in 1884, and a
report was rendered, which was subse-
quently affirmed, by the presiding
Judge. The solicitor, 10 the interest of
humanity, agreed to drop all criminal
prosecution in case Lucker executed a
bond for $780,, secured by mort
gage executed by his wife for the sup
port of his children, including the son
be had so cruelty beaten. As shown BY
Master Leland's report such bond and
mortgage was executed aud accepted
and, Lucker failing to comply, suit
for foreclosure was instituted. lmme-
diately Lucker set up fictitious
mortgage by bis present wife of the
property to one Shears, fSao Francisco,
California.
After an exhaustive report Master
Leland concludes as follows, under date
of September 4, 1885:
.'First. There was no execution.
From the foregoing testimony the due
execution of the so-called bond and
mortgage to Shears depends on the
evidence of G. W. Lucker aud his wife.
Lucker coutradicts himself SO co.,
stantly in his examinations, aside from
the evidence as to his credibility, that
the Master is forced to the conclusion
that the subscribing witnesses were
myths, and that there was really 90 ex-
ecution. Mrs. Lucker, if she signed
the mortgage at ali, did so because, in
her own language, mir. Lucker told
me to sign the mortgage. She
appeared in her examination and by
her evidence to have been mere pup
pet in the hauds of her husband.
Second. There was no delivery.
At any rate there was no delivery in
time to affect the priority of the mort
gage given to plaintiff. Lucker's
testimony of the delivery to the agent of
Shears in Charleston early in February
is absurd. The document itself shows
that the affidavit before the notary. if
sigued or not, is dated March 8. The
recording in Berkeley is dated March
IL aud in Georgetown March 13. AS
records do not bear false witness the
document was in South Carolina at any
rate till March 49, Shears's evidence
of its delivery to him in April or May
makes it too late for Lucker's purposes.
II would therefore repeat with
emphasis the recommendation of my
special report of June 6, 1884. to wit
That. judgment should be entered
against the defendant Shears, and that
the mortgage which he pretends to hold
be set aside and declared invalid as far.
as the mortgage Of the plaintiffs is con-
cerned
"All of which is respectfully sub
mitted.
..J. A Leland, Master.
'.September 4. 1885,
The report of the Master was con-
6rmed, the mortgage vas act aside and
the property was sold for the benefit of
his children.
Lucker's latest crime and the special
subject of this article was the stealing
of guinea squashes from the field Of his
neighbor. Claus Roper, at Mount
Pleasant. P::s trial was fair and
impartial. There was no politics in it,
as the jury was composed mainly of
wn;te men and Tillmanites.
On the same day that Lucker was
convicted. negro was convicted of the
same offence aud sentenced to two years
in the PeDitentiary. where be is now at
hard labor.
About the latter part Of January a
petition for lucker's pardon was
circulated by School Commissioner
Delay, a half brother Of Brig Gen.
Dennis. Representative from Berkeley
County, who so nearly escaped being
elected Circuit Judge by the late
Legislature of blessed memory. A full
aud free pardon was prayed upon the
ground that Judge 1zIar and Solicitor
Jervey had not given Lucker fair trial
as be was tried in his absence. The