The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-07-15
JOHN WHAM HAS
SURRENDERED.
Camc In To Jail OH Friday
Night.
STORY OF TRAGEDY.
The killing Of Lafayette
Ramage.
Most Deplorable of Recent Years
in Laurens COm All the Par
ties Prominent.

The killing last Thursday morning
of l.. w. Ramage by John Wham was
the most deplorab!e OF recent years in
this county. Wbam fled after the shoot
ing but surrendered to Sheriff Duckett
Friday night at midnight, coming to
Laurens for that purpose, His friends
say that he did not f. 'rom justice but
to avoid trouble with friends of the
dead man. Ferguson md Fe&thenstone
and w. II. Richey are Wham's attor-
neys.
Both men, the dead and the living,
were prominent and popular in Llu-
rens county. Both wor, farmers of
the thrifty, industrious and debt-paying
kind. Both were men useful in their
communities and valuable to the county.
Mr.. Wham has large numbers of
friends and re.atives-few men in Lau-
rens have larger family connection.
His father Is Robert Wham and he is
a nephew Of James Wham, both splen-
did types of laurens citizenship
though Robert Wham does rot live in
the county now. John Whsm ran in
the primary for county treasurer last
year, receiving the next highest vote
to j. III. Copeland, though not enough
to get in the second primary.
"Fate" Ramage was the adopted son
of the late James Bell, who was good a
man as ever Laurens county had. Mr..
Ramage YVES firstrate farmer and his
record as man of integrity was with
out b'emish. He was man of peace
and sobriety. His father is Mr.. Frank
Ramege, well known and popular
citizen.
The editor of TIE ADVERTISER was
out OF the county when the tragedy oc.
Cured and for that reason the accounts
sent from Clinton and Laurens to TIE
Charleston News aud Courier are given
below:
CLINTON, July 9.-Specal: The town
was thoroughly aroused to-day over the
killing of ]. Lafayette Ramage, res!d-
ing near Laurens, by John q. Wham,
farmer, living two miles west Of
Clinton, at 8 o'clock this morning, In
Mr.. Wham's back yard. The trouble
arose regarding irregularities between
q member of Mr.. Tom Simpsons fam
lily, q nearby neighbor. and Mr.. Wham
on Monday afternoon. 1t is understood
that Mr.. Simpson threatened the life
of Mr.. Wham and did 60 to Mr..
Wham's house arm d, but after having
talk returned without difficulty. AT
ter telling the circumstances regarding
his grievances, ard with many advis-
ers and others to help STIR the 8 nsa-
tion, he becar.e further iEcensed, bu',
Influenced by others more conserva-
tive, delayed his action in the mean
time and this morGing early Mrs. .Wham,
anxious to have the affair stopped
without further trouble, went to the
home of Mr.. Rarlege and asked him to
come down and endeavor to quiet and
pacify Mr. Simpson and many of his
friends, who had by this time gath
cred at or near the residence of Mr..
Wham. Mr.. Ramago came at the re-
quest Of Mrs. Wbam, but sometime af
ter she had returned home, during
which time Mr.. Wbam had armed him
self and barricaded his house, feeling
from the threats he had heard that his
life was in danger. When Ramage ar
rived be stopped first at or near Simp-
son'S house, which Is Cnly a few hun
dred yards distant from Mr.. Wham's,
aud where crowd of Simpsons friends
were gathered. Ramage and Reed
Blakely came down to Wham's house
Wham came out to the gate, spoke to
and shook hands with Ramage. Ram
age asked Wham TO go with him over
to Simpsons house, that they wanted
to have talk, and If possible settle
ment of their grievances, and that
Ramage would guarantee that Wham
would not be hurt. Ramage asked
Wbam II he was armed. He said he
was. Ramage asked him to disarm
himself and come and go. Wham said:
Let me go in the house first" and
turned to 60 in, when Mr.. Blakely, who
was with Ramage at the gate, said;
"You had better not let him go In the
house," Whereupon Ramage asked
him to stop, but Wham went ON into
the house and Ramage walked around
into the back yard, and just at this
iuncture Wham saw several men COM
ing towards hie house, and not liking