The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-08-31
The Inquest, Which Was Held on
Thursday. Concluded With g
Verdict That Does Not Fix
Responsibility.
Testimony Of Supervisor W. H. Scale
and Other Eye Witnesses.
From the Daily Item, Aug. 26.

mont or given rise to such general IN
Eterest as the unfortunate killing OF
Magistrate Richard G. Folk at Provi-
dence, yesterday morning, and little
Ielse has been discussed on the streets
since the news reached the city soon
after the tragedy.
Coroner Flowers proceeded to Provi-
dence Immediately upon the receipt
OF information of the death Of nj.
Folk at few minutes before II
O'Clock. AS soon as jury could be sum-
moned he began the inquest, which was
not concluded until after 8 O'Clock
last night.
The jury was composed Of the fol-
lowing we'll known citizens OF the
Providence section
+ C.. j.. Williamson, foreman, g. Il.
Jones, NJ. F. Boykin, J. A Boykin,
EJr., A. Boykin, ST., E.. ". Par
ker, r. Il. Bnrkett, b. a. Parker,
J. r. Cummings. j. B. Rafhelds Jr.,
NJ. Z. Moore, G. r. Durant, w. s.
Boykin.
After hearing all the evidence and
due deliberation the following verdict
was rendered: .
That thessaid R. C. Folk came to
his death by pistol shot wound in the
hands of a party or parties unknown to
this Jury. y
The following witnesses were sum-
moned before the the Jury and examln-
ed by the coroner G.. NJ. Boykiu, 81.
". Bennett, ii. E. Wilson, j. S.
Folk, Julian, Scale, ". j. Scale and
" Scale. DR.. Walter Cheype
who made the post mortem exam1na-
tion also testified.
There are given herewith the full
statements made at the inquest by j..
is. Folk, ". j. Scale and W. H.
Scale. Mr.. Julian Scale was the only
other eye wit1less of the difficulty in
which Mr. FolE. was shot, and his tes-
timony merely coroboIates the testi-
mony Of his father, " H, Scale and
his brother, W. j. Scale.
.Messrs. Boylin, Bennett and Will
son, made statements relative TO the
position of Mr.. Folk and his condl-
tioa when they arrived on the scene
shortly after the shooting. They all
stated that two pistols were lying
lin the road when they arrived and
that at the request OF Mr.1W. II.
ESeaie, Maj. Wilson took possession of
them. Maj. Wilson stated that Mr..
Sam Folk in reply to a question by
Mr.. W. H. Scale admitted that one
Of the pistols was his The other was
established by the testimony OF all the
witnesses to have been the property OF
Mr.. Richard C. Folk.
Mr.. W. II. Scale who wss summon
ed by Coroner Flowers late yesterday
afternoon to appear ard testify before
the jury went to Providence and appear
I ed before the jury, being the last wit
ness examined.
He spent the snight at home and
returned to the city this morning.
he is. at the home of Mayor Geo. w.
Dick, to whom he surrendered yester-
day, but he is not in custody for he
was not charged with killing Richard
Folk by the jury of inquest and no
warrant has been issued for his arrest
as yet. Coroner Flowers held that
under the finding Of the jury he had no
grounds for ordering the arrest of
anyone and his ruling has been sus-
tanned by his attorney and number
of other lawyers whom he consulted
today, The test timony OF the eye wit
nesses above mentioned was as fol-
lows:
mortem. filed the following written
statement:
/ found wound in the right tenn
poraI region. midway between the top
of the right ear and the angle OF the
right eyebrow; entry being through
the temporal bone. Powder marks
surround the point of entry. The
exit of the bullet was in the frontal
I>bone little to the left of the median
line. The frontal bone was broken, a
comminuted fracture. The brain
tissue was markedly lacerated. A
probe passed through the entire dis
5ance between the point OF entry and
the point of exit. Cause ,of death was
this wound of the brain, through
hemorrhage, shock and destruction
of brain tissue.
J. S. Folk, sworn: On yesterday
afternoon MI. Charles Emanuel told
I me Mr.. Scale bad told him at Dalzell
that the grand Jury had called for
Richards docket and he, Mr.. Folk,
said it was stolen, and Mr.. Emanuel
then said. that is the reason | am
fighting Richard in this election. l
said TO Mr.. Emanuel that was at
the first of it. He asked then if any
thing of that kind had ever occurred.
I told Mr.. Emanuel that about year
and a half ago l thought Richard
either sent or carried his old docket
that was filed mp. After that he
ordered a new docket and he went to
Col. Walsh and asked him for the
other docket. He wanted to see the
last case he reported ON in it, aad Col.
Walsh told him it was not there. He
made another search for it and could
not find it in his Office. After that he
found it in the Clerk of Courts Office.
He looked after it and left it there.
Mr.. Enamel said to me, [ will write
Mr.. Scale letter tomorrow and ask
him to explain the matter to him SO l
can undo what I have done against
Richard. for that is the only reason
am fighting hin i'll this election. Mr..
Scale saic to Mr.. Emanuel that a
number Of heavy fines had been paid
in TO Richard. Mr.. Emanuel told me