The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-08-29
SHOOTING IN BRANCHVILLE.
Barlow Warren Shoots and Seriously
Wounds Thomas Watson.

|
Wounds Thomas Watson.
Last Monday night at Branchvile Bar
tow Warren shot and probably fatally
wounded Thomas Watson Both parties
are young white men. 1t will be remem
bered by our readers that Warren is thu
man who was tried at the last term o.
court in Orangeburg county on the charge
of robbing an express car while the train
was Just below Branchville. The case re-
suited in a mistrial. Watson was the
chief witness against Warren, testifying
that Warren had approached him some
time before the robbery and asked him
to 90 into it with him. Both men have
remained in Branchville since the trial
Warren being out on bond, and there was
no doubt bitter feeling against Watson
by Warren on account of the testimony
given.
The story of the shooting in detail is
as follows: Watson was sitting on the
postoffice steps shortly before 10 O'Clock
and was talking with Mr.. W. ". Light
sey, bookkeeper for r. Pearlstine & Sons
when Warren advanced.
"Is that you, Mr.. Lightsey?" he asked.
Mr.. Lightsey answered in the atfirma-
tive
"Well, get out of the way, then, was
the stern command and Warren closed In.
Turning to Watson he shouted:
"Is that you Tom Watson: Well,
you've wrecked my life" he added, and
with that the pistol flashed in the moon
light. Before Mr.. Lightsey could lser-
fere Warren had fred four times ahd,
while his victim was gasping for breath,
he lodged behind the building and was
gone.
Medical aid was quickly summoned and
Watson was removed into the drug store,
where the doctors began probing for
the bullets. The wounds in the body
were considered fatal and added to this
was the danger from the ball which had
lodged in the head. Everything possible
was done to relieve the young man, but
the case was almost hopeless and it was
apparent that death was almost certain TO
follow. After he had been shot Watson,
who had been trying to get beyond range
of the bullets, managed to walk about
two hundred feet, when he fell down ex-
haustcd. Warren did not leave until he
had seen his enemy on the ground.
It seems that Watson had no warning
of the intended attack, and that the shoot
ing was done in cold blood. AS soon as
the news was received at Columbia, one
o'clock Tuesday morning, DR.. LeGrand
Query Immediately left for Branchville,
arriving there at 4.30. AS soon as pos
sible Watson was carried to Columbia
and placed in the hospital, where he is
being treated at this writing. He is
terribly wounded, and his chance for life
is slim, although he is making brave
fight. He received three wounds, one shot
in the head, the ball lodging in the brain,
one i'm the left side of the abdomen,
making six puncturcs of the intcstines,
one in the back, lodging in the spinal
chord, producing complete paralysis from
the waist down. The physician says that
either of the three wounds would be SUI
ficient to cause death in twenty-four
hours to one of ordinary endurance. An
operation on the bowels has been per
formed and the six punctures in the in
testines stitched up. If the patient re-
gains strength the ball in the brain will
be removed to-day. Warren used "A
calibre pistol.
Immediately after the shooting Warren
made his escape, but hid in the woods
around Branchville for several hours and
took the 4:S0 train Tuesday morning, 60
ing towards Charleston. He boarded the
train at the coal chute, and as he did so
there was a fusilade of shots from guns
and reyolyers. Watson's relatives had
been pursuing him and were the ones
who fired at him. None of the shots took
effect, however, and he made good his
escape. The governor has offered re-
ward of $400 for his arrest.
T. :. ,,;I that Watson had M Wn4nOn
and had no opportunity to defend him,
self, even had he so wished. Warren and
Watson had not spoken to each other
since the trial of Warren.