The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-04-12
DARLINGTON TRAGEDY.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE OF
THE RECENT BATTLE.

ner'a Jury w,n be Givon for Publication
Until tho Case Ia Closed-Co mp,s xion Of
tho Jury.
DARLINGTON, S. g, April 4.--The
coroner's inquest into the terrible trag-
edy which has so powerfully stirred
this State, began this morning at 10
o'clock before Coroner Parnell.
The inquest wes begun In little
room at the depot of the Cherew g. Oar.
lington Road. The room Is about Id by
16 feet. The only door to 1t leads to
stood when they were fighting with the
citizens. Within ten feet Of It is where
Constable Pepper fell with bullet in
his heart Fifteen feet away Is where
young Norment drew his last breath,
and twenty five short steps to the
West on the railroad track, is where
Redmond fell dead. . = 2.,,..,
The only furniture In the room is
stove, together with q number Of the
usual seats seen In a railroad station,
seats divided by small iron bars. The
room has long been used as waiting
room for passengers. The ceiling at
different places is cracked. Two win
dows on the South side look out on a
U1S"AS oCSAC' Auo uoPoo 10 dt CHo
Northeastern part of the city and the
houses of the people close together af-
ter 1t la passed. A little slot in the wall
is where the passengers put their mon.
ey through to get tickets.
l do not believe that description has
ever been given If the scene OF the bat.
tie. 1t would not make an enchanting
picture, but in view of the absorbing
interest taken In anything connected
with the affair I will attempt to tell of
it. Picture to yourself o brick depot,
probably seventy-ive feet long. Two
tracks Of the Cheraw and Darlington
Road run right in front Of 1t, the plat
form OF the depot being within six
inches OF one track. Just opposite, the
distance separating it being that of the
two tracks, Is a long platform. 1t is
about four feet off the ground. Part OF
It is covered, but Is open on the sides.
Under the covered portion is stored a
few sacks Of guano Besides these are
two pair Of trucks and pair of scales.
a hundred yaIds away Is the Darling
ton Phosphate Works and in the rear
are small stores and few diIapidated
buildings.
The depot is like that seen in most
towns Of its size One end Of it, and
the largest, IS used fur freiR Rht purposes.
The othtr Is for the passenger business
Over one OF the large freight doors is Il
white sign board with the word "Dar-
ltngton" painted in black letters on 1t.
Over the door of the room where the
Inquest B in progress is this sign board
"WadeshOro 66 miles. Darlington.
Florence 10 miles"
Nearly under this sign board is where
the colstables we're standing when Lhe
fighting began. On the railroad track
to the West are spots of blood, almost
covered by sand. This blood was shed
by Redmond. Pepper was killed near
the Southern end Of the platform and
MI. Norment fell between the two. l
was told today that Redmond was
killed by the constables under the i'm
preston that he was G. S Mccullough,
the president of the phosphate works.
1t Ia said that MIR. Mccullough fired
the second shot In the affray. The con
stables. knew this and were anxious to
kill him.
Going toward the town from the de-
pot Is sandy street and it is over a
mile to the heart of the city. 1t can
thus be seen how the constables had
time to get away before the infuriated
citizens could get from the city to the
depot and begin pursuit. II took sew
eral minutes before the news reached
the town and 1t took longer fer the peo-
pie to arm themselves and start on the
hunt. The cOnStables availed them
selves of this time and fled across the
open country to some woods half
mile to the Northwest.
In the absence of e. Keith Dar-
gan, who went to Columbia, Geo. w.
Brown appeared rs the attorney 10
represent the civil authorities and de-
velop the testimony for that side. Mr
Dargan Is expected to return this af-
ternoon. No attorney for the State
was on hand, although it was said that
the Solicitor Of this circuit had been
telegraphed for and was supposed to be
on his way here.
After the calling Of the jurors Attor-
ney Brown announced to tho Coroner
that he was ready to begin the examin-
alton of witnesses. mr. Brown said he
took 1T for granted that If witnesses
are absent the inquest would be post
poned from day to day until they ap
peared.
Mr.. Brown In 1uired of Coroner Par
nell II ne had issued warrants for the
cOnstables and was informed that he
had. This, therefore, puts all the con l..
stables In the position Of defendants.
Up TO this time no variants have been
sworn out for citizens.
Coroner Parnell Is about 80 years old
lie Is about five fest, nine inches hiph
and has q partially gray moustacRe,
He carried in his hand this morning a
small Testapent and a statute book.
The jurors drawn by him are as fol-
lowe: j. G, Mccall, foreman. mer
chant; =. e. Cooper, q brickmason; G
M. Hill, clerk; J. Il, Anderson, factory
operative; =. e. Friawsy ,Sfactory op.
orative; Il. J. Brown, clerk; j. o. Null
drew, druggist; Z. r. Pierce, butcher;
10 w. Sutton, photographer; q. T..
Pierce. farmer and butcher; Abner
Gibson, carpenter; J. A. Smith, auc-
tiOneer.
asked the corner If he knew the po-
litical com plexton of the jurors. He
said that three Of them are supposed to
be Tilimanites, two Republicans, three
doubtful and the others straightouts.
One Of the jurors Is a colored man.
WIN the jury OF twelve citizens sat
military court Of inquiry, as it is
called, five mllitiamen appointed by
Gen. lchbourg at the Instance of Gov
ernor ltllman. These gentlemen, Capt.
J. A. Money, Butler Guards; CapG. H .