The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-07-08
AN ASSASSIN DIES.
The People Of Norway Hangs the
Doer of Dastardiy Crime.
AN OLD SOLDIER AssAssINATED
A Horrible Scene at Supper Table,
Which Worked the People
Up tn Fever Heat aud
Desperate.


AS was predicted the people of Nor
way avenged the brutal assassination
of Mr.. John Il. Phillips, an old Con-
federate soldier, early Wednesday
morning 10y lynching Charles Evans, a
mulatto negro who along with his
brother, Jim Evans, are known all
over the community as two bad men,
In addition to the lynching, the best
citizens OF the place agreed that it
was only right and proper TO teach
within the environments of the village
armed and threatening, and they took
them out just before Evans was lynch
ed and severely beat them. Mr.. Ran
dolph Smith, who was sent TO the
scene Of the trouble TO report the af-
fair for the State says whatever may
be the merits or demeritS Of lynch law
there perhaps never was an instance
before where the circumstances came
so near justillying the crime
LIKE A STORlED ROMANCE.
The whole tragic incident is more
like the chapter from romance OF
some feudal time than page from
life in the twentieth century. The old
soldier who is fatally wounded and
cannot live through the night, accord
ing to his physician, is utterly blame
less of having injured the negroes in
any way and says he has personally
done nothing to excite their ire. The
trouble dates back To last Saturday
morning, June 81, and, as is usual in
such cases, started over comparative
ly small matter. The negroes in the
vicinity of Norway have been very tri-
fling and impcrtinent for some time
past. Many OF them have positively
refused to work in the fields and the
crops have suffered not u little i'm con-
sequence. So on Saturday us above
stated when Lorenzo Williams, ne
gro with bad reputation, swore at
Addie Phillips, a son OF John II. Phil
Ups, Phillips spoke to some of his
friends and they all agreed that this
was going tritle too far, and advised
him TO whip the negro This the
Phillips boy, with the aid of his broth
er, Judge" Phillips, attempted to do.
They secured buggy whip and sum-
moned the negro to them. Then they
proceeded to give him-what every
body in the community said that he
deserved thraShing. The two
Evans negroes are friends OF the Will
liams negro. When they learned that
he was to be punished they followed
him Tn thn nf npt ion "hnn
elder Phillips boy began 10 lay on the
lash they protested, and the Phillips
boys warned them away, telling them
that unless they minded their business
they would get into trouble them
selves. The negroes Surlily took their
departure, and nothing was seen of
them on the following day, Sunday, by
the white people of the village. Some
OF the negSOeS who are inclined To be
loyal to their employees, however, say
that both Uf the Evans negroes came
back to the outskirts of the town on
Saturday evening, and openly made
threats against the whole Phillips
family, women and children included.
How these threats were carried out is
the after story.
The Evans negroes were both edu-
Gated. They could not Only read and
write but it is said had a knowledge
Of literature and read number of
northern newspapers. The Phillips
family and the other residents of Nor
way paid no attention to the threats.
In fact it seems that they simply re-
garded them as threats and no atten-
tion was paid to them. Everybody
in the village now regrets that the
proper respect was not paid TO these
threats. The Phillips house is Il mod
est home about half mile from the
railroad and on the outskirts of the
village. AT the south side is big
cotton patch, skirted by woods and
so situated that any one approaching
across the field can readily be seen
from the dining room of the Phillips
home. IL was not yet dark "A few
minutes before 3 o'clock on Monday
evening, when many Of the people
about the village were at supper, that
shot rang out in the village When
the smoke clared away two figures,
evidently those of negroes, were seen
running across the big cotton field,
and cries OF help were heard from the
Phillips home.
SCENE OF CHASTITY CRIME
The Rev. ID. II. CTosland, whose
home is just next To the Phillips
house, was the first one to get to the
stricken family There scene met
his eyes that was tinged with hor.
ror that the community had never
known. The aged Mr.. Phillips was
half leaning, half reclining on the arm
OF his 9-year. old son, Lee. The sup
per table, which had just been spread,
was literally covered with the blood
OF the old soldier who had served
through the Civil war only to die at
the hands Of a negro. Through the
window pane Of the porch window,
happened to he down, there were il
bullet holes that told the story OF how
heavily charged the gun had been,
which aroused the whole village and
brought them to the scene. Five Of
these shots had entered the back of
Mr.. Phillips, two in the head, one at