The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-16
THE BAMDBRG KILLING.
Ball Granted to Rev. w. Il.
Johnson.
|E AMOUNT IS $4,000
Ass'dsvits which differ Very Mueh.Rev.
Mr.. Johnson's Testimony.

AfssdsvIts Which differ Very Much-Rev.
Mr.. Johason's Testimony.
COLUMBIA, May 1.-THE killing of
Court Stenographer Bellinger by the
Rev. w. +. Johnson, at Bamberg,
came up here this morning. Coun-
eel for the Rev. Mr.. Johnson made
application for bail, which was to-
day granted by Associate Justice
Pope. The motion for bail was made
and argued by Messrs. ID. 8. Hender-
son and Robert Aldrich for the de-
fendant, and Mr.. III. l.. O'Bannon
appeared for the State.
The hearing was had quite early
this morning.
It was ordered that all the original
papers be fled with the clerk of
Court, and they were sent away this
morning and were consequently not
available. All of the affidavits for
che defence that were obtainable are
given.
For the State there are twenty-one
afhdsvits. They cannot all be given
and are somewhat identical as to
detail. and SO the more important are
, gaven.
The afI1davits that are given recite
+ Ia way chapter Of the unfortunate
killing and open up to some extent
the versions Of the afYray, about
which the testimony appears to be
decidedly conflicting.
TIE REV. MIR. JoHNsoN's STATE
II MENr.
The defendant In the case makes q
detailed statement aud here Is what
he says:
State Of South Carolina, Bamberg
County-The State vs.. VIM. E.
Johnson. In the General Sessions.
Before me personally appeared
William Il. Johnson, who. being duly
sworn, deposes and says: That he
10 B years old, and has been ordain-
cd ministes Of the Baptist Church
for eleven years past, and for the past
1bree years has been In charge of the
Bamberg Baptist Church, at Bam.
bsrg, In the said State. That the pas.
toral residence, or parsonage In which
defendant resides with his family,
which conslsts of his wife and four
children, 10 situated upon the same
block Of the town with that Of Mr..
John II. Bellinger, Immediately ad-
Joining each other and separated only
BY . dividing fehce. That deponent
moved to his said residence I'm Oc-
tober or November 1893, and up to
the month Of June, 1899, the relations
between the two families were peace
able. That In the month Of June,
1880, deponent was called on profess
sionally to perform the marriage
ceremony between /Mr. Joseph +.
Brown apd Miss Jennie Bellinger,
che daughter Of the said Mr.. John
II. Beilinger, both Of whom appear
cd to be, and deponent Is informed
we're, OF lawful age; 1. e., above the
age of FL years. That after this mar
Siage, which 1t seems did not meet
the approval Of Mr.. John r. Bellin-
ser and his family, they became ex-
tremely hostile to deponent. often
abusing him to his face and in the
hearing Of his wife and children In
the most extreme manner, and show
dog this hostility towards him by
many OF those irritating, unneigh-
borly ways which are 80 easy to do
and 30 hard to bear. Deponent bore
tt all with that fortitude and resigna.
tor which his calling required.
That the manner I'm which ne was
treated by this family became a
matter of public notoriety, and he
was assured by many that he ought
totake steps to have 1t stopped, as
it was lessening his Influence for the
good Of the community. That about
o.. weeks ago a young man of the
town OF Bamberg. Ia sympathy with
the Bellingers' without the slightest
cause. rudely accosted deponent In
one of the public streets, called him
. liar and struck him in the face,
forcing him tn defend himself.
PAINTING THE DIVISION FENCE.
That about two weeks ago color
ed painter by the name of Walker,
who was painting Mr.. Bellinger's
house and fence. came to deponent's s
house and asked leave to- come into