The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-12-02
a BLACK FIEND
Shoots Twlco at Young Lady Near
Ninety-six.
CAME NEAR BEING LYN0HED.

CAME NEAR BEING LYNOHED.
Bill Williams, the snspeot, Is Now In
the Greenwood jail Charged
With the: Awful Crime
of Brutal Assault.
A special dispatch from Greenwood
to The State says Bill Williams, a 3
negro, was brought there Monday
night by Magistrate w. L. Foucl,es
and Mr.. d. Sidney Haltiwanger OF
Ninety SIX and lodged In Jail, charged
with attempting criminal assault. I
upon Miss Ludle Smith. the 16-year-
old daughter of Mr.. Milledge Smith, a
we'll known farmer who lives below
Ninety-Six, about half q mile from
Sister Springs church. The story of
the attempt, as told by Miss Smith,
Is substantially as follows: Tuesday
afternoon she was out In front Of her
fathers house sweeping up leaves and
burning them and otherwise cleaning
up the yard. Her faSherand mother
were both away from home, and her
Two brothers were picking cotton in a
heid about 150 yards back OF the
house. Between 2 and 3 O'Clock,
while S1e wss sweeping as above de-
scrtbed, she heard a noise back of her,
and, turning to see what it was, saw
young negro man advancing towards
her. His appearance was forbidding,
and becoming frightened she started
to run. Hs ordered her to stop, and
followed his order by threat to
shoot. She did not stop. and by 1JaresSs
a pistol and fred. at the LSfst shot
she glanced over her shoulder, and he
again ordered her to STOP. She had
now realized her danger fully and ran
In the direction of9the field where her
brothers were~sat work. The negro
hred second shot at her, but both
failed Of .hnlir aim In fe.n seconds seconds
sne bad reached her brothers and told
them of what the negro had done,
and they both rushed to the house
only to find that the brute had made
good his escape.
The news spread rapidly, and at
O'Clock the news had reached the
sheriff's office in request for blood
hounds With which to trail the negro.
lt was kept quiet, but the dogs were
sent at once In charge Of Deputy
Sheriff Charles Dukes and Capt. Jim
McCombs, who has charge of the
county chaiugang.
Judge Ernest Gary who is here
holding the court of common pleas
this week. heard of the attempt and
he at once had himself put in tele-
phonic communication with Ninety
SIX, and in a conversation with E. M.
L'pscomb, pres dent of the Camj~
oricge bank there, afG "a. q. j ames
Rogers, forIner magistrate and now
county superintendent of educa-
tion for this county, he urged upon
thtse two gentlemen the nece ssi6y OF,
using thelis Influence to preYanti a
lynching, and told them to prCGect
Williams there and bring him to
Greenwood ind that he (Jufge Gary)
would see &c 1T that he was protected
here. Both these gentlemen and
many others, all men &c sound, calm
scene to use all their influence to have
the law upheld.
Meanwhile the dogs had arrived in
charge Of Messrs. Dukes and Nc
Combs and they were put to work, but
so many people had visited the place
and had been ridirg and walking so
promiscuou,ly around the premises
that the dogs could not make start.
Finally they got off on some trail and
ran it shor5 while, but finally gave
1T up. While this was going Oh, and
majority Of the crowd were watch
Ing with feVerish interst the work Of
the dogs, an tber party were at work
or clue which few had got hold of
and which had been kept from the
main body of men. Following up
their clue, they soon had under arrest
the negro Bill Williams. He was
carried before Miss Smith, who could
not positively identity him, but she
said he was about the right size, and
there were other similar marks OF
Identification. She thought that the
negro who fired at her bad on dove
colored hat, but the negro Bill Will
ams was wearing black hat. 1t
was ascertained that he had changed
shoes In the afternoon, aud it Is like
y, or 1t is possible, that he might
have changed his headgear. He was
not armed when found, but as no
search was made Of the house in
which he was found, this fact does
not go as far as Ii might in his favor.
The negro lives about mile from Mr..
Smiths house. Tuesday afternoon
be came up from Chappels to Dysons
on log cart belonging to another
Mr.. Smith. From Dyson's he started
out to walk to his home. On the
way he stopped and had some talk
with negro, and this conversation
was denied by Williams, although the
other negro held to it that he talked
with Williams. Also, the negro Bill
Williams claimed that he did not go
up the regular road by Mr.. Smiths,
but went around the back, route
that was in the neighborhood OF
mile and half out Of the way,
Others saw him going towards bis
home that afternoon by a road diff
ferent from what he claimed he used.
Even II there had been no fear OF
a lynching, there was enough against
the negro TO warrant his being held,
and ti'ere was certainly enough
against him TO warrant some, If no
other negro answering more closely
the description could be found, In
making him pay the customary pen
atty In the customary way. Unless
some other negro is found, Bill viii
liams will have to stand trial for his
dastardly attempt, but it Is greatly
| TO the credit OF every one concerned