The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-05-01
SEIZED This Weikmsn Nh,Ie
Pleasantly Talking
SHOOTS DOWN FOUR MEN.
He Then Reloaded His PISTOL and
Hunted D, wn MCre Human
Oams. Fir ally Cv-r-
pt wereC by PuiIC..
pr wereo by Police.

paDy.
The principal actor in tho affair was
George II BraineId, f,remsu who
has been employed for the company for
ain ost twenty Years. For some un
known reason, and without the slight
est provocstjon. while cbstting with
his fellow woIkmeu, be whipped out q
80 calibre revolver aud opened fire On
the party around him. He was ev =
IDENTIFY an expert marksmau. fr in q
brief space Of time he killed one man
outright, fatally wounded another man,
and probably fatally wounded two
others. Then he made an attempt 10
kill Deputy Marshall W. A. Firth, when
the tfficer tried to place him under ar
rett.
The man who wss killed OUTRIGHT
was |. ii. Farnham Of Boston, the cleo
trical engineer ,f the New Easland
Telephone company. Earl Buxton .p-
other victim, died ia the hospital Wed.
pesday pight. Elmer u L,pe Of
Mechanic Falls and James Wsdswor,b
of Lewiston are believed to be fatally
Injured.
The only charitable motive that can
be assigned for tho crime is insanity.
yet neither before or after the tragedy
did Braiperd exhibit any marked evi.
dence of mental arrangement
The men in the tragedy were em
ployes of the telephone company, and
excepting Mr. Farnham, were engaged
in installing new exchange sysien On
the UPPER floor tf the building. There
were IA men in the crew, and Brainerd
had charge of the work. Mr.. Farnhsw
having general oversight The entirr
force, which was attached to the gen
eral office in Boston, had been at work
for three or four months. MIR. Farm.
ham came down from Boston Tuesday
night to lock over the portion com
pleted.
Wednesday morning the men went to
work as usual, and nothing out of the
ordinary occurred up to noon. Just be.
fore 2 O'Clock Mr.. FGnham and Mr.
Brainerd walked over 10 one corner of
the room. where earreuter was at
work. BTainerd gave the carpenter G
iw instructions, and then he and Mr..
Farnh1m walked ave. il I. f.ssaS,
manner. They passed down by the long
switchboard to the end, where they
stopped Then the report Of 8 revolver
rang out. The workmeD saw Mr. Farm
ham fall on the focr, with Brainerd
standing over him with smoking re-
volver in his hand.
Brainord did not remain inactive for
a moment after shooting Mr. FarDhsm,
but Immediately opened fire on the
other workmen. A panic followed, and
every man epdeavored to get under
cover to escape the bullets, which were
flying in every direction
Some attempted to escape through q
hole in the floor, but they we're unable
to squeeze themselves through, and
were then obliged to take chance at
lodging bullets as the ran for the stair
way. Some of the men lodged behind
boxes and ber ches until ,hey had q
chance to escape, but three &C them
were unable to reach a place of safety.
When Brainerd shot Mr.. Farnbam,
Lane and Wadsworth were working to-
gether directly across the room and be-
fore they could make the slightest move
Brainerd turned bis revolver on them
aud opened fire. Wsdsworth fell to the
floor, while Lane, who WAS not hit al
this time, made dash for closet in q
corner of the room Buxton was stand.
irg at bench near the head of the
stairway and Brsinerd taking deliberate
aim, sent bullet straight through his
lody. Buxton fell to the floor but re-
mained partly conscious. He saw
Brainerd come over to the head of the
stairway and reload the revolver aut
then start towards the closet in which
Lane had taken refuge. Brainerd wen
to that closet apparently with tht
deliberate intention Of killing Lane snc
although he did not kill him Instant,
he inflicted wounds which the physi
clans believe will prove fatal
Lane made game fight for life, bu
fell twice wouhded, while Buxton raj
down stairs and was cared for. Brain
erd then was alone on the fourth foo
With his three victims, but he i'm
mediately started down to the operat
lrg room shouting scrd for the police
Supt. j. ID. Stanford st this point RAJ
into the hall and met BrainCrd cominI
down the stairs, revolver in hard fran
ticslly calling for the police Mr.. Stan
ford knew Brainerd's + revolver was load
I'd, but he barred the door to the crowd
Cd operating room and demanded ths
the man return up stairs. "GO back
We will fix it with the police, he said
And Brsintrd Seus-bSnk.
A telephone III 3sssge hau hrOugh
Deputy Firth and others from the sIs
tion. The deputy at the fourth floor me
B7ainerd who, with self control. greet
cd him pleasantly, shook hands an
than turned as if to coup stairs. Th
deputy saw the revolver in Brainerd
hands and determined to oVerpowc
him AS Mr. Firth attempted to seiS
tie weapon, BrGinerd turned aud me
the attack with the revolver evelled Q
TIE deputy. A struggle followed sn
the revolver was discharged, the bullC
grazing the oficer's side.
Then another officer dubbed Brair
cred Ito submission and he was take
to the police station. He appeared e1
cited and ugly and was kept hsnC
cuffed. His clothing was saturste
with blood and he paced restlessly u
and down the cell.
In she meantime the surgeons ha
cared for the wounded. Wadswor!
had bullets through the left arm an
the bowels. Lane was shot in IL
throat and Buxton had received bu
let through the body. The men we
taken to the hospital and Buxton die
and Lane is barely alive. The pole
arc making iIqliry to determine
Brainerd has shown signs OF insanity
any previous time.