The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-05
3KILLED Hi 3ELF.
Negro, Fred Brown, Cuts Ills Throat
In the Penitentiary.

Negro, Fred Brown, Outs Ills Throat
lin the Penitentiary.
We clip the following from The
State, which says: Fred Brown, a
life tern negro convict, sent up for
murder,eut his throat after making a
murderous assault Thursday afternoon
upon Will Lewis, also a life term
negro convict in the penitentiary.
Brown:was head cook OF the guards
and officers's mess and Lewis Is a
waiter. The fight began in the
kitchenand the officers were aroused
from dinner by Lewis rushing into the
room, Stream of blood gushing from
his neait, and Brown Dashing after
him with long Kitchen carving knife.
After aard chase Brown was over
pOIereGand taken to the whipping
room fDsneath the hospital. While
waiGir There for instructions the
guard Said little attention to the man
until h5 heard an exclamation, and
looking up saw the murderer slashing
his own throat. He lived for several
hours, dying at $50 Thursday night
Messfs. w. G. Black, bookkeper, T.
FL LeSsi1e: commiSsariat: DIR. S. e.
Harm9E Capt. j. M. Graham and
First Ssargeant O. @. Roberts we're at
dinnerifn the mess when Brown at.
tackled Lewis In the kitchen, which is
only III 0r12 feet from the mess hall.
No,qn4 4rreling was heard. Not sin
gle 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 was rushing into the room
shoutilt!: Stop him! he's killing
mem Then everything was turned
topsy tarpy as the officers saw the
formoG .srown with a long l6-inch
carving knife in his hand making des-
peratesannges at the fleeing man try
ing to stab him In the back.
In and out the officers quarters and
arOund the building the infuriated
convict pursued bis victim with the
ofiicefsl Jim hot chase after the would
be nuS +. AS Brown was about to
,beic She made anesperate cast of
stst57,s's, ,,inGe kline at the head Of his
escaping foe, the knife sinking deep
into ahalf 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 q
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.. S. e. Harmon at this time was
In the hospital with VIII Lewis, whose
head and neck we're 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 q 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 q reporter Thurs
day that he and BIv"n had beer
friends for years and had never hao
any trouble Of the slightest nature
He said that there was no quarrel be
tween them Wednesday, that the only
words spoken by Brown were in 8
whisper, that he said, Lewis gel
your dinner now quickly as 1 am aw
fully worried today" Lewis got par
and was STOPPING over a pot wher
without another word he was strucl
in the back Of the head with the bi,
kitchen knife
Fred Brown had been In the pcni
tentiary for l3 years. He was con
vlcted OF numbering Lem Jackson
colored, at Belleville, Lexington coun
ty, in June, 1890, and was sentence,
by Judge /. d. Witherspoon to b
hanged March 20, 1901, In the Lex
ington jail. During this interva
Brown escaped Jail but was recapture
and on the night before he was to ex
plate his crime Gov. b. r. Tillma
committed the sentence to life impris
onment in the State penitentiary.
During Gov. McSweeneys admins
tration several petitions for the man
pardon were submitted to that ofllcia
but he refused executive clemenc
and since then the officials say Brow
had become morose and detected, fre
quently saying there was no hope 70
him and he would have to spend hi
entire life in prison, which he woul
say was worse than death.
Superintendent Griffith says Brow
has been one of the best convictS J.
the prison and has for years been coo
for the officers mess but that recently
since he was refused pardon, has acte
queerly. 1t is his belief that th
man was crazy when he attempted TIL
life Of his life.term companion.
Georgian Assassinatcd.
A special to The Augusta Chronicl
from Washington. Wilkes county