The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1897-04-23

= THE EDaEFiELD 'TkAoEDY.;.
TharmondTcilsU Under Oath why He
.rs.. Killed Harris. i
There is no case that is attracting
more attention just now than that Of
the killing of Mr.. Will Harms by So
licitor Thurmond Af, Edgefeld. Below
is the full evidence Us To- tho killing. by
Solicitor Thurmond:
Personally came before me, j. VIM.
Ihurmond, who, being first duly
of the 24th inst. he lefs his office for
the purpose of going to the office Of Mr..
Padgett, with the .view Of spending the
rest of the evening at target shooting:
as he and Mr.. Padgeft had often done
before.
That on the way to the office of Mr..
Padgett he met Mr.. Willis Harris,
shook hands with him cordially, ex-
changed,pleasant words with him and
passed ON his way. not having the
faintest or most remote suspicion that
any trouble would arise. Leaving Mr..
Harris he went on to the Office of Mr..
Padgett; finding Mr.. Padgett too much
engaged to go out, depohent went to
the postoffice to, see if he had any mail.
1hereupon deponent left the post
office with the view Of returning to his
office. = ..-;.. ~'-'
In going baek es !,se ts his Stliee be stopped
in, without Knowing that. Mr. Harris was
in the store, if indeed he. was JIM the
store. TO the deponent does not recall
whether Mr.. Harris was then in the
store or came in afterwards, but if de-
then in the store he would not have
l!hesitated tostep, for then ,er thereto
fore nothing had occurred to excite his
| apprehension that anything unpleasant
would arise. ,I,-E =. *
When Mr.. Harris came into the store
= if he was not then in the store-he
! addressed deponent and said, "You be-
| long to the - Tillmanlte party"
peponent cannot recall all that was
said, but Mr.. Harris said further, "You
Sot on your belly and crawled like
a. dog for office, and pledged your
! self to support Tillman and his party
under all circumstances, and, - you,
he will kick you out when you fail to do
| 1t. Deponent replied quietly, That's
| false" Thereupon Mr. Harris quickly
| lerked out large knife and opened it.
| beponent stepped back. Air. Harris
walked to where another drummer sat
| and said, "I havea - good knife and
a Colts pistol in my pocket" and came
back towards the front door and out on
the pavement, where he had short
talk with another drummer Mr.. Har-
ris came back into the store to barrel,
| by, which deponent as.,standing, and
tlourished his knife in the face of de-
| ronelt.
With the view Of ending the talk, in
order that no difficulty or unpleasant
ness might arise, deponent walked out
| OF the store and went direct to his Of
fee.
In less than five minutes after depo-
nent reached his office Mr.. Harris and
Capt. DuBose came down the sidewalk
which passes deponent's door, and Har
rls said to the deponent: ".You evaded
the question up yonder. .Deponent
asked, ''What question 2" He answer
eel. The question about the - Til
mantle party, and - you, you ran
away from there, so That did not tell
you" Deponent said: "Will, what is
the matter with you ?" He said, "You
| acted - scoundrel and stinking
dog to my father. l...
simultaneous with these words, with
his knife i'll his hond, he sprang as if to
rush into the door and assault iepo-
nent, and deponent knocked him
backwards from the door. Immedi-
ately, and quick as thought, Mr.. Har-
| 10 hio iiShes HIS
coat and to his hip pocket, with the
| purpose, as deponent did not doubt, of
| drawing his pistol and instantly depo-
nent fired. Mr.. Harris threw his. hand
to his breast. There being no pistol in
his hand deponent fired no more .''
| Mr.. Harris movement of his right
hand to his nip pocket was distinct and
unmistakeable, and deponent did not
doubt that he would draw and fire in
stantly, hence deponent fired as quick
| ly as possible.
| Deponent did not doubt that he was
in imminent peril c. his life and that
/ the promptest ~ention on his part
was necessity in order to save his own
life
| Deponent solemnly assures the Court
that he fired under unquestioning con-
viction that instant action was necessa-
ry for his protection.
| (signed) J. WIN. THURMoND.
| March 3G, 1897.
The trial will not come off for some
time, as there is no session of the
Court in Edgefield at an early date