The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-01
A Spy's Statement.

COLUMBIA, S. c., March 3l.-Three con-
stables who were in the fight at Darling
ton arrived here tonight very quietly on a
special train from Sumpter and are. now
safely housed in the penitentiary. They
tell the most thrilling and graphic stories
of the tragedy which has yet been heard.
The three arrivals were S. d Mcdonald.
j. l.. Nnnnamaker and W. ID. Owings.
Mcdonald gave the following narrative Of
the fight:
Five OF us had detailed to spy in Darl-
ington while the others went to Charles
ton. When the squad which was going to
Charleston Went to the depot,
where the fight took place. we went
with them. While we were there, Billy
Floyd ana Rogers. the men who started
the whole thing, got into an alteration.
Floyd got the best of il. About that time
negro driver for the Enterprise hotel at
tempted to strike Floyd. Constable Nc
Tendon refused to let the negro attack
Floyd, who had done the constable sew
eral good turns. SO they licked him. Nc
Tendon told the negro to stand back.
Then the telegraph operator ran out of his
Office and asked what McLendon
had to do with it. MeLendon said he did
not have anything to do with it, but he
did not propose to see Floyd crowded
The operator went back into the office and
Rogers got in the bus and went up town.
suppose he went to get a crowd, for in a
short time he came back with five friends
Rogers renewed the difficulty with Floyd
and cursed the latter featfullv. He went
toward Floyd, but Chief of Police Dargan
lnteriered and commanded the crowd to
dlsDerSe. The crowd refused to do so, and
Rogers again cursed Floyd. Floyd said he
would not stand il and moved on Rogers.
The chief of police separated them. Rog-
ar hNr ,,a1 MI nx,I
There is the d-s of a b. who caused
me to get whipped
Only eight of the men were armed
with WinchesterS. don't know, however,
how many of them used rifles. l do know,
however, that Constables Pepper and
McLendon did not have rifles and used
pistols. Pepper was killed soon after the
firing began. ! do not know who shot
him. The shooting was over in few
seconds. The first thing | knew of the
ending of the fight was seeing the con-
stables making for cover l was one of
the i've men detailed to stay in Darling
ton. and did not run off with the main
body OF the constables."
Il went to Colonel PEPPER He was on the
ground, and as / bent over him he OPP
ened his eyes and smiled at me and then
closed them again. He murmured several
times and died. He was shot through the
heart. l tried 70 get physicians TO attend
to NcLendon who bad not fallen till the
fight was over. l could not get any of
them to aid him. About that time /
noticed a crowd of citizens coming and
thought it time to get away"
DO you know who of the constsbles
were wounded?"
mo. do not l heard that Chief Gail
lords son was one OF the wounded"
When asked if he or his companions had
seen any of the other constables after leav-
ing Darlington he said they had not.
COLUMBIA, 5. c., April Up to 1:50
this morning no troops have left this city
for Darlington and the probability is that
the other two companies will not obey
orders. There is seven visiting compan-
les Quartered here. and five of these de- |
clared they will disband before they will |
go to Darlington and carry out orders. |
The 9th er two companies number about |
eighty five men.
The Western Union Telegraph COM
pany's manager is receiving everything
offered him for Transmission, regardless |
OF Judge Watts injunction. He Is acting |
under the instructions of his superior Off |
GERS and will accept everything offered as |
long as he remains in control of his Office. |