The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-11-14
MURDERED IN Columbia.
A n ch;nist at Railway Shops is the
Victim.

| ludl ueCCdSSu Nall.G " L!o SS-NS-4 A. --~
a shotgun wound inflicted by Archie
McCraney and that Harry Jones and
seven others, to the jury unknown, are
! accessories to the killing.
| This is the most tragic affair which
mas occurred in Columbia for months.
1t happened in the dead Of night IN 4
retired and low quarter, yet its relation
to other events make it one Of the mott
sensational affairs in connection with
the strike of the machin!s:s on the
Southern Railway.
William Seaver and Walter Rinder
came here to take the place OF men
who had quit the Southern Railways
shops. There has been intense feel ng
between the strikers" and the ''s2&bs'
and more than one clash has occurred.
A number of the strikers are now IN
der indictment for riot and assault.
Seaver and Linder occupied "tacEe-
lors' quarters" in miserable little ca
! bin in the midst OF nero settlement
in a swampy suburb Of the city. A Mrs.
Mclean has been their ''hcusekeeper.
This place evidently has ve.y Cnsa-
worry reputation.
Saturday night about II O'Clock, ac-
cording to the testimony Of Linder,
who is severely wounded, there was
knock at the door. Il went to the
door,. said he, "and was confronted
by these men, one Of whom was armed
with a double -barrcled shotgun, and
one with a revolver. They asked me
who lived here, replied that myself
| and another gentleman. / then askea
him who he was and what his bus
ness was He replied that he was
constable armed with search warrant
and was looking for a colored man
| suppose to live in the house. ! re-
piled that there were no colored men
| In this house I asked him to show me
the warrant and they refused. Hear
ing the noise, Mr.. Seaver came to the
front door. Then the men began call
ingius 'scabs' and other names, and or
dered us to come out OF the house,
| threatening to blow our brains out II
we did not comply. Instantly white
man sprang over the railing with re-
yolver pointed at Mr.. Seaver. At the
same time the man with the double
barre!ed shotgun discharged the
same full in my face. | then turned
and as the crowd backed away to SUR
round the house l started for the
middle room and passed on to the
| kitchen to secure hand axe. AS l
reached the kitchen door opening on
the rear porch. / heard shots in the
front room and heard the fall of
body accompanied by heavy groars,
mingled with curses.
Just as I was about to step to the
kitchen door to pick up the hatchet. |
| was shot in two places-left knee AM
LETT wrist-and fell. then heard more
curses in the front room accompany
| ing a shot Then heard the footsteps
of parties approaching toward me. Ar
irving at my PROSTATE form they be.
gan cursing me.
az endeavored to rise and was i'm
mediately kicked in the head and back
with cries of finish the damned scab,
we have fixed the other; we will now
| finish him. Others interposing, they
desisted and disappeared in the dark
| ness"
The above testimony was taken by
Coroner Green before the wounded man
| was removed to tie hospital. Although
the homicide occurred about midnight.
it was nearly o'clock before the po-
lice could be notified as the negroes in
Ethe neighborhood were terrified.
SsAs the place is out Of the city limits
Police Sergeant Jones appealed to the
sheriff for authority to take up the
case. Sheriff Coleman and his depu-
titseioned the police and a rigid search
was. instituted. There are no streets
in that neighborhood. hogs run wild
in the roads and wallow in the slug
gsh LITTLE stream which winds among
the houses. and weeds grow rank up
to the doors of the houses. In the
night the sheriff had difficulty in get
ting started. Finally he hit the right
clue-Quite by accident. He had gone
to the home Of white woman to find
out what she knew Of the affair. In his
deposition before the coroner, Sheriff
Coleman said: There were two men
in bed in the front om.We questlonde
the woman and asked her IL she kne"
anything about the case. She replied
she had heard these boys in the bed
talking about it. stepped to the foot
of the bed. The two men in bed were
Arthur McCraney and Harry Jones. !
said to McCraney. Hello Mac. what's
the trouble out here? He said, Wei,
what about it, l said. We'll, that's
what am asking you, what about it,
His reply was. We'll. how about it"
said, oh, well. you might as we'll an
swer me. l am not answering any
questions McCraney raised up IN
bed and threw the covering off and
said q did Il. am the man who done