The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-23
BY A WOMAN'S HAND
BURLY NEGRO AssAILANT WAS
BEATEN TO DEATH.
ARMED WITH A PISTOL
BRUTE ATTACKED WHITE WOMAN
AND HER SON.

story of the Desperate Defense of an
Humble Home Comes From Cam
den, s. C.--Negro, Who Lived Near,
Broke in Door With an Ax-FIour-
ishing His Pistol and Threatening
He Was Seized by Mother and Her
son-The Woman Mashed in His
skull.
Columbia, S. c., Nov. 22.-News has
lust reached here of dastardly at
tempt on the part of a negro by the
name of Ned Kendrick to force his
way into the room of Mrs. Mary E.
Elliott, a highly respected and hard
working white woman, As years old.
who lives with her 19-year-old son
near Camden.
The negro reaped the due reward
for his criminal intent. as Mrs.
Elliott, with undaunted courage that
would have done honor to any, kill
ed him, at her door step.
The story as related by reliable
parties, who lived in the neighbor-
hood, is as follows:
Mrs. ETliott's nearest neighbor was
Ned Kendrick, who lives with his fam
fly about 100 yards from her house.
The next nearest neighbors were some
white people, about quarter of a
mile distant.
Mrs. Elliotts home consisted of one
room, occupied by herself, and a shed
room, where her son, Allen Elliott,
slept, opening upon a back porch.
Attack of. the Negro.
On Wednesday night, between and
10 o'clock, Ned Kendrick appeared in
front of the shed room, began to
curse young Elliott, fired off a pistol,
and warned him he would shoot him
if he poked his head out of the win
dow. as he had the right gang with
him!"
He then went on to Mrs. Elliott's
back door, fired his pistol again,
cursed her and told her to keep quiet
or he would shoot her. He then be-
gan to batter down the front door
with an fax. Mrs. Elliott recognized
Kendrick by his voice, and unlocked
the back door just as he entered the
room, armed with a gun and pistol,
by the front door. At the same mo-
ment Allen Elliott rushed into the
room through the door just opened by
his mother.
Then it was that Mrs. Elliott, in
mortal terror that the intruder would
shoot her unamed son, jumped at
Kendrick like tigress, and
ton his arms t@ hfs body. At the same
ifistrnt her son seized him by the
throat and began to choke him.
Fought ON the Floor.
In the scuff1e that followed all three
fell and rolled out of the house. Mrs.
Elliott jumped up, wrenched the ne
gro's pistol out of his hand. and beat
him over the head with it till it broke.
She then crushed his skull by ham
mering it with a rock. She continued
this attack until he was dead.
Had it not been that the negro was
weakened by a spell of fever, the out
come of the fight would have been
doubtful, as he was, when in full
health, a powerful man, weighing fully
30 pounds.
Mrs. Elliott who has reared her son
unassisted, by working her little farm
herself, enjoys the esteem and respect
of all who know her.
After viewing the body, the coroner's
jury rendered a verdict of excusable
homicide.
On examination of Hendricks body
1t was found that the negro had tied
up his shoes in old rags, and had a
quantity of matches in his pocket, and
it was also ascertained that he had
made arrangements to drive to Cam
den early in the morning. 1t is there
fore presumed that, after killing young
Elliott and carrying out his sinister
design on Mrs. Elliott. he intended to
kill her also, and then obliterate all
traces of the dead by setting fire to the