The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-12-31
NAN and HIS Wife LYACHE9.
Both Negroes Accused of the
Murder of a White Man.

Greenwood: December 27.-Will K.
Jay, one of the most prominent young
farmers of the Troy section of this
county, was foully murdered in his
own yard Friday evening, between 6
and I O'Clock, by either Oliver Wide
man or his wife, two negroes living
on his place. Bob negroes were made
to pay the death penalty for their deed
by an infuriated crowd of Mr.. Jay s
neighbors and friends.
From all accounts, many Of which
differ, the following is offered as the
most nearly correct Of how the killing
occurred: Mr.. Jay lives in new
place, about three and one-haif miles
from Troy. This place has never been
enclosed and the negro cabin former
ly occupied by the negroes is within
about twenty-five or thirty yards of
the residence.
Mr.. Jay was returning to his house.
after attending to some business in
the neighborhood, and when close to
his house he heard the two negroes
making considerable disturbance in the
house. It seems that the man was
abusing or fighting his wife, and she
was quarrelling and resisting. It was
to stop this disturbance that Mr.. Jay
went to their house, which, IS stated
above, is only about thirty yards from
his own house. He ordered the ne
groes TO be quiet, telling them that if
they could not be quiet they could not
stay on the place.
Immediately after this Mrs. Jay,
who was in her house, heard the re-
port of gun. She ran to the door and
looked out. She saw the two negroes,
man and wife. running away from
their cabin. Calling to them, she
asked what was the matter. The ne
groes made no ansewr, but kept run
ming.
Failing to get. any answer from
them, she called her husband. There
was no response. She was then wild
with fear, and began looking over the
yard and in short while found him,
dead, in a pool of his own blood. Al
most his entire head had been blown
off by the discharge Of one barrel Of a
double=barrel shotgun. Death was liz
Simultaneous. The alarm was at once
given and Immediately neighbors rush,
ed in. The news of the horrible mur-
der spread rapidly. Couriers started
in all directions.
A nearby telephone furnished the
news to Troy and neighboring towns,
and the whole country for miles around
was soon being literally secured for the
murderers.
A party of men coming towards the
place from a section of the community
a few miles north of Mr.. Jays home,
met two negroes in the road, a man
and woman. The party did rot know
the negroes, but arrested then On sus-
picion and carried them back e the
place of inquest. They were the guilty
ones.
When examined both acknowledged
the deed, but accused each other of
committing it; the man said the wo-
man did it, and the woman said the
man did it. They never changed from
this, but died accusing each other Of
the crime.
The gun with which the murder was
committed was carried to old Bill
Wideman's house, the father of the
man, and left there, while the two
started out in fight. They were going
towards Edgefeld when caught.
After the inquest the two negroes
were turned over to the constables pre-
sent, who started to Jail with them.
At the Winterseat Bridge they were
stopped by a crowd of infuriated
friends and neighbors and lgnched.
The lynching occurred about seven
hours after the inquest and was prob
ably about midnight.
The burial will take place at Troy to-
morrow at IL o'clock. \ namber Of
friends and members Of the Masonic
fraternity will go down from Green
wood to attend the funeral.
Mr.. Jay was a prominent Mason.
He was Worshipful Master of Stonewall
Lodge, of Troy, A. F. NJ. and was
also member of Greenwood Chapter
No. 27, R. a. M. He represented
Stonewall Lodge in the Grand L odge
of South Carolina, and for two years
had held the Office of Grand Junior
Warden in that august body.
Mr.. Jay was nephew of J. S. Jay,
of this city. Ile was son of D. ".
Jay, of Troy. He married some years
ago Miss Eva Mollinaux, of Troy,
who, with four little children, is left
to mourn his untimely death.