Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-05-01
THE KILLING OF VERNON WATSON.
Story Of tho Tragedy and How Dillingham;
Captured the Criminal.
lAndorson Daily Mail, April 2s,]

/
Will Owens, the youthful negro slayer
Of Vernon Watson. is o son of George
Owens, who was committed to Jail here
some time, ago under sentence to serve
on the chain gang thirty days or pay a
fine. His fine WAS paid by Mr.. +. G..
Brown, aud Owens made contract with
him to labor on his Rivoli farm this year.
Soon after entering upon his contract lie
skipped out and has not been seen since.
Last Friday Mr.. Watson, who was the
mapager ,of> tho plantation, discovered
that Ovens family was preparing to
move off. He had sold Owens a couple
of small pigs which were to be paid for
out Of his labor, and as they had not
been paid for he went to the negro's
house to get the pigs, which wore already
boxed up preparatory to the removal.
Owons' wife interfered with him and
attempted to prevent him from going to
the box. Young Owens, who had made
previous threats against Watson, was in
the house and seized his double barreled
shotgun and fired, tho load wounding
his mother in tho left arm and left breast
and striking Watson in tho stomach.
Seeing his danger and being unarmed he
started off, when the negro fired the
other barrel into his back, the load pene-
trating his kidneys and bowels, causing
death in about two hours. The shooting
was witnessed by white man by the
namo of Cappoll and there were other
white men soon there, but the negro was
allowed to escape. The mother of the
negro shut herself up in tho house and
ragged like Gagged lion, breathing out
defiance and threatening to any white
man who should attempt to molest her.
The sceno of the tragedy is about
eleven miles from this city, and Deputy
Sheriff Dillingham; reached there with
his dogs about IL O'Clock. Nothing had
been dono toward the capture of the
negro nor was any assistance rendered
him in any way, rs tho crowd seemed to
be ratified. He Immediately began a
search to got OH tho trail, and, after q
considerable time, the dogs struck it and
followed it across Earle's bridge, on
Seneca river, to the fork of the road
above the Sharpe place, and there it left
the read and took through tho fields and
woods, down the river. Dillingham; left
his buggy here and followed on foot, and
near the now forry, about threo or four
miles below, in pathway in the woods,
he ran right on the negro, face to face,
and soon had him under arrest. This
was about sunrise, and by 8 a. IN. yestcr-
day the prisoner was in Jail here. 1t was
the hardest chase Dillingham; has ever
had, and he says it is the first tmo he
began to doubt that ho would got his
man.
Vernon Watson was son of Mr., L.
Reed Watson, one of the most prominent
and extensive families in the county, and
was fine young man of great promise.
He was "a years old, and was married
about year ago to Mss Annie Vandi-
YER, of Hopcwell, a daughter of Mr.. w.
j. Vandivcr, whom lie leaves with babe
of only three or four months.
Coroner Banister went to the scene of
the tragedy yesterday morning and held
an inquest. Tho verdict of the jury was
that tho deceased came to his death from
a gunshot wound inflicted at the hands
of William Owens.
"lt is with good deal of pleasure and
satisfaction that recommend Chamber
lain's Collie, Cholera and DiarrhOa Rem
| edy," says Druggist a. w. Sawtello, of
Hartford, Conn. "a lady customer, see
| ing the remedy exposed for sale on my
showcase, said to me: Il really believe
that medicine saved my life tho past
summer while at tho Shore and she be-
camc so enthusiastic over it's merits that
| at once mado up my mind to recon-
mend it in the future. Recently gen-
| tleman cam" into my store SO overcome
with colo ..ins that he sank at once to
the floor. | gave him dose of this
remedy which helped him. 1 repeated
tho dose and in fifteen minutes ho left
my store smilingly informing mo that he
fclt as Syell g eynr - Sald IL.