The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-03-01

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istrate's Constable T. ". Bishop and
Sergeant Of Police Jones proceeded
to the Adams house, to which place
tie four constables had gone after
the shooting. When they reached
there they found DR.. j. J. Watson
dressing the wounded wrist Of Chief
". r. Crawford. The other three
men, J. c. Dorm, j. B Coleman and
J. B. Cooley, were there. All four
men were arrested and taken to
Magistrate Smiths Office. A crowd
of 10 or so people followed tie
sheriff and party. The crowd, when
the magistrates office was reached,
soon augmented un'il it numbered
between 4C0 and 500. They stood
outside and yelled. Bring them
ou.!' was the constant cry of the
crowd.
Sheriff Cathcart swore out war
rants for each Of the four con
stables and was preparing to take
them to the county Jail when the de-
monstration of the crowd became
such that he did not deem it best to
make the attempt. While the con-
stables we're held in waiting state
ments were obtained from each Of
them. Chief w. r. Crawford, who,
according to his own story did all
the shooting, made the following
statement:
cRAwFoRDs STATEMENT.
"Morehead was discharged or re-
signed here about two weeks ago and
I was sent up here last Saturday
to take his place. I know nothing
about him or why he quit the SER
vice. Well, for about a week I have
had whiskey bought from off the
premises there. That vas my
grounds fer searchingth the premises. I
had whisky boughtthere all the week,
and men that were here before me
have had whisky bought from there.
We went there this evening properly
armed with a warrant. There is the
warrant over there.) Mr.. Stuart was
not there. Mrs. Stuart met me and
I told her my business, and said [
had rather not search the premises
without Mr.. Stuart was there. She
said she would get him there in Is
minutes. I told her to 60 ahead;
that I would wait, and I did wait
until be came.
when be came l was in the yard.
He went up on the veranda and was
talking to some of the other men,
Coleman, I think it was, when Cole
man called me and said Stuart had
come.
Il went up on the veranda where
MI. Stuart was and told him that I
had a warrant TO search his premises,
and he said you'll never search my
premises, warrant or no warrant.
Then I explained to him that We
we're State officers who had come
there properly armed with a warrant"
He said be didn't give a damn,
warrant or no warrant, State officers
or no officers, We shouldn't search
his house for whiskey."
IL said to him, You are are rather
unreasonable. You are unreasonable,
cool down and let me reason with you
a little about this matter. And then
I explained to him that we were Of
fcers and his action placed us in a
awkward position. We didn't come
there to fight nor to fuss with him, but
to search his premises ~peaceably.
He said be didn't give a damn
what we were nor for what we came,
we'd Y search his premises with
out killing him.
well, then," I said, "you must be
an unreasonable fool.
He said you aG-d-fool Cd
you, get out Of my house.
"As he said that I slapped him in
the face"
Coleman caught hold of me and
and pushed me back into the corner
of the veranda and said, let's get
away from here, there's going to
be a killing scrape.
I said, Rather than have a killing
scrape I will leave.
coleman stepped down the steps
and I started after him. Just as I
got opposite the door somebody fired
on me and shot me in the arm. I
staggered back against the bannis-
tiers. My arm felt numb. As 1
staggered back they fired again and
the fire flew in my face. 1t blinded