The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-02-19
q HARDENED CRIMINAL.

a Rowing Burglar Who Eas Been Run
Down at Last.
On the third day of last June the
store Of Mr.. \. F. H. Dukes, at
Branchville, was broken into early in
the morning \ colored man passing
saw light in the store at that un-
usual, time, went to Mr.. Dukes resi-
dence and told him of it. Mr.. Dukes
and his son-in-law, after arming them
selves, went to the store. Mr.. Dukes
entered the back door, which he found
open and was fired upon several times
by the thief inside, who missed him
only by a few inches. Mr.. Dukes re-
turned the fire, but without effect.
The thief escaped through the front
door, and was shot at by Mr.. Archie
Wright.
On the following morning a man
who gave his name as c. c. Campbell,
Of Tennessee, was arrested few miles
below Branchville, and Mr. Dukes
identified him as the person he saw in
his store, Campbell was placed in the
Orangeburg Jail and tried for the
crime at the last term of Court. He re-
fused the services Of an attorney; man
aged his own case with considerable
ability, and received q verdict of not
guilty; After bis release he went to
Branchville, called at Mr.. Dukes
store and left a message for him, that
he had forgiven him for the prosecu-
tion and hoped God would do likewise.
Campbell then left the town.
On Saturday night, February 8,
the general store of J. B. Gillian, Jr.
at Lees, in Bamberg county, was
broken open by aSprofessional burglar,
but before he could get away with his
booty he was trapped and captured
by j: W. Fickling, J.B. Gilman, W.
C, Cave and S. r. Rhodes, after
lively battle with pistols and shot
guns, in which all escaped without in
jury except the thief who now wears a
liberal charge OF fine shot in his other
wise not ugly face. The shot
ruined one eye, knocked out two teeth
and left his face much in the condi-
tion of a sieve. The burglar proved
to be a white man. he was lodged in
the Bamberg County jail, where he
will remain until his trial.
To representative Of The Bamberg
Times he gave full account Of him
self and his pecolations. His story is
interesting and in the main can be
fully verified. Recently he mas been
known at different times as Williams
Williamson, Johnson and Charles c.
Campbell, the latter being his real
name without doubt. His story is as
follows:
MY name is c. c. Campbell, son
of farmer W. c. Campbell, Of Morris
town, Tenn. Am a machiniSt, age
p, unmarried. steal because can
not help it,-it is disease with me.
I 60 months without stealing, then
the fit comes on me, the devil gets
into me, and 1 60 out to steal. My
father has spent fortune on me try
ing to cure me Of this habit, but other
peoples property will stick to my hng-
ers in spite Of me. Spent two years,
1896 and 1897 in the Knoxville asylum
for insane, where my father placed
me to cure me of stealing. I left
home last May 5th, was arrested at
Branchville June 3rd, last, charged
with breaking into the store Of A. F.
b. Dukes. Was tried at Orangeburg
for that crime at the January term Of
court and acquitted. I then went to
Columbia and worked in the Olym-
ptia mills until last FRIDAY, when I
left purposely to rob Mr.. Gillam's
store. I was in his store about a
month ago. Arrived at Lees at dark
last Saturday. Went to depot shed
and took nap. Woke up about nine
o'clock that night, and found an axe
with which broke into the store. I
knocked the safe open with the axe
and found only few pennies which
I would not take. I piled up such
stuff as wanted and was almost ready
to leave when I heard some one rattle
tie window blind. I was then at the
middle door. I took my pistol from
it's scabbard and jumped from in front
of the window. Then the man at the
window fired one shot and said:
Come out-we'ye got you fired at
him and he returned the fired. I fired
again and he ran away. Then I went
to the end door looked out and man
shot me in the face. Ishot at him
twice. I thought I was fatally shot.
They told me to throw down my gun
and come out and I complied with
their demands"
There is no doubt but that he is the
same man who broke into the store OF
Mr.. Dukes at Branchville in June.
He does not confess that he is but he
says he was arrested and tried for that
burglary, but was acquitted. When
he was acquitted in Orangeburg a
handsome purse was made up for him.
The afternoon he was acquitted, ne
came into the office Of The Times ana
Democrat, and requested that his
thanks be returned to the people for
their kindness. He spoke Of his old
father in Tennessee and how happy he
would be when he heard OF his acqult-
tai. He protested his innocence, and
said while he was a poor man he was
an honest one, but it seems that he IS
a most accomplished rascal. He may
have been connected with the recent
train r0hhprV near SraOclYllle.-