Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-04
LYNcHlNG AT KERSHkW.
Outraged People String Up a White
Man For Murder.

outraged FeopIe StTIn9 SP "Hso
Man For Murder.
| A white man named John Morrison
was lynched at Kershaw last Saturday
night. At about o'clock in the even
ing he killed a young man by the
name of William Floyd and within
about three hours afterward, his dead
body hung suspended by plow lines
from limb of tree ON the outskirts.
The lynching was the work Of the
outraged people Of the town and the
country surrounding.
The killing Of young Floyd seems to
have been the result of mere wanton
savagery. Approaching Floyd on the
street, Morrison asked for the loan Of
10 cents. His manner and tone indf-
Gated that he didn't want the money,
but was only inviting a refusal, which
he got. Then he began cursing Floyd
outrageously, and after he had worked
himself into sufficient passion, drew
revolver and commenced firing. Floyd
was unarmed and tried to walk away.
The second shot fired by Morrison
struck him in the back and produced
almost instant death. Morrison stood
over the body and was preparing to
shoot again, but the shouts OF by
ISLANDERS diverted him from his pur-
pose.
| After the murder, Morrison started
to walk away; but Mr.. JEFF Godfrey,
cotton buyer who had seen the begin
ming of the affair, returned with pis-
tol he had secured in the meantime
and commanded him to halt. Instead
of halting he tried to shoot; but the
cylinder Of his weapon would not
work and at a shot from Mr.. Godfrey's
revolver, he decided to surrender to
several men who seized him and car
ried him to the guard house.
The news Of the killing spread rap
idly. There were a good many people
in town from the country and within
an hour or two still others gathered,
and Joined the crowd which included
still larger number of residents Of the
town. The propriety Of lynching
suggested itself in various quarters
and met with such general approval
that 1t soon became a foregone conclu-
sion.
Realizing that he had serious prop
osition on his hands, Mayor ]. V.
Welsh, at once set about doing what
he could to forestall violence. He tel
egraphed Governor Hayward at CO.
lumbia, Sheriff Hunter at Lancaster,
and asked for the assistance Of the
Kershaw Guards, at Camden. Sheriff
Hunter started from Lancaster on
special train within less than an hour,
and the Kershaw Guards were only a
short time longer in getting under way
from Camden on another special.
Sheriff Hunter got to Kershaw first;
but he was too late. The mob had al
ready taken the prisoner from the
guard house and: taken him to the
woods on the outskirts Of the town.
The sheriff tried to follow; but people
put him on false trails and he was un-
able to reach the scene until too late.
| While awaiting the arrival Of the
sheriff and the militia, Mayor Welsh
swore in a half a dozen or more ex-
ira policemen and stationed them
about the guard house. They had been
on duty only short while, however.
when the electric lights went out. This
| fn hn there
would be something doing in the VI
cinity Of the guard house pretty short
ly, and not having any special interest
in the fate Of Morrison they left the
situation in charge Of Chief Of Police
Bateman and DR.. L. T. Gregory, who
remained with him. Within a few
moments Of the extinguishment Of the
lights, Mr.. Bateman and DR.. Gregory
were seized by parties who were un-
recognizable In the darkness and the
chief Of police was relieved Of his
keys.
| Swift work was the order Of the
hour. Hurrying from the policeman to
the guardhouse, the people who had
secured the keys, unlocked the door,
seized Morrison and hustled him away
toward the woods. Just as they start
ed for the outskirts they heard the
noise Of the approaching freight train
bringing the sheriff and his posse from
Lancaster. This circumstance only
served to make them move along lit
tie faster.
| On the way to the place Of execu-
ton, Morrison confessed that he did
mot want or need the 10 cents for
which he had asked Floyd; but that
he had asked for the money merely to
secure a pretext for raising row. He
claimed that he had been at enmity
with Floyd for several years, and had
been looking for an opportunity to kill
him for a long time. Later he began
to realize and appreciate the fate that
was in store for himself and began to
struggle desperately, cursing furiously
all the while; but to no avail.
On reaching a convenient tree, the
lynchers tied a pair Of buggy lines
around Morrison's neck, and proceeded
to string him up. Just before he was
swung up, he said to one member of
the party: II hope to meet you In
hell" Some few members Of the
crowd were opposed to lynching to the
last; but nothing that they could say
or do was sufficient to divert the mob
from its purpose. After the man had
been hanged, 1t occurred to some