The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-01-06
FREEDOM TO KILL.
Emancipation Celebration in Mag
nolia Winds Up With a Riot
One Killed and Five
Wounded

1t is customary to hold big Emancipation
Celebration in Magnolia on New Years Day,
asd Friday was not an exception to the
rule. There was blR crowd Of negroes pres
ent, hve hundred or. more it Is said, and
every thing WAS pleasant and harmonious and
everybody bad big time until afternoon
Thea row started and Simon Cooper killed
another negro OF the name of Davis. Coop r
has The reputation of being desperate char
.cter and when he had killed Davis, the
crowd fed 10 terror and left him in possss-
sion Of the field He made no attempt to
leave the plsce, but armed with shot gun
and pistols walked shou; the streets OF the
town bunting for the negroes with whom be
had had the row.
Some of the 'egroes went before aagis-
tra,e J E Goodman at Ly ynchburg,. mile
distant, and stated the case, and he forthwith
deputized six or eight OF the negroes to arrest
Cooper
They armed themselves and returned to
Magnolia, but when they attempted to ap-
proachsIooper be deliberately opened IRE on
th-m aud they got out of his way as quickly
SO possible, after one or more we're wounded
Cooper then took refuge under bridge that
spans ditch near the depot, and the negroes
who wished to arrest him renewed the attempt.
by collecting at the Gods Of the bridge and
shooting at Cooper BE remained under the
bridge until he had reloaded his gun and
revolver and then boldly walking out
opened FIRE on his pursuers. They returned
the fire and for very brief space perfect
fuslade was exchanged. Cooper again
proved himself the better marksman, wound
ing several and was himself slightly .wound-
ded in two or three places Ooe OF the ne-
groes was seriously wounded, the others
rlieb,ly After this every body left Cooper
severly alone an. he roomed around the town
bunting for those who had attempted to cap
ture him.
Att o'clock, when the passenger train
bound for Florence stopped at Magnolia.
there ives great crowd Of negroes collected
around the depot, many of them with the
intention Of boarding the train to return to
their bones between Magnolia and Florence.
Just at that moment Cooper rushed up curs-
ing 10 horrible manner and ordered the
negroes to stand back as he wanted to see
who get oh the train. The negroes stam-
pedsd in everv direction, some faliiog into
the deep ditch by the side of the railroad
track. and oil yelling and screaming In the
widest terror Cooper, with his gun under
his arm, jumped upon the steps OF the train,
and crossed over on the platform between the
6rst and second class cars TO the depo: plat
form, where be stood unmoiested until the
train pulled out, leaving many negroes who
were too greatly terrified to make the attempt
to board the train.
Shortly after the train left, Cooper disap-
peared and At last reports had not been seen
agaip, nor had apy active effort been made
to capture him.
Magistrate Goodman empanHelled jury
and an inquest Was held over the tody Of
Davis this morning.
From ioformauoa obtained from reliable
gentlemen who spent the day in Magnolia, it
appears, that the white people Of Magnolia
csde DO effort whatever TO capture Cooper
after be had murdered one man and wounded
six others He was in practical possession of
the place for two or three hours, and while
he,made 10 effort to molest the white people
and made no threats against them, be openly
de6ed anyone to arrest him and bad the
negroes feeipg from him like a lot of jack
RABBITS before hound. 1t seems strange
that Magistrate Goodman or some of the law
abiding citizens Of Magaaolis did not make
il their business to capture the red handed
and defiant murderer instead Of permitting
him to defy and intimidate the entire COM
mnnifv