The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-08-03
ATTEMPTED MURDER, THEN
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
The State Penitentiary the Scene
Of a Bloody Tragedy Thurs
day.

Fred Brown, life term negro con-
vict, sent up for murder, cut his
throet after making a murderous as
sault Thursday afternoon upon Will
Lewis, also life term negro convict
in the penitentiary.
Brown was head cook of the guards
and officers mess and Lewis IS e
waiter. The fight began in the kitch-
en- and the officers were aroused from
dinner by Lewis rushing into the
room, a stream of blood gushing from
his neck, and Brown Dashing after
him with a long kitchen carving
knife. After hard chase Brown was
overpowered and taken to the whip
ming room beneath the hospital.
While Waitings there for instructions
the guard paid little attention to the
man until he heard an exclamation.
and looking up saw the murderer
slashing his own throat. He lived for
several hours, dying at $50 that
night.
Messrs. ". G. Black, bookkeeper !;
T. 81. Lesene, commissariat; DR.. S.
E. Harmon, Capt. j. M. Graham and
First Sergeant G. G. Roberts were at
dinner in the mess when Brown at
tackled Lewis in the kitchen, which is
only 10 or 12 feet from the mess hall.
No ouarrelling was heard. Not sim
ole discordant word in the routine
service was noticeable, not even an
audible suggestion from the cook to
his assistant. Suddenly they heard a
scream and Immediately the fleeing
servants wasI rushing into the room
shouting: tsStop him! he's killing
rne.., Then everything was turned
topsy turvy as the officers saw the
form Of Brown with a long l6-inch
carving knife in his hand making des-
perate lunges at the fleeing man trying
to stab him in the back.
Sergeant Roberts was the first to
seize Brown and when the other Off
GERS arrived he was turned over to a
guard with orders to take him to the
whipping room and wait instructions,
as the superintendent must always
hear the case 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 severed.
Lewis, who is still in the hospital,
but is not considered dangerously
wounded, stated to reporter yesterday
that he and Brown had been friends
for years and had never had any tTou-
BILE of the slightest nature. He said
that there was no quarrel between them
yesterday, that the only words spoken
by Brown were in a whisper, that he
said, "Lewis get your dinner now
quickly as am awfully worried TO-
day. Lewis got pan and was stcop-
ing over a 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 peniten-
tia-y for l3 years. He was convicted
of numbering Lem Jackson, colored,
at Belleville, Lexington county in
June, 1890, and was sentenced by
Judge I. D. Withefspoon to be hanged
March 20, 1901, in the Lexington Jail.
Daring this interval Brown escaped
jail but was recaptured and On the
night before he was to explata his
crime Gov. B. r. Tillr.an conmuted
the sentence to life imprisonment IN
the State peniteatiars,
During Gov. McSweeney's admin
istration several petitions for the
mans pardon were submitted to that
official out he refused executive elem
encv and since then the officials say
Brown had become morose and defect
ed, frequently saying there was no
hope Tor him and be would have to
spend his entire life in prison, which
he would say was worse than death.