The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-07-21
lrW0 NEGROES PAY
} THE DEATH PENALTY
FURTHER DETAILS OF THE MURDER
NEAR BATESBURG
Killing Of, Postmaster at Chinquapin Pol
lowed BY Two Lynchings
counts Are Conflicting.
News and Courier.

hikel', ouly -hepoItS Tedcneu
Aiken Oh Thursday Of the murder Of
Mr.. William Hall, postmaster at
Chinquepln postoffice, near the line
between Aiken and Lexington conn.
ties, by George Edwards, negro;
also The killing of two negroes by
white men in search of Edwards.
Chinquapin is in Aiken county,
Stwenty five miles from this city, and
has no telephone or telegraph com
mpnicati,n with the outside world
Mr. William Hall WAS a prominent
, young man of about 33 years of age
Gand scion of peaceful, law-abiding
Ramily of some prominence in the
community.
About year ago Mr.. Hall had
dispute with Edwards about an &C
count Edwards owed him. Edwards
refused to pay the bill and Mr.. Hall
ordered him off his premises and
told him not to put his foot on the
place again. Edwards threatened
then to kill Mr.. Hall, but no atten.
ton was paid to the matter, as his
threats we're thought to be only the
bluster of bully. Several times
after that Mr.. Hall bore the insults of
the negro.
On Wednesday the negro came
into Mr.. Halls store and offered to
sell some tobacco tags. The negro
had gun with him and Mr.. Hall
asked him what he WAS doing with it.
Edwards replied that he WAS just
carrying it to do little shooting.
Mr. Hall told him that he knew he
was carrying that gun to kill him
with, and told Edwards that he was
tired of his insolence and that he
had better. look out or he would
thrash him.
The negro walked out of the store
and went to his house across the
creek, in Lexington county. As he
went across the bridge he fired his
gun, and when Mr.. Hall heard this
token Of defiance he told hie twenty
year old brother, Judson, to 20 to
the house and get their guns, and
they would go to Edwards house
and give HIM the thrashing that
WAS promised. The two Halls came
upon the negro in his house and
William, telling Jndson to hold his
gun on Edwards, proceeded to give
the negro the lash. A negro wo-
man in the house, thinking the white
men intended to kill Edwards,
threw herself between him and the
white mon. Edwards reached around
the woman while che WAS arguing
with the Halls and grabbed the gun
out of Williams hand and shot him
through the heart. He then dragged
Judson out Of the house and beat
him up very badly in the face and
breast and would, no doubt, have
killed him if he had not been stopped
Wy the woman.
Magistrate Shealey, Of Lexington
county, held al inquest over Will
liam Hall on Thursday morning,
and the jury brought in the usual
verdict, viz: William Hall was
killed by a gunshot wound at the
hands of George Edwards.
A party searching for Edwards on
Thursday, about a. M, went to the
house of Dennis Head, in Aiken
county, a known pal of the negro
and, upon being refuse admittanoe
broke open the door and pulled out
Head and negro boy and told them
that if they would keep quiet they
would not be hurt. Head was bound
to prevent treachery and placed in {
buggy. While the party WAS search
ing tho house Head asked them tc
let the boy bring his clothes from
the house. The men allowed the
boy to do this and when he brought
out the bundle they told him to tos'
it to Head in tho buggy. When tho
boy threw it the bundle struck thu
wheel of the vehicle and a pistol fol
out Oft When the boy saw tha
his plan was discovered he drew
revolver and fired pointblank at on
of the white men. The men sho