The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-04-08
"a RECENT PARDON.
How Tardy Justice At Last Came
to a Negro Convict.
A WHITE MANS CONFESSION.
A Remarkable Case Revealing Very
Peculiar Conditions With the
Scene Laid on the Public
Square at Barnwell.

Square at Barnwell.
The State says further facts were
obtained Tuesday from Mr.. G. Dun
can Bellinger, who had just returned
from attending court at his old home
in Barnwell, in reference to the death
bed confession Of Town Marshal Dun
can Owens. This confession resulted
q few days ago in the unconditional
pardon Of Anderson Nix, who had
served nearly seven years Of a life
term in the penitentiary for killing
which the town marshal had done.
The story revealsa strange and almost
incomprehensible condition of con-
science on the part of the white man,
and an almost equally curious sense OF
justice on the part of five or six lead
ing white men of Barnwell
1t was over three years between the
confession and the granting of the
pardon. There was only one witness
to the confession, and he a negro,
sworn to secrecy. That tardy Justice
ever came to the negro Nix was solely
due to the fact that the gist Of the
secret leaked out and some OF the
white men who had seen Owens fire
the fatal shot corroborated the truth
of it.
Owens confession portrays curious
condition Of conscience of his part,
which was sensitive enough never to
have know n moments peace on &C,
count Of the killing" but which was
Zoo proud and selfish to yield bit of
inexpensive justice to fellow man
who was suffering punishment for a
crime he himself had committed.
Rather than reflect upon the fact
that after he had been laid in his
grave his neighbors would know that
it was he that had fired the fatal shot
and that he had allowed the innocent
negro to go to the penitentiary for his
crime, this town marshall, dying Of
consumption, sought to solve his out
ragged conscience by making a confess
sion but at the same time 10y swear
ing his confeSsor to secrecy attempted
to bottle up the last avenue through
which justice might come to the
negro.
The white witnesses to the killing,
who remained silent at the trial which
resulted in Nixs conviction, which
near costing him his neck instead of
his liberty for life, did not volunteer
what they knew until years after the
town marShallS DEATH Even after
the secret of the confession leaked
out and several white men of influence
and reputation had corroborated it,
one white witness refused to give an
affidavit unless he was paid $50 for it.
Mr.. Bellinger, who declines to give
the name Of this man, on learning
this fact told the friends of the negro
who were seeking the pardon that an
affidavit from this man would have no
weight whether paid for or voluntary
and there is no affidavit from him
among the papers submitted with the
petition for pardon.
Nix is not altogether a martyr"
said Mr.. Bellinger, who was the solicI-
Tor that conducted the prosecution
There is no shadow of doubt even
now but that he was engaged in riot
Gus conduct, and conviction of this
would have resulted in his getting
about six or seven years. He admitt-
ed firing his weapon in the riot which
occurred on the public square when it
was full of negroes who had come to
ing revolver he ran into the arms of
the negro Felix Thurman-to whom
Owens afterward confessed and who
was at the time acting as assistant
town marshall with Owens. The
friends of the negro have for several
years been trying to obtain Il pardon,
but 1T has not been my custom TO en-
dorse pardon petitions; still when the
news Of this confession came to me
recently | unhesitatingly consented
10 90 all i'll my power to secure the
pardon, provided these alleged white
witnesses would cOrrOborate Thur
mans statement so as to remove all
possibility of the governors being
imposed upon. Thurman had been
an employe OF the town council down
there for number of years, and
knew him to be reliable man, and |
therefore thought tie account he gave
OF the confession was very likely.
Green could hardly complain of
the fate that overlook him. At the
time he was fleeing through chat gate
he was turning back as he ran and
firing into the crowd on the square.
How he failed to miss all those
ho6 iOoo ID HlJolcly UIldU VIII never
be explained"
Those from whom af1davitS we're
submitted with the petition for par
don are: Mayor G. f. Calhoun, f. |
w. Bellinger, f. F. Woodward and
and the negro Felix Thurman.
In his affidavit Mayor G. f. Calhoun
says: "Deponent was standing at
what is known as Ryon's corner on
Main street, talking to Duncan
Owens. When the firing began in
the public square in full view of depon-
ent and Owens, the latter started into
the public square by the gate leading
from the square to the Bank of Barn. |
we'll, with deponent following him.
Just before Owens reached the gate
Jennings Green ran out of it from the
square, and as he passed Owens
deponent saw Owens shoot him, and |
at the firing of the pistol deponent
saw Green draw himself up as though |
he had been hit, and after running
1eW steps further, fell dying almost
instantly"
Felix Thurman'S aflldavit says: II |
knew Duncan Owens intimately. hav- |
ing frequently been on the police
force of Barnwell with him; that
about three years ago said Owens |