The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
TOM BROOKS KILLED.
The COrOnOr's Jury Fully ExOnOrate
Policemen Allen.

Policemen Allen.
Tom Brooks, a strolling negro. was KILLED
: last Saturday night, near the Seaooard a ]
Line shops. The full evidence IL puolished
!, and gives an authentic account oi the homi
eide.
Many reports are current as to the lawles
and bullying acts OF the deceased.
, Stories are 10 the effect that he came from
COX esbury: that he robbed car at Dirroughs
and stole from a railroad man the pisto
which he had on his person, that he told som,
of the women on ~ NeEainore S1tfaran. 1 t1ao ne wa
rious otrenses, but that he said on the morn
Ing before his death. that he would not be ar
rested that he would be Killed and 20 to per
dIfion with his boots on before he would bt
arrested.
State of South Carolina.
Abbeville County.
An inqusition indented, taken at Abbe
May, A. D. 1896. before j. Foster Hammond
coroner for said county, upon view OF the
body of Thos. Brooks, then and there being
dead, by the oaths OF Il. d. Reese. foreman
]. L. Maxwell, J. G. Hanse, H. A: Mcl.eskey
Harris, Frank Lawson, H. L. Brooks, r. l.
being charged and sworn to enquire for the
State OF South Carolina where and by what
means to said Thos. Brooks came to his
death, upon their oath do say: We, the jury,
find that Tom Brooks came 10 his death by
gun shot wounds in the hands OF G. ID. Allen
while performing his duty as an officer of the
law, and from the evidence we conclude that
the said G. D. Allen was justitiabIe and fully
exonorate him. j. Foster Hammond,
II. ID. Reese, foreman. Coroner.
A. B. Reeder, sworn, says:
The negro was in my store came In there TO
get something TO eat Mr.. Allen came in and
asked him If his name was Brooks. The ne.
gro told him that that was not his name. Mr..
Allen came back and told him TO let him see
his hand, so the negro started out of the store
and Mr.. Allen caught hold of him. The me-
gro seemed like he did not want TO go with
Mr.. Allen. They were then up some distance
from the store right opposite my house. Mr..
Allen and me; just about that time there was
d shot fired. There was three shots fired. One
shot was In the 18th picket OF the second pan.
Allen was standing. called to Mr.. Allen and
asked him II be was shot, he said he was not.
so we went on about hundred yards and
found the negro lying on his face with ps-
tol In his hand, with one empty cartridge In
II. Mr.. Allen was policeman. This is the
pistol we found in his hand. i could not say
who fired first. 1t was about or halfpast S
o'clock. He was not dead when got there.
The negro was talking very abrupt to Mr.. Al.
len and stopped work 10 see that he did not
get the upper hand of Mr.. Allen. MIR. Allen
brought the pistol back TO the store.
6. A. Neuffer, NJ. D., sworn says:
made an examination of the body of Thos.
Brooks. Found one gun shot wound In the
body. The ball entered between the fifth and
sixth rib on the left side OF the back to the
outer side OF his body, passing through the
self In the lower lobe of the right lung caus-
ing death by Internal hemorrhage. This is
the ball took out Of him.
Mrs. NJ. i. Wren, sworn. says:
| saw the negro and Mr.. Allen come out OF
Mr.. Readers store. When they got near the
corner saw the negro shoot. And Mr.. Allen
| shot then. l don't know who shot the third
shot.
Thompson Pressly, sworn says:
Iseen Tom when he came to the store. Mr.;
Allen asked him what was his name. He told
him his name was something else, don't
know what 1t was. He told Mr.. Allen TO come
on up to some house and he would prove
what his name was. He came out OF the store
and went up street sorLer in front OF Mr.. Al
len. I went on In the store and heard one
shot and then two. We went on up there and
found the man lying on his face with pistol
In his hand. Mr.. Allen taken the pistol out
OF his right hand, and seen the pistol broke
and there was one empty cartridge. This is
the pistol he had.
John Cason, sworn says:
was not there when he arrested him. got
there before Mr.. Allen got back. Mr..
Is a man shot at Mr.. Allen and he called me.
He said this man Is up there in the road dead.
saw three flashes Of the pistols about four
seconds between the first and the last two.
From the looks OF the flashes Of the pistols
they looked like they were very close TO one
another. About as close as two men could
get. That Is the gun he had on Wednesday.
did not see 1t last night
Statement Of c. D. Allen. sworn:
About half-past o'clock l was sitting on
Mr. Readers piazza. Thomson Pressly was
sitting by me when the negro came in the
door. He just remarked that that was Brooks
now. / went in and spoke TO him and he
said that was not his name, 1t was Jenkins
Smith. l asked him TO let me see his hand.
He was just reaching over TO get some change
from Mr.. Reader. / looked at his right hand
and did not see any brulse or scar on 1t. !
caught hold OF his left hand, pulled 1t out OF
bis pocket and 1t look ed little swollen, you
could hardly tell 1t. Then we started out OF
the store and went up the street TO prove that
his name was Jenkins Smith, and got to the
him would not 60 any further with him.
that he would have to send up there and get
the parties 10 prove his name. AS stopped
put my hand on his coat and he cussed and
said he was not going any farther. He drew
bis pistol and as he threw 1t up saw it. And
as he come down at my face lodged and he
missed me. The ball went right by my face
and burnt 1t. I fired then as quick as could
hit him or not, but the second ! saw that l
hit him. called Mr.. Reader and he came out
and asked If was shot and l told him no.
We went on up there then 10 see II we could
see him. Just as we got to the road Thomp'
son or MIR. Reader one said, there looks like
some one now, and we looked and 1t was him
laying with his hands stretched out on bis
face with his pistol In his hand. ! took the
pistol out of his hand in the presence ol
Thompson and one or two others. and carried
| II down to Mr.. Reader and told him TO keep
1t. was policeman. After the thing was
over ! telephoned to Chief Riley to bring q
pistol the negro had, six shot pistol. There
was only one shot fired out OF II. The pistol
is before me low.