The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-11-26
CARTER.McFAIL DIFFICULTY.
One Of the Principals Gives State.
ment In Regard To It.

One Of the Principals Gives State
ment In Regard To It.
W. L. McFail was in our Office last
week and gave the following account of
the recent difficulty, asking that it be
published. A stenographer working here
at the time took the statement. he said:
Il have been considerable of a wild
man, but I have laid down my arms.
My mission is peace; and have resolved
to do what is just, and honest, and right.
"Now, in regard to this matter between
McFail and Carter, you can say: McFail
comes to the front and gives true synop-
sis of the affair, regardless of consequences
About four years ago I sold Mr. Carter
a mule conditionally. He was to pay me
for the mule in the FALL or pay me for
the work of it; but in the Fall he returned
the mule to me and asked me to trade it
for horse, as the mule did not suit him.
But our bargain was that he was to pay
me S25 for the work of the mule or return
me the mule in the Fall, which he did. l
exchange the mule for wild horse and
| I paid the difference. Mr.. Carter requested
me to do so, as he had no money or means
to pay the difference. I exchanged it, or
traded it, for wild horse. gave Mr..
Carter good, gentle horse, which 1 paid
s125 for. Mr. Carter obligated to pay the
difference (or what had to pay between
animals, in the Fall, or pay me $25 for the
rent of the horse, and return me the horse
if he was not able to pay for it. Mr.. Car
ter came to me in the Fall and said
Billy, old fellow, this is all I have to
| give you,' and gave me $50, and I told
him that was all right. He has not paid
me dollar since. Two years have passed.
II do not know that would have in
terfered with Mr.. Carter so soon but he
disposed of Ny horse, and gave me no in
telligence of the fact.
"He came to my place on Thursday,
the 18th of this month, late in the even
| ing; inquired for me; was at Edisto
river, loading cars, until dark; then /
went duck hunting, and it was late before
came out. On my way home, between
8 and o'clock at night, l was hailed by
Mr.. Carter and his son. I saw that they
were under the influence of whisky, and
I attempted to drive on. But, being re-
quested to stop, by the young man (Mr.
Charley Steedley) who was in the buggy
with me, he saying that he wished to see
young Carter on some business, I stopped.
"Mr. Carter got out Of his buggy and
told me that he wanted to see me on
business, but told him he was not in a
fit condition to talk business, being under
the influence of whisky. He told me it
was none Of my id business; that
he had heard of some statements had
made concerning him and the horse that
he had got from me. And after he said
what he had heard was, I told him that
what he had heard was true.
II walked round in front of Ny horse,
i which Carter was driving the horse !
had let Mr.. Carter have) I told him all
i I wanted was the money for my horse, OF
i for his work, or the horse. He said I
could not get it; that he did not owe me
i a ID cent. says: Well I had bet
IIter take my horse, and commenced un-
harnessing him. Old man Carter run up
and interfered. pushed him away from
me. He said to me: You can't do that
His son ran up behind 1ne-caught my
arms from behind my back, in this man.
ner Iillustrating1. The old man runs up
in front of me and says: will cut your
Id g-s out of you and then he cut
; me. do not know what kind of an in.
strument it was that he cut me with, be.
cause it was dark night. pushed the
old man away from me, the best I could
and threw his son loose from me; and
turned and started to my buggy, and
| the young man with me in the buggy Mr.
Steedly) caught me and I had.a consider
able tussel to relieve myself of him. Now
by the time I threw Mr.. Steedly away
from me, Mr.. Carters son cut my horse
with a whip and he run off with my
buggy, and 1 run behind my buggy unit
cot near enough to my horse to speal
to him, and he stopped. When the horse
stopped I called to Mr.. Steedly; he an
swered me; and I looked down the roac
in the direction that Mr. Carter was going
and apparently horse and men were III
the air they were going!
81 did not desire to hurt MIR. Carter o.
his son. helped him when he failed tt
secure help from any other source; ant
| little did dream that he would attempt tt
deprive me of my property or assassinat'
me by night. Realizing his condition
that he was under the influence of whisky
I did not feel disposed to kill him or hi
= son. That is all I have got to say about it
"In regard to the statement in the las
issue of the HERALD, that I killeda negro
in Branchville, I assert that I did it lik'
man. was tried by my conntryme1
and they saw no guilt. Isimply did wha
T felt was my duty in trying to preven
the brute from killing my nephew. II
regard to the policeman that I killed a
Midway: I underwent hard and fiery
trial. I bore every burthen and lie tha
was heaped upon me, which were almos
innumerable. I did my duty as though
| in defense of my own life. paid tn,
penalty of the law, and was finally ex
onerated by pardon Of the Governor o.
: our State and the many friends who haG
petitioned for me to obtain the same.
GAS said before: my mission is peace
and the goodwill of God, and the God
/ am striving for. I ask the press of my
county and State to please let up on me
in regard to things which I have already
suffered compound interest for: Sign my
name. W. L. McFAIL."
This newspaper has as its greatest
mission the printing of the news as ii
; finds it, and without bias. Not to mag.
Nifty the shortcomings of others in record:
L Il