The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-08-24
fIENDISH CRIMES IN SUMTER.
NEGRO MURDERED WIDOW AND
son WHILE THEY SLEPT.
Their Heads Split Open With An Axe.
Fiend Caught and Lynched by
Outraged Citizens.

A most a'rocious double murder, fol-
lowed by lyncbing next morning, &C.
CURED at Friendship. small village
over in Sumter county not far from the
Terrell line, Friday night
The victims we're Mrs. Mary McGar-
rah, an estimabe widow IS years of age.
and her grown son, James Boon, who
lived on tie place.
Alb ut nine o'clock Saturday moi ming
John Boon, the eldest sou of the nun
dered woman. and who resides on an ad-
jolng farm, called at his mothers house
and seeing no one about the premises
entered the bedroom.
The body Of the murdered woman, al
most nude, was found lying upon the
floor near the bedside in great pool of
blOad. Her head was split open with an
AK and the body otherwise mutilated.
Lying upon his led on the opposite
side of The same room was the mangled
body of James Boone. His head was
split open and his right arm nearly
chopped off at the shoulder. He was
evidently killed while asleep, as there
was no evidence of a struggle, though
the bed was saturated with clotted blood
and brains.
John Boon quickly gave the alarrn and
IN half an hour hundred we'll armed
and deter mined farmers were securing
he country in search of the brutal as
sassin.
Out in the woods near the Boone resi-
dence the posse found negro woman,
the wife of Hamp Hollis, bound to "a
tree. She told an awful story Of
the outrage and said her assailant was
strange negro who not only assaulted
Der but committed more brutal and
nameless atrocities.
The whole country roundabout was
up in aTElls and determined hunt for
the black fiend was Instituted. The
woods and fields for miles around were
searched by the posse, many negroes
oining in the chase of the murderer
In the meantime the negro woman who
WIS found tied in the wo DIS made a
statement which led to her husband :,
Hamp Hollis, being suspected of the
crime. The statement led to the finding
OF blood-stained axe and suit OF
clothes which belonged ITO Hollis, and
when confronted with this evidence he
confessed the double murder.
The guilty wretch was quickly taken
in custody and a portion of the pursuing
party called in. After thoroughly salts
tying themselves OF his guilt the black
brute was strung up to the nearest tree
and his body riddled with bullets. The
body of the dead negro was left swing
ing to the tree, where hundreds of people
viewed it during the day.
The brutal murder was very adroitly
planned, and but for the accidental find
ing of the bloody clothes and axe in Hol-
ISIS cabin the real murderer might have
escaped and another negro paid the
penalty with his life. 1t was Hollis who
tied his own wife to a tree in the woods
the night of the murder, himself discov-
ering her there next morning and then
leading the mob in search of the guilty
man. Thu scheme was done to avert
any suspicion from himself, and il ap-
pears that the wife acted well her part.
The sole grievance against Mrs. McGar-
rah and her son, and which prompted
the murder, was tho theft of piece of
bacon last week, which was laid to
Hollis wife.
The murdered man and woman wero
highly respected.