The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-01-13
A DEMON INCARNATE.
SIMON COOPER BRUTALLY 8UTCH-
ERS FOUR MORE VICTIMS.
Without Cause. This Flerd Killed Ben
Wil4op. sn Cid White Mar. Bis Son aad
His Sons Wife and Negro.

wilsoD, sn Cid White Mar. Bis Son aad
His Sons Wife and Negro.
SUMTER, Jan. The sequel to the
riot and murder &! Lynchburg on
January was enacted this morning
Just after daylight, and it proved to
be the most bloody and horrible mur-
der ever perpetrated in this section Of
the State. Simon Cooper, the negro
| who killed another negro at an Eman-
cipation celebration on January l, and
after woundirg five Others terror!zeG
the whole town for several hours,
has added 10 bis list OF victims two
white men, q white woman and ne.
gro man, whom he butchered tits
morning with the most fendish cruel
tv. Since the Emancipation Day
murder aud riot be has been running
around the country armed to the
teeth and TIN eatening to put to death
anyone who would attempt to arrest
him. He has been seen at Mayesvlile
and in other neighborhoodS IN this
county, but no attempt has been made
to arrest him.
\ BLOODY DAYS WORK.
Yesterday morning Cooper went to
Florence, it is said, and purchased a
Winchester rifle and one hundred
cartridges. Whether he purchased
the rife and cartridges in Florence or
not be certainly had them in his 20
session when he reappeared in Lynch
burg last night. He came back, he
said, 10 get a mulato girl whom he
wanted to marry and carry off with
him. Going to the house Of the girls
parents he ordered her to get her
clothes and come with. biiaass ,---Ts'sn Ets'sns nssfs
was terrified, but pretending to cry
/ went into the shed room of the house
and then ran for her life. He forced
smother mulato girl at the point Of his
pistol to accompany him when he
Ieftthe town, going in the direction
of Shiloh.
The white people OF the place had
in the meantime become aroused and
fearing that Cooper would attempt to
put into execution his threats to kill
several of the white citizens and to
burn the place they armed themselves
and squads were 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 he then took to the woods. Just
about daylight Cooper went to the
house of a respectable negro named
Boyle and, drawing his pistol, made
him bring out his horse. Cooper
mounted the horse and took Boyle's
son, boy 16 years old, behind him for
the purpose of bringing the horse back
when be got home. He then rode on
in the direction of Mayesville. Coop.
er told Boyle that he proposed to kill
every person, white or black, who
crossed his road, AMI that to night he
intended to return to Lynchburg and
kill several men, whom he named, and
burn the town. From Boyle's he
went 10 the house of Mr.. S. Wesley
Wilson, a short distance down the
road, where he killed S. Wesley Will
son, shooting him three times, Mr.. B.
E. Wilson, the aged and feeble father
OF S. w. Wilson, whom he shot three
times through the chest, either wound
having been sufficient to cause death.
Mr.. Wilson's young wife he forced to
90 10 the lot in her night clothes and
barefooted, get her dead husbands
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 IN the back of the
head, Just at the base of the brain.
| Coming out into the yard, which is
very near the road, he met Preston
Smith, negro, who happened to be
passing along the road, and immedi-
ately attacked him. He inflicted two
horrible wounds on his neck, one on
either side, with a Bowie knife, and
then beat him with a heavy stick.
mot satisfied with this he went to the
wood pile for an axe, which he baried
to the hilt in Smiths head as he lay
outstretched on the ground, his head
already almost severed from his body
by the Bowie knife slashes. ae then
fred several times with his rifle at a
white man named J. W. Baker. who
was in his front yard about four or
FIVE hundred yards distant, and had
witnessed the killing Of Smith, and
had seen Mrs. Wilson while Cooper
forced her to hitch the horse to the
buggy. Sam Lowry, negro living
near by, also witnessed the murder Of
Smith and heard the pistol shots in the
house while Cooper was butchering
the two men and the woman. Cooper
lcok the Boyle boy in the buggy and
went in the direction of Aayesville.
THE COUNTY ALARMED.
Lowry sent his son to Lynchburg,
! 1cut three miles distant, and the
community was Immediately arouus-
ed. h;tes and negroes armed them
selves ar Sc out in pursuit. The
roads were .coured in every direction
for mil es On horseback, in buggies and
on foot. The sheriff of Sumter was
notified, and posses dispatched from
that place. E.ery crossroad IN this
section OF the county has been guard.
ed all day by determined bands OF
men. 4 large posse from Timmons-
will has Joined IL the pursuit, but so
far as can now be ascertained Cooper
is still at large.
PURSUIT OF TIE DESPERATE.
Your correspondent left Sumter this
morning at II o'clock on the special
train secured by Sheriff Pierson to
transport his posse to Lynchburg.
| At Mayesville the train was met by
| Mr.. Joe Clark, one Of the posse from
,Lynch burg. He had followed Coop
er t. within eight miles of Sumter,
two miles beyond Lynchburg, and
had then been forced to turn back by
his horse giving out. A part OF the
posse was put Oft, and obtaining horses
| set out in pursuit of Cooper. Other
messengers were sent to st. Charles
| and Oswego TO call out the people to
be on the lookout for Cooper. Sher-
| if Pierson and the remainder OF his
,41 %@ S,,yoO