The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-08
FATAL SHOOTING ARRAY IN EDGtFItlO
AN OLD POLITICAL e

Leon j.. Williams Kills Two Men at
bethany Church-His Mother Wit
messed the Difficulty, Which APP
pears to Have Been Forced by the
White Brothers.
Special to The State.
The usually quiet community OF Lib
erty Hill, in Edgeield County WAS ter
ribly shocked on Sunday afternoon,
Nov. 20, when the news spread that
Mr.. Leon j.. Williams had shot and
killed Messrs. l.. D.. and j. V. White,
brothers.
The particulars leading to the kill
ing date back to the election in 1894.
MIR. Williams was then q candidate for
the Legislature n reports were cir
culated detrimental to his character.
MIR. Williams was informed that Mr..
l.. ID. White was responsible for these
reports, but matters were kept quiet till
the canvass of 1896, when Mr.. White
was a candidate for the Legislature.
A short while before the election
letters very damaging to MIR. White
were received by different parties in
the county; by chance one of the letters
fell into Whites hands, and he saw
that Mr.. Williams was the author.
The contents of the letter was Of such
" huuuIo uht va
traction and apology necessary and ne
SO stated to some OF his friends. Friends
of both parties then went to work to
try to ameliorate matters, and it was
thought that the differences were par
TALLY settled or so much so that
trouble would be avoided, but it seems
that this was not to the satisfaction OF
MIR. j. V. White, who championed his
brothers cause, n kept the matter
agitated.
The union meeting at Bethany
Church was an occasion when the sur
rounding county turned u en- masse
and it was the first time the principals
in the tragedy had met. just after
services Mr.. j. V. White approached
several gentleman and told them that
he expected to have q conversation
with Mr.. Williams and would like them
to he present, but he was told that it
was neither the time nor place and to
let 1t alone, and no more was thought
OF 1t.
All except q few left the grounds,
and Nh. Wii!iar.s, In company with
his mother, was driving off in his bug
gy, when he was called by j. V. White
Mr.. Williams got out Of his buggy and
went to where j. v. White and l.. ID.
White, z. B. Callison and w. III. Vel
dell were standing. When j. V. White
said something about the letters that
had been written during the last can
vass, Mr.. Williams replied that he
thought the matter had been settled
would have to act. White then cursed
him and shook his fist in Williams
face, w~hereupon tho latter knocked
him down.
When White arose he had his pistol
in his hand and before any n could
interfere, Williams drew and fired,
shooting bis antagonist through the
heart, killing him instantly.
L. d. White then began cutting
Williams about the head and face,
when he turned his gun and shot
the second White twice in the stom-
acb and in each arm. Mr.. White lin
gered till 4 o'clock the next morning
when he died he had II pistol in his
pocket but did not draw it at all. He
stated before his death that he could
have killed MI. Williams had he car.
ed to.
Mr.. Williams received a severe cut
across the temple and it was thought
that he would bleed to death before u
physician could reach him, but he is
now resting very we'll and 10 consider.
ed out of danger.
He is an eX-member of the Legisla'
ture and is now a memoe Of the State
ulcpSnodIy DUdIu VI COuUIol. no lS
well known in many parts of the State
and / rs hosts of friends.
Tho bodies of the dead men had not
been 4. moved from the church on
Monday morning. Their sad deaths
are doubly deplorable as each leaves @
wifea and children entirely dependent
upon them for support. Both were
Masons and will be buried at Bethany,
the scene Of the difficulty, by the Nc
Cormick lodge.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Mccormick correspondent O.
the Augusta Chronicle says
The cause of the shooting was an ole
fued that has existed since the Till
man-Sheppard campaingn. Instead o
time softening and adjusting theil
differences the breach grow wider and
wider, until 1t eliminated in the un'
timely death Of the " brothers.
AS Williams was getting ready tc
leave the church, j. V. White called
him to where Messrs. Z. B. Callison,
w. III. Yeldell and himself were stand.
ing, and told him he had a few ques
tions to ask, and he wanted these gen
tlemen to hear his answers. White
then asked Williams to whom did he
, refer in q communication of his to al
Edgefeld paper.
Williams replied that he had nc
questions to ask and none to answer
and that he thought the matter was
settled. White said that it was not
settled by q good deal, and thereupor
denounced Williams as q liar. Will.
liams advanced, but Mr.. p. b. Callisou
pushed him back. Williams again
advanced, and White struck him
Williams returned the blow, knocking
White down. White got up and start,
ed toward Williams, when Williams
drew his revolver and shot him
through the heart, killing him in
stantly.
Whites brother, l.. d. White, came
to his assistance just before this shot
was fired, and in the melee he GU
Williams several times, once across
the side of the face, neck and arm
with q knife. Williams then turned
on him and shot him four times, once
in each arm and twice in the chest
White had his revolver in his right
hand during this time, and Williams
fret shot struck him on the elbow,
rending his hand powerless, while Mr..
w. Fl. Yeldell held him by the other
arm, thus keeping him from firing.
a FAMOUS STREAM.