Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-01-13
CARNIVAL OF crime.
One Of the Most Inhuman
Butcheries IN the His
tory Of the State.
FIVE PEOPLE KILLED
In Cold Bleod by a Negro in Sum
ter County, and Posses are
Out in Every Direction
Securing the Country
for. Him.

Charleston, S. c., Jan. IA
special to The News and Courier
from Sumter S. G., says:
Cali Sumter was aroused this
morning when the news flashed
over the wires that Simon Cooper,
a negro, had killed old Mr.. Ben
Wilson, his son, Wesley, and Mrs,
Wesley Wilson. The first in
timation of the hellish work was
received about breakfast time, and
shortly after Sheriff Pearson re-
ceived telegram confirming the
report, adding further that Cooper
had also killed two negroes-a
man and girl.
"Sheriff Pearson as soon as
possible organized posse and
cbartering a special train left for
Lynchburg. When the special
reached Mayesville the sheriff
received information that Cooper
had been seen to pass near the
town, a short time before, so the
train was stopped at Mayesville
and part of the posse left for st.
Charles and the others took tne
public road, coming towards Sum-
ter. These two parties in conjunc-
ton with posses from Mayesville
are securing every foot of the land
between MayesvilIe aud Sumter,
"The facts in regard 10 thu
killing of the five people as re-
ceived in Sumter at 3:30.p. NJ,
are as follows:
"Simon Cooper went to Lynch,
burg yesterday for the puIpose of
forcing a young colored girl TO
marry him. The girl and her
mo'her, by some unknown means,
escaped, and ran into the swamp.
AS soon as possible after Cooper's
appearance in the town posse
organized and went in pursuit of
him, he having left as soon as he
failed to get the girl. The posse
came withiu two hundred yards Of
him, at one time, when be shot at
them and retreated.
"He forced some negroes 10 60
with and kept them with him all
night. He came out of the woods
about daylight and sent to the
house of a colored man named
Boyle, took his horse and com
PEELED Boyle's son to accompany
him. From there he went to the
house of the Wilson's, about a
mile distant, where the horrible
crime was committed.
"Mr. Baker, who lives nearly,
says he heard considerable shoot
ing and saw Mrs. Wilson go to the
buggy house with Cooper to get
harness, and then go back into
the house, Cooper following her,
a short time afterwards, came out
on the piazza shooting in every
direction and forcing Boyle's
boy to harness the horse to Mr..
Wilson's buggy. He meet
calored man named Smith and
killed him, as he passed Bakers
house he shot at Bakers children.
"Where he went from there no
one knows, but he will be foun nd
Hundreds of brave, determined
men are securing the woods in all
directions and speedy vengeance
will be meted out to this human
fiend.
"When the bodies of Wilson's
were found this morning the old
gentleman, rs years old, was sitting
up in the bed with a shot gun in
his hand, the sou, Wesley, was in
another bed with his head split,
while on the floor lay the women,
her head smashed in and her
throat cut, Smith, the negro who
was killed on the road, was found
with all axe still'in the back Of his
neck and hi, head half severed
from his body.
"The dead people were in
offensive, peaceable citizens. These
are the facts as we were able to
gather them from the excited and
determined men from Lynchburg,
who came into this city this after
noon."
ooo0rD re-. DuIrpU1n