The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-06-12
PROTECTED A MURDERER
a Georgia Sheriff Upholds the Law
Even to the Death.

The nerve Of an obscure Georgia
Sheriff whose name is Joseph Merrill at
Carrollton, Ca, Friday upheld the Law
Of the State and saved the life Of resro
from mob. In protecting the negro,
vho was saved from the gallows only a
few hours before through the efforts Of
his lawyers, one life was LIST AMI two
men were wounded The arrival Of the
State militia prevented threatened
trouble Friday night, and at 9 CLOCK .
special traia, bearing the negro whose
crime was the murder of Ii tie white
bo, whom he found fishing alone, and his
guaid, was speed ng towards A lsnts.
The man killed in tacking the jnl
WAS George Bennett Of Carr ,!lton, G.,
and the wounded are Thomas s. Word,
father Of tho murdered boy, and an un-
known man, presumably farmer.
Williams, the negro, was tried and
found guilty Of numbering Ois Word,
Jan. 1st, this year and sentenced to be
hanged Friday, being refus: a rev trial
by Judge Harris Friday neruins. His
attorneys, Reese, Smith & Boykin,
filed bill of exceptions aud carried
the csss to the supreme court. 4 large
crowd Of peopls had cone town to
witness the hanging, and when it was
learned that an sppes. had been taken
to the supreme court, delaying ezeeu
zion, there was much ia K. which csys
ts!izsd soon after 10 the formation Of a
mob.
At neon the mob made an assault on
the jail. They battered down the cut
side iron door, despite the warning Of
the sheriff, and entered The building
They made demand on the sheriff
for the key to the negroes cell. but
were refu4ed. With thu refusal, they
began their advance upon the sheriff
anl the few Deputies which he had
been able to SUMMON to his aid. They
were told to stop or thsy would be fred
on, but the order was not obeyed. AS
they advanced down the corridor to
wards the sheriff, the order vas given
to FIRE. Bennett fell, dying almost in
ssantly. Thomas Word, the father of
Williams yi;tim, who was in the front
Of the mob, was badly shot, IS was also
an unknown countryman.
The unexpected fight Of the sheriff
and his posse frightened ths mob and
they retreated outside the Jail. Here
they broke and ran and we're soon div;d.
ed into little groups discussing the
event. Sheriff Merrill at once consulted
Judge Harris, Of the county court, and
it was decided to call upon Gov. Cand
ler for aid. The gcvsrnor was COM
municated with by telephone and said
he would send two companies from
Atlanta as soon as they could be as
sembled.
During the afternoon the mcb tele-
phoned the situation to friends in the
adjoining towns Of Villa kies aud
Temple and made IN appeal for more
men to effect the capture of the negro
This was commun;cat 4 also to Gov.
Gambler and the governor soon Wir:d
proclamation to the people Of the
county. 1t was read from the steps of
tho court house at 4 o'clock ~ the
mayor. The governor commanded the
people to dispense and said the entire
military and civil forces Of the State
would be used to enforce order if neces-
cary. The r>ading Of the proclamation
apgsrently had a good efsct, as many
! people Wers seen to uouat their horses
and leave town.
Much apprehension vas felt for the
Dight and the sheriff and city and
county c&,ials, after a consultation
decided 10 take the prisoner out Of the
county for safekeeping. The Atlasts
militia, under command Of Msjor Bar
ker, arrived about o'clock, and one
hour later escorted the negro and
sheriff 10 the train which was soon
speeding southwark for Atlanta.