Richmond planet., 1897-01-23
CRAZED BY DRINK.
COLORED nAN'S CRIME
Killed All He rlet.
Two Hundred Held at Bay
Dictated Terms.
WhiSkey F7aSkS in Abund-
ance.
LYNOHED BY HIS OAPTORs.
Reckless Daring in a Bad Cause.

Reckless Daring in Bad Cause.
SUMTER, s c.. Jan. 7-All Sumter |
was aroused this morning when the |
news ffashRd-over the wires that ST. |
mon Cooper had killed old Mr. Ben
Wilson, his son Wesley. and Mrs. wes-
ley Wilson The first information |
of the murders was received about o !
O'Clock. and shortly afterwards Sheriff
Pierson received telegram, confirm
ing the report. adding further that
Cooper had also killed two colored
persons, man and a girl.
TRAIN CHARTERED.
Sheriff Pierson as soon as possible
organized posse and, chartering a
special train, left for Lyncburg. S. C..
When the SPECIAL reached Maysville
the Sheriff received information that
Cooper had been SEEN tn pass near the
town short time before, SO the train
was stopped st Maysville and part of
the posse lift for st Charles. and the
others too the public road, coming
towards sumter THESE two part es,
in conjunction with poss- from Mays
vile. are securing every foot of the
WANTED TO MARRY.
The facts in regards TO the killing OF
the five people. as received in Sumter
at :34 q. m, are as follows.
Simon Cooper went TO Lynchhurg
yesterday a'ternoonfor the purpose Of
forcing young colored girl TO marry
The girl and her mother ~ some
means escaped and ran into the
swamp ss soon a. possible after
Cooper's appearance in the town a
posse was organized and went in pur-
sult OF him, he having left as soon as
he failed tO get the girl The posse
came within two hundred Yards of
him &C one time when he shot at them
and retreated.
WAS BOSS OF THE NEIoHBnRHooD
He forced some colored persons IN
go with him and kept them with him
all night He came out of the woods
about day light and went to the house
OF a colored man nam Boyle, took
his horse and com elled Boyle's son TO
accompany him Frlm there he went to
the house of the Wilson's about mile
distant, where the horrible crime was
committed.
Mr. Baker, who lives nearby, says
he heard cnnsid erable shooting and
saw Mrs. Wilson 60 TO the buggy
house with Cooper to get the harness
and then go back into the house,
Cooper following.
RECKLESS WITH FIRE ARMS.
Cooper, a short time afterwards.
came out on the piazza, shooting in
every direction, and forced B0yle's boy
to furnish the horse to Yrs. Wilson's
buggy He got in the buggy and only
went in a few yards, when he met a
colored man named smith He Lilled
him, and as he passed Bakers house,
shot at Bakers children, who were on
the piazza Where be went no one
knows at this time, but he will be
found.
AGHAsTLY SIGHT.
When the bodies OF the Wilson's were
fourd this morning the old gentleman
seventy five years old, was sitting uE
in the b. d with a shot gun in the hand
his son, Wesley. was in another bed
his head split, while on the floor lay
the body of the woman, h r heaC
smashed IN and her throat cut Smith
the colored man who as killed on the
road, was found with an axe still il
the back of his neck and his head hal
severed from the body.
The dead people were inoffensive
peaceable citizens.
SUMTER, s. c.. Jan. 8 Simon Cooper
the colOred outlaw who has the mur
ders of woman and five men tO hi
credit. was lynched near here TO-DAY
Cooper was captured by the Sheriff
posse and was being taken to Sumte
when the mob decided to hang him
The Deputy Sheriff. aided by two men
resisted the lynchers, but was over
powered.
HOW THEY LYFCHED HIM
A rope was thrown over the limb @
q tree. and as the man swung upwnr
the body was pierced by more than 10
bullets The Coroner was pres ent and h
drew a jury. held an inquest and foun
Cooper had come to his death lat tn
hands of pers' Ms unt nown Tn
body, in a sitting position, was pa
raded through Sumter and photo
graphed
Cooper was captured about noon in
cabin five miles from this place.
A ooLoRED MAN BETRAYED HIM
About O'Clock this morning Jak
Dargan. coloTed, went to the house
w ) Bur. EFT, white neighbor. al
said that Cooper was in his hout
the news and Deputy Sheriff with
posse of nine men Immediately lef
A woman and a man we're in the hOus
with Cooper He sent the woman OF
and later he sent the man to buy hi
ammunition in Camden, giving him
sample shell The man rode over
the posse and gave them the shell.
ARMED WITH wINoHEsTER RIFLES.
Cooper was we'll armed with Wi
chesters and kept up continuous fir
The house is small and on hill in Il
open SO that the posse could not
first come within range with any
gree of safety.
Finally the Sheriff returned to Sur
ter and telegraphing the Governs
that il was worth the lives Of his ms
to approach the house. asked that
special train be sent him with a ca
non, long range rifles and ammunitio
GOULD NOT SECURE oiNNoN.
The Governor had no cannon hand
and told the Sheriff so Pierson the
got a six FOUNDER in Sumter and star
ed IL of to CoOper's fort He also hi