The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-30
THINK BEFORE YOU CENsURE.

THINK BEFORE YOU CENsURE.
Every county sheriff should be sup
nl;ed with trained blood-hounds.
Never was this more forcibly demon
strated than on last Saturday when it
was learned that desperate characters
were lettering in our swamps near
the town. 10 go into one OF these
iungles man takes his life into his
own hands, because the object OF the
search can easily hide himself so that
he can see those after him, and at the
same time he can shoot his pursuers.
Whereas if a trained bloodhound
strikes trail those pursuing have
something TO guide them and they
are at least in position to defend
themselves from surprises. Had
Sheriff Bradham blood-hounds avail
able last Saturday morning when be
heard that William Dixon was seen,
he would have gone at once in pur-
suit and either captured the outlaw
or run him away.
There seems to be considerable
harsh criticism of the sheriff for not
acting Immediately when the news
reached him of William Dixon's
whereabouts. It must be remem-
bered that Dizon's escape from the
penitentiary authorities had been the
talk of the town for several days and
when Dixon was out before he was
reported to have been seen IN town,
when the fact was, at that very time
he was in North Carolina and soon
afterwards captured. Notwithstand.
ing the reports often started BY alarm
lists, which would keep an officer
chasing shadows, were he to listen at
everything he hears, Sheriff BradhaIn
set about on Saturday to effect the
capture OF Dixon and his ''pals, if it
really were them that were seen by
the colored boy who claimed to have
seen them.
Magistrates Constable Tobias,
brave and daring, had consulted with
the sheriff and solicitor and each Of
these officers knew of his intention.
They knew that he was going to try
to capture the supposed escaped con-
victs, and be was warned not to go
by himself, and by all means not to
let them get "the drop on him, but
it seems the poor fellow, after a fruit
less effort OF nearly all night, started
home, possibly thinking the report
which reached Manning was another
of the many false reports about Will
liam Dixon, and gave ap the chase.
It may never be known just how To-
bias was overpowered. He had a
keen eye, always alert, and had much
experience with bad characters. He
was man of great bravery, and we
cannot believe but what the scoun
t;rels, whoever they were, saw him
coming, for the moon was shining
brightly and he upon the railroad
and they down the embankment near
tbe trestle; they divided, sorne going
under the trestle and the others re-
mained where they were. As lie
stopped to halt those in front of him,
the others crawled up the trestle be-
hind him and dealt the strickeniug
blow, because it was seen the next
morning where barefooted track
was on the ties behind the place
where Tobias is supposed to have
stood, and there also appeared
barefooted track beneath the trestle
where Tobias gun fell and where it
is supposed one Of them went to get
tLe gun which they carried of.
When Sheriff Bradham got the
news he actually had nothing at his
service to go in pursuit. He could
not have gone into the swamp, it
would have been foolhardy to have
done so, and had he been so impru-
dent, in what direction should he
have gone? No dogs to point out
the direction, it would have been
looking for the needle in the hay
stack. People before censunng an
official should just look into the con-
ditions; a man can only do his best
with the means at hand
STATE OF ONO, CITY OF ToLEDc,
LUCAS COUNTY.