The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-01
SHOT DOWN
On His Own Doorsteps by a Brutal
Negro,
WHO IS CAUGHT AND KILLED.
The Murderer Was Caught by In
censcd Citizens Who Sent to
Columbia for the Peniten-
tiary Bloodhounds.
tiary Bloodhounds.

The Columbia State says Mr.. Jim
Irby, one Of the guards at the State
penitentiary, went to Newberry Wed
nesday to assist in the hunt for George
Caughman who in fendiSh spirit
mnrderered a white farmer Of that
county Tuesday morning.
News of the tragedy did not reach
Columbia until yesterday, although
the blood hounds were wired for Tues
day night. Mr.. Cole L. BleaSe, who
was in the city yesterday, gave the
details Of the terrible CRIME for which
the negro IS being hunted.
Caughman. who is known in New
berry city as an impudent negro, had
been picking cotton fer a Mr.. Smith,
a farmer who lives near Bush River
church, near the LaurenS county line.
Caughman's inamorata was also living
on this farm. Monday night Caugh-
man, while enraged for some cause,
administered a whipping, and the
woman. fearing further violence. sent
a little boy to tell the farm overSeer,
Mr.. Ed. Adams.
AS to what followed there is some
discrepancy in the reports. Some say
that Mr.. Adams. accompanied by a
Mr.. Poe, went to the house and gave
Caughman severe thraSh;ng and ran
him off the place. The other account
is to the effect that the white men did
not whip Caughman but ran him
away.
The following morning, Tuesday,
Mr.. Adams was called from his break
fast table by the negro Caughman who
declared that he wanted settlement
for his time while picking cotton. Mr.
Adams went towards the gate and
was fired upon three times. Each
shot took effect in a vital spot. The
first struck him in the left side OF the
abdomen, the second just below the
left nipple and the third entered the
brain just over the lett eye.
Leaving his victim dead at his own
doorstep the assassin made his ecape'
The surrounding country was soon IN
the saddle, but the negro could not be
found. The house Of his wife was
surrounded and watched all night and
The posse drew away yesterday morn
ing confident that he was not ID that
neighborhood. The woman says that
the pursuels had been gone less than
Is minutes when George came for some
clothes. Some discredited the wo-
mans story, thinking she was trying
to throw the posse off Of the scent,
but it was thought advisable to try
the dogs.
When Mr.. Irby arrived in Newberry
with his string Of blood hounds. he
went to the scene of the tragedy, and
was accompanied by the deputy sheriff.
Mr.. johnson, Mr.. Tom Davenport and
Magistrate Chappelle. Sheriff Bedford
remained in his office. 1t was report
ed here that the white people were
very much enraged and that if Caugh-
man should be caught it would prob
ably mean a case for the coroner.
SHOT HIMSELF.
Wednesday night at 1920 The State
received a dispatch from Newberry
stating that the negro had been
caught "and had shot himself fatal
ly." No particulars were given and
it is not known whether the negro was
caught by the agency Of the dogs.
A dispatch from Newberry, to The
State, under date of Thursday, gives
the following particulars Of the negro
shooting himself: Caughman was cap
tured Wednesday afternoon. He was
trailed by bloodhoundS to point
about 100 yards behind his own home.
Being hotly pursued, he shot Himself
early Wednesday morning, but did not
kill himself. When found he was al
most in dying condition. About 100
men on horseback followed the dogs.
Immediately upon the discovery of
Caughman, excitement ran to fever
heat and lynching was narrowly pre-
vented. Caughman is at present in
the Newberry Jail. 1t is hardly pos
sible that he will live more than d few
days. In his testimony taken while
he thought he was dying he implica-
ted Two other negroes in the crime,