The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-07-19
TRIED TO KILL HIM.
A Greenville Farmer Shot and
Seriously Wounded.
VOICE SAID, "sHooT HIM"
Followed by the Report of a Gun.
Shot Was Fired Through a
Window. He May Lose
His Arm.

The Greenville News, Of July l3,
says: G. B. Van Patton, farmer and
storekeeper living two miles southeast
of this city on the Augusta road, was
fred upon by unknown Negroes at l
o'clock yesterday morning in his home
and wounded in the right hand and
right forearm and right hip. Twelve
No. 7 shot entered the hip, butt it Is the
opinion Of DR.. J. B. Earle, who at
tended Mr.. Van Patton, that these
wounds are not at all serious. About
fifty Of the same number Of shot en-
tered the hand and forearm. Some
passed out but many Of them lodged
among the small bones Of the hand and
wrist, and not being able 70 get them
out otherwise DIR. Earle considered it
best not to cut open the hand. He
strongly suspects that the arm will
have to be amputated between the wrist
and the elbow.
Some four months ago Mr.. Van Pat
ton had difficulty in his store with a
Negro named Silas Wilson, who got be-
hind Mr.. Van Patton's counter and
drew revolver upon him. Wilson is
known as worthless loafer in that
section, but he says he works on the
Birnie place near there. Several burg
laries have been committed in that Sec
ton lately. Wilson was arrested yes
terday, and at his relatives. where he
was found, there was shot gan, but it
evidently had not been recently hred.
he was released on a $500 bond, which
was signed by Negro By the name Of
B. T. Harris. The charge against him
was assault with deadly weapon, this
being based on the affair happening
four months ago, when he threatened
the life Of Mr.. Van Patton at the time,
he drew revolver upon him and told
him on leaving that he would git
him."
About 10 o'clock Tuesday night Mr.
Van Patton says he heard some one
''fooling about in front Of his store,
which fronts on the road. He went
out and saw Wilson move off rapidly.
Wilson says he was just passing the
place. At clock yesterday Mr: Van
Patton was aroused by the breaking OF
a pane of glass in his kitchen window.
He arose, went into the kitchen with
his pistol and fred through the WINDOW.
Then he went back into his BEDROOM
slipped on his shoes, obtained light
and started out for the kitchen door,
with the light in the left hand and the
revolver in his right. As he got to the
centre Of the room heard voice Just
outside the window through which ne
had shot say, "shoot him; damn il,
shoot him" He was in the act Of rs.s-
ing his revolver to shoot through the
window again, but was not quick
enough. There was terrible report,
the glass was shivered and Mr. Van
Patton's revolver dropped upon the
floor. Mr.. Van Patton yelled for help,
which came to him quickly from his
neighbors. By this time the assai!ants
had made good their escape.
The Negroes had evidently made up
a plot to murder Mr.. Van Patton, who
was alone in the house at the time; his
wife and only child were visiting in the
city. The assailants had made no at
tempt to enter the store, and from this
il is surmised that they did not intend
steal but murder. They broke into
bedroom, but this was locked OF from
the one Mr.. Van Patton was occupying.
The kitchen window where they broke
the pane could easily have been raised,
so it is thought that the breaking OF the
pane was for no other purpose than to
attract Mr.. Van Patton into the room so
as to get fair chnnce to shoot at him.
The asssilants could hardly hope to COM
nit robbery after shooting Mr.. Van Pat
ton, because there are several houses IN
the immediate neighborhood and the re-
port could not fail to be heard.
Several barefoot tracks were found IN
the yard, but they were not distinct
enough to give clue of any value
The escape of the Negroes again Ill
ustrates the great need the county has
of pair Of good blood hounds.