The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-27
ARSON
The State against Messrs. j. r. Tucker
OIin Clamp.

The State against NJ essrs. j. r. Tucker
OIin Clamp.
John NJ. Knight, being duly sworn. says;
live in AbbeviIle county on Mr.. Tuck err
place. l leased the place for three years.
About II o'clock the 1lth day OF November,
1901, the barn was burned. ! gol out In the
yard. The barn Was falling In. Mr.. Tucher
was standing In his door watching the barn
burn. Mr.. Tucker lives inside OF 20O yards
from my house. They did not come To the
burning or offer any assistance 1 followed
to- the bows to turn the mules out as they
were In the act Of being burned. The COW
burned up in the barn. / could not get her
out. My corn and fodder and all OF my plan
tstion tools we're burned up in the barn. MT
Tucker and l could not get along. He fell
out with me soon after be got out OF the
house, and we were fussing all year, ana
finally he took US with peace warrant and
had TO take him with one.
John NJ. X Knight.
mark
Subscribed before me. 10Th Nov. 1901.
Il. M. Armstrong, ,
Magistrate A. G.
w. J. knight, being sworn, says:
l live on MIR. fuckers place In Abbeville
County. We were all sitting by the fre the
l1th night OF November, 1901. Jim said that
he heard some one walking IN the yard, com.
ing from the direction Of the barn. Tney
passed by the chimney, and Jim says sposen
we walk out and see who they are. He got
his pistol. We went out on the south side vi
the dwelling and there was lamp slttlhg on
on the table by the window, and there we
seen Mr.. Tucker and Mr.. Clamp by The light
as IL was shining on their faces. Jim shot
one time TO scare them away. They went 10
the direction OF the cotton house. They ran
over 10 the yard. MIR. fuckers yard. We
stopped at the cotton house. Heard Mr..
Tucker say be quiet Dora, until this is over.
This was about eleven O'clock. The east side
of the barn was set on fire. That was the
tarthest side from the dwelling. l picked up
piece OF ladder on the east side OF the
barn. The piece Of the ladder is here. The
piece of q ladder being brought into Court.
That was the ladder that l picked up al the
barn. | did not zee the ladder before tue
burning. | do not know who 1t belong 10.
The moon shown about two hours after dark.
saw Mr.. Tucker and Mr.. Clamp In my yard
that night by the light OF Il lamp. was on
the out side of The house. 1 saw Mr.. Tuck er's
family standing in bis door. Mr.. Clamp
came TO the burning. He had on all OF his
clolhlng, except his hat and shoes Pleas
Hall came to the barn. MIR. Clamps VILE
came there and brought his shoes. She WAS
in full dress as far AZ could see. Mr.. fuckers
house is inside OF 200 yards of the barn. BY
the light OF the burning barn l could recog-
nize them easily. | am son OF John NJ.
Knight, and live in The house with him.
W. J. Knight.
J. B. Knight, being duly sworn, says:
/ live In A6beviIle county. Do Monday,
November llth, about nine O'Clock, | heard
some one walking in the direction OF the
barn, and mentioned To jim kplght to 90
out and see who 1t WAS and we went out on
the bacd side OF the house, the north side OF
the house. We went on around In the south
ern direction. We walked oD around then 10
the corner OF the house aud SAW Mr.. Jim
Fucker and MIR. DIN Camp by the light OF
lamp through the window some ten or twelve
steps from there, and shot with pistol
They we're going then In The direction OF The
70. pnt I'm - q ~ Il
ton house after l shot, and stood there TIL
they got over home 10 Mr.. Tucker, house,
and one OF the men made mention 10 Dora To
keep quiet about something, don't know
what. We went back then and started To re-
tire for the night and about hail-pasL eleven
o'clock svmethI ng woke me up. thought 1t
was the wIud and when woke saw that the
inside OF the house was as bright as day llehl
and told them there was hre. and We all.
arose. Me and Jim went out TO lurn out Lhe
mules. As was going out TO the barn no.
ticed over towards Mr.. fuckers aud SAW
three or four standing In the duur, aud we
then ed oui the mules and taken Oat the
wogon and buggy, and about that time Mr..
Clamp came up. Then there Wax lady
brought his shoes alter awhile. Pleas Hail
came to the burning. MIR. Tucker dad not
come to the barn. The ladder was found al
/ he burning barn. l do not know who u be-
long To. am nephew Oi John M. knight.
have seen Mr.. Clamp several times before
the burning. / do not know whether Mr..
that he WAS here until saw hun In the yard
that night. did not shoot 70 hit anyone. /
could have hit If l. had tried.
J.B kulght.
Pleas Hall, being sworn, says:
live in Abbeville county with Mr.. Tucker.
That night between ten and eleven o'clock a
COW woke me up following up towards Mr..
knights. laid awake awhile. After !
heard the COW and l heard d roaring.
thought 1t was Olin going home, and had
had been talking TO him about, and when |
open my door saw the light. live inside
OF 200 yards from the barn, and put on my
clothes and ran to the burning. When l got
there they had pulled the wagon out aud ran
on towards Mr.. fuckers and followed two or
three times as loud as could and then went
back to help keep the dwelling house from
burning up. The dwelling was about 50 yards
from the barn, erhaps not so far My alarm
Of fire did not bring any help except MIR. Olin
Clamp. That's the ladder that they used
over at the new house. Mr.. Tuck er's new
house. That is Mr.. fuckers ladder.
his
Pleas X Hall.
mark
]. H. Clamp, being sworn. says:
1 asked him jOl1n) II he knew anything
about the burning. l was his father and
wanted TO know what he knew about Il, II
anything. l told him ] thought 1t would be
better for him to make a statemen about It.
In consequence of conversation l had W It'll
Mr.. Pratt and Othera, ADVISED my son tDat
II he knew anything about the burning TO
tell 1t, and II he did not, not to tell II. And
he say, well pa, as you Insist on me telling II.
Will on the second Sunday, November 10th.
He came up to Mount Bethel and told him
there that be wanted TO get rid of old man
Knight and thought 1t would be cheaper TO
burn his barn TO get him out than IT would be
to hire lawyer to get him out. He told him
to come down Monday night that he had two
gallows Of oil ready for the purpose. He said
that Mr.. Tucker went TO bed about eight
o'clock. He supposed he sat up till about
halEpast eight or nine before he went. About
eleven or Twelve o'clock Mr.. Tucker woke
him up TO go with him TO set the barn. He
had his oil In two vesselg and he poured IL all
In q zinc well bucket They started TO the
barn. Mr.. Tucker carried the ladder on his
back and the bucket OF oil In his hand.
When they got there he gave him the bucket
to hold TIL be placed the ladder. He went up
on the shed, took a cup that he had and
poured the oil on the shed and over the barn
and came back down on the ladder piece
struck match and set 1t q fire, and came
down, add they started back To the house
around through the field.
]. II. Clamp.
In default of bail Mr.. Tucker ia held, for
trial. Mr.. Clamp is out on $4,000 bond.