The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-13
Sullnlarily
Killed.
SIMON COOPER CAPTURED
and PUT TO DEATH.
SHOT FIRST, THEN HANG
ED AND RIDDLED
WITH BULLETS.
A Fuller Account Of the
Magnolia Murder.

"a Z u1lGI ACCOOuV Va eAO
Magnolia Murder.
SUMTER, Jan. THE sequel to the riot
and mur6sr at Ly nehourg ON January Was
enacted this morning just after daylight, and
it proved to be the most bloody aHd horrible
murder ever perpe;rated in this section of the
State. Simon Cooper. the Degro who killed
another negro at an Emancipation ce'ebrs-
ton on January l, and after wounding Eve
others terrorized the whole town for several
hours, has sdde 20 his list OF victims two
white mep, VT syoman and q negro man,
whom be bu,chered This morning with the
most 6endish cruelty. Since the Emanclpa-
ton Day murder and riot he has been run
cing around the Country armed 10 the teeth
and Threatening to put to death anyone who
would attempt to arrest him. he has been
seen at May esville and in other neighbor-
hoods is thiseounty, but no attempt has been
made to arrest him.
BLOODY DAYS WORK.
Yesterday morning Cooper went TO Flor
ence, it is said, and purchased a Winchester
rife and one hundred cartridges. Whether
be purchased the rife and cartridges 10 Flor
ence or not he certainly had them in his pos
session when be reapoeared in Lynchburg
last night. he came back, be said, to get a
mulatto girl whom be wanted to marry and
carry off with him. Going to the huse of
the girls parents be ordered her to get her
clothes and come with bin. The girl was ter
rised, eut pretending to comply went into the
shed room of the house and then ran for her
life he forced another mulatto girl at the
point Of his pistol to accompany him when
he left the town, going in the direction Of
Shiloh
The white people Of the place bad in the
meantime becou aroused, aod fearing that
Cooper would attempt to put into execution
his threats to kill several Of the whi'e citi-
zens and to burn the place they armed them
selves and squads we're posted On several
roads where it was thought Cooper might
pass. Cooper encountered one squad later In
the night, and several shots were exchanged
without effect, and be then took to the
woods Just about daylight Cooper went to
the house of a respectable oegro named Boyle
and, drawing his pistol, ua6e him bring out
his horse. Cooper mounted the horse and
took Boyles son, a boy l6 years old, behind
him for .tbe purpose of bringing the horse
back when he got home He then rode of in
the direction of Mayesville. Cooper told
Boyle that be proposed to kill every person,
white or black, who crossed his road, and
that so-pight be intended to return to Lynch.
and burn the town. From Boyle's he went
to the house of Mr.. S. Wesley Wilson, q
short distance down the road, where he kill
ed S. Wesley Wilson, shooting him three
times, Mr. B. E. Wilsop, the aged aud feeble
father of S. W. Wilson, whom he shot
three times through the chest, eth
er wound having been sufficient to
cause death. Mr. Wilson's young
wife be forced to go to the lot in her night
clothes and barefooted, get her dead bus
bands buggy from the barn and hitch it to
the horse he had forcibly borrowed from
Thos Boyle. He took her back into the
house and then murdered her by shooting her
10 the back of the head, jus, at the base of
the brain. Coming out into the yard, which
is very near the road, be met Preston Smith,
negro, who happened to be passing along
the road, and Immediately attacked him.
He Inflicted two horrible wounds on bis
neck, one ou either eide, with Bowie knife,
and then beat him with heavy stick Not
satisfied with this he went to the wood pile
for an axe, which be buried to the helve in
Smiths head as be lay outstretched on the
ground, bis head already almost severed from
his body by the Bowie knife slashes. He
then fred several times with his rife at a
white man named J W. Baker, who was in
his front yard aboot four or Eve hundred
Yards distant, and had witnessed the killing
of Smith, and had seen Mrs. Wilson while
Cooper forced her to hitch the horse 10 the
buggy. Sam Lowry, negro living near by.
also witnessed the murder Of Smith and
beard the pistol shots in the house while
Cooper was butchering the two men and the
woman Cooper took the Boyle boy 10 the
buggy and went in the direction Of Mayes-
vile.
THE COUNTY ALARMED.
Lowry sent his son to Lyuchourg, abou'
three miles distant; and the community was
Immediately aroused. Whites and negroes