The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-05
iKILLED HIMSELF.
Negro, Fred Brown, Outs His Throat
lin the Penitentiary.

Negro, Fred Brown. Cuts His Throat
Sin the Penitentiary.
We clip the following from The
State, Which says: Fred Brown, q
life term negro convict, sent up for
murderseut his throat after making a
murderops assault Thursday afternoon
upon Will Lewis, also life term
negro convict in the penltentiary.
Brown7was head cook OF the guards
and otficers's mess and Lewis Is a
waiter. The fight began In the
Kitchen and the officers were aroused
from dinner by Lewis rushing into the
room, q stream of blood gushing from
his neaS, and Brown Dashing after
him WIthalong kitchen carving knife.
After aard chase Brown was over
po@ereGand taken to the whipping
room Sbsneath the hospital While
waitir there for instructions the
guard Eald little attention to the man
until h5 heard an exclamation, and
lookipgaup saw the murderer slashing
his own throat. He lived for several
hours, dying at $50 Thursday night.
Messfs. w, G. Black, bookkeper, Il.
Fl. Lesshe, commissariat; DR.. S. E.
Harmon, Capt. ]. M. Graham and
First Ssargeant @. G. Roberts were at
dinner!tn the mess when Brown at
tackled lewis In the kitchen, which is
only IL ort12 feet from the mess hall.
No quSrreling was heard. Not a sin
gle dfscOrdant word in the routine
services was noticeable, not even an
audible, suggestion from the cook to
his ASSISTANT. Suddenly they heard a
scream and Immediately the fleeing
seryantS was rushing into the room
shoutiiiss Stop him he's killing
mel" hen everything was turned
topsy taryy as the officers saw the
form s.rown with a long l6-inch
carving knife in his hand making dss-,
peratestnnges at the fleeing man try
Ing to Stab him In the back.
InsaHd out the officers quarters and
around the building the infuriated
conYieg pursued his victim with the
oficerslin hot chase after the would
De mnk LAS Brown was about to
lbe5c,. Shemade a desperate cast OF
tssJ7ssgss5, ,,ilGe kniIe at tfls head Of his
escaping foe, the knife sinking deep
into aihalf closed door through which
the pursued man had just passed.
Sergeant Roberts was the first to
seize Brown and when the other Off.
cere arrived he was turned over to
guard with orders to take him to the
whipping room and wait instructions,
as the superintendent must always
hear the cause before corporal punish
ment is administered. While waiting
In this room Brown took small pock-
ct knife, about two inches long, from
his clothing and, In full view Of the
man who had just arrived to lay on
the lash, he hacked and raked at his
throat until the windpipe was COM
pletely served.
Dr. 5. E. Harmon at this time was
In the hospital with Will Lewis, whose
head and neck were badly cut and he
did not know Of the sequel until some
time later. He summoned DR.. L. A.
Griffith and they did everything In
their power to save Browns life. The
wound was seWed up and treated.
The man talked for a short while.
He stated that he intended to kill
Lewis but would not tell why or what
brought on the assault.
Lewis, who is still in the hospital,
but Is not considered dangerously
wounded, stated to reporter Thurs
day that he and Brown had been
friends for years and had never had
any trouble Of the slightest nature.
lie said that there was no quarrel be-
tween them Wednesday, that the only
words spoken by Brown we're in
whisper, that he said, Lewis get
your dinner now quickly as 1 am aw-
fully worried today" Lewis got a pan
and was STOPPING over pot when
without another word he was struck
in the back OF the head with the big
kitchen knife
Fred Brown had been in the pcnl-
tentiary for II years. He was con-
victed OF numbering Lem Jackson,
colored. at Belleville, Lexington coun-
ty, in June, 1890, and was sentenced
by Judge l. ID. Witherspoon to be
hanged March 20, 1901, in the Lex
ington jail. During this interval
Brown escaped jail but was recaptured
and on the night before he was to ex-
plate his crime Gov. b. II. Tillman
commuted the sentence to life impris-
onment in the State penitentiary.
During Gov. McSweeney's admins.
tration. several petitions for the mans
pardon were submitted to that official
but he refused executive clemency
and since then the officials say Brown
had become morose and detected, fire.
quently saying there was no hope for
him and he would have to spend his
entire life in prison, which he would
say was worse than death.
Superintendent Griffith says Brown
has been one of the best convictS in
the prison and has for years been cook
for the officers mess but that recently
since he was refused pardon, has acted
queerly. 1t is his belief that the
man was crazy when he attempted the
life OF his lifet term companion.
Georgian Assnssinated.
A special to The Augusta Chronicle
from WaShingtOn Wilkes county