The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-30
The Hampton County LyncIling.

McSveenev from Magistrate R. N.
Daley, of Scotia, the acting coroner
The Governor has referred the report
to Solicitor J. E. Davis, in whose cir
emit the affair occurred, and states
that he feels satisfied that the solicitor
will do his full duty in the matter.
The report to the Governor reads as
follows:
Dear Sir: It becomes my painful
duty to report to you deplorable
deed of mob violence that was perpe-
trated on the night of October the
18th, 1901, near Furman. in Hampton
County, by parties unknown. The
facts are as fellows: What the State
is prepared to prove. On the night
of October II, 1901, at Scotia, S. c.,
about 10 O'Clock, the dwelling house
of DR.. M. L. Peoples was broken into
and entered by one VIM Sanders, (this
is the name giveno} Mrs. Peoples, the
wife of DR.. Peoples, was aroused and
said to her husband some one was IN
the room. She struck match to light
the lamp and was fired upon by said
Sanders. He fSanders) had procured
the Doctors pistol, which he used and
had also procured gold watches and
chains to the value of s118. When he
fired, the Doctor sprang out Of bed
and spoke to Sanders. Sanders then
ran to the front of the house and
broke through large glass door, on
the front of said house, and made his
escape up the track towards Estill.
He was pursued by DIR. Peoples and
others and caught on the morning OF
October 1S about daylight. His faced
showed glass cuts. The watches, pis-
tol and chains were found on his per-
son and taken away by his captors.
Sanders was brought back to Scotia,
the place of the crime. DR.. Peoples
then sent for rue. I arrived at Scotia
at about $50 p. M. There was good
" crowd there. I issued warrant
for Sanders and ne was turned over to
Special Constable j. A. Pender,
very discreet and reputable citizen,
and brought on the charge of burglary
and grand larceny for, preliminary.
examination. Sanders waived exanl-
nation in writing and voluntarily said
he was guilty of the crime. I then
committed him to jail at Hampton,
to be thence delivered by due course
of law in default of bail. AS my regu-
lar constable was away in the upper
part of the county at work, l appoint
ed Mr.. j. A. Pender, special consta-
bic. to take Sanders to Hampton. Mr..
Pender left Scotia, with the prisoner
late that evening, October Is, just be-
fore sundown. What the testimony
shows at inquest was to the effect that
night overlook him several miles be-
low Scotia, on the way to Hampton,
and Mr.. J. A. Pender stopped for the
night at his (Pender's) house, thinking
it would be safer to stay there till
morning. Pender then got three OF
his neighbors to help him guard San
ders till daylight:
On October 19 was sent for again
by Mr.. j. A. Fender to hold an IN
quest over the dead body OF the prison
er. Sanders. I held the inquest with
twelve reputable citizens as jurors and,
after hearing the testimony OF Mr.
J. A. Pender, the constable, and his
deputies or guards, and thoroughly IN
vestigating the crime, we failed to
ascertain the identity of any of the
parties to the diabolical deed. The
Jury of inquest brought in verdict
that William Sanders came to his
death by being shot and hanged by
parties unknown to the jury. The
testimony of all the witnesses for the
State is agreed that about 10 o'clock
on the night of October Is Mr. Pender
had the prisoner safe at his (Pender'sl
house, when very large crowd OF
armed men came there and demand
ed the prisoner, which was refused by
Mr.. Pender. The door of Mr.. Pen
der's house was then broken open by
the crowd of a hundred or more men
masked, Mr.. Pender and his guard
overpowered and the prisoner taken
and carried about one mile away, and
shot and hanged by the neck, and
that none of the witnesses recognized
the identity of any of the parties.
"I failed in the Investigation to
find any who knew the prisoner,
Sanders. He was burly, large, black
negro, about 80 or 35 years old, and
weighed 18O or 200 pounds; about 5
feet, 10 inches in height. I have
bound over Mr.. J. A. Pender and those
who were helping him to guard the
SNN&o Va NNSA~NNN~ ~
sions, February term, at Hampton,
subject to the action of the grand jury,
and forwarded all papers to the clerk
of the court and coroner. [ would
have notified you sooner, but wanted
to write you the facts fully, and could
not do so until after full investigation.
Hoping this will reach you safely and
be a satisfactory explanation, yours
very truly, R. M. Daley, Magistrate.
P.S.-The people around Scotia are
very much surprised at this violence
as well as myself, as every one ex-
pressed satisfaction in the penalty
that the law fixed for the prisoners
crime-life sentence in the peniten-
tiary. Il. M. u.
Thirty-hve years ago John and Edith
Lytes and George and Lizzie Danner,
+bo, "a coTf1oS on aS-