Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-02-25
A BAD CITIZEN.

A BAD CITIZEN.
Citizens of Bullock's Greek township
were considerably stirred up few days
ago about matters, which, for time,
looked as if they would develop into
another murder mystery. The occa-
sion of the trouble was Sam Childers,
a disreputable character in the COM
munity, and two of his proteges, a
white boy named Gilbert Cross, and a
Negro named Al Feemster. For a
time it was thought that Cross had
been murdered but the story will be
better understood when given in de.
tail.
Sam Childers is white man, about
25 or 80 years of age. He has lived
in the Bullock's Creek country all his
life. He has a wife; but no children.
He is a bad egg, however. That has
been his reputation for years. Time
and again he has been caught stealing,
and several years ago he received
thrashing at the hands of white.cap-
pers. This was on account of his we'll
known disregard of the laws of own
ership. For several years after the
thrashing, it is said that be was rather
more careful about his conduct; but at
the same time he has not since sue
ceeded in winning, to any considerable
extent, a renewal of the confidence of
his neighbors.
Included as part of Sans estab-
lisment for number of years past,
has been a half-witled Negro named
Al Feemster, and since the first Mon
day in December last, a white boy
named Gilbert Cross. The understand
ing is that the Negro is legally bound
to Childers. As to this, however, there
is more or less doubt. The reporter
learns that there is some question as
to the regularity of the papers. The
white boy was stray waif, probably
a runaway. In answer to questions
by the neighbors during his residence
in the community, he told various
stories. At one time he said his home
was in Fort Mill, and at another time
be said he hailed from Charlotte, N.
G. At other times he told still other
stories, and there was nothing certain
about him further than that he was
poor and miserable, and that he was
picked up by Childers in Yorkville on
salesday in December; and, further,
that since that time he has been living
with Childers, working for his keep
and doing whatever Childers would
instruct him to do.
Not long, Mr.. Sam McAllily missed
a plow stock under circumstances that
led him 10 suspect the Childers estab-
lishment, and as the result of an in
terview with the Cross boy, took steps
that led to the issuance of warrants
for Sam Childers and Al Feemster.
Cross also said that these two had stolen
a mule collar from Jerry Burris, a
Negro. 1t was on Saturday that Cross
made his damaging revelations, and
while the neighbors were deliberating
as to what was best to be done, Chill
ders was as busy as possible in the
work of covering up his tracks.
Childers and Feemster were arrested
on Monday. 1t developed that during
Sunday afternoon Cross had disappear
ed. He had last been seen in thicket
near Childers's house, in company with
Childers. After the two had been
seen together, Childers returned alone.
The disappearance of the boy aroused
all manner of suspicious, and in an
swer to angry questions, Feemster
told different stories. At one time
be said that the boy had been killed
and thrown into gully. Then he
said that the body had been thrown in
the creek, and again he claimed that
he did not know where Cross was or
what had become of him. Childers
maintained that he had sent the boy
away. He denied that be had used
any violence. AS the best way of in
vestigating the truth of this, DR.. J. n.
Saye accompanied Childers to the
spot in the thicket where the boy had
last been seen on Sunday afternoon.
1t was easy to follow the tracks that
the two had made on the day before,
and, sure enough, just beyond the
thicket were to he seen the tracks that
had been made by Cross after be left
the company of Childers. Childers
explained to DR.. Saye that be had ad-
vised the boy to make for the North
Carolina line so as to avoid prosecution.
At the trial on Tuesday, Al Feem-
ster talked freely of the different thefts
that had been committed by himself
and Cross at the instance of and some-
times in company with Childers. He
told some things that sounded as if
they might be true, and he told great
many other things that were obviously
untrue. Upon the whole, his testimo-
ny was of but little value and not
much real evidence was developed.