Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-07-13
LYNcHEo FOR USUAL CRIME.
is.Year-0ld Negro Attempted Criminal As
sauit on Small White Girl and Woman.

| Cheraw, July 5.-Another tragedy
has occurred in Chesterfield county
as the result of the barbario instinct
of a beastly negro. This is the Sec
ond lynching to take place in Ches-
terfield county within one year, the
only cases of illegal execution to
occur within her borders. John
Taylor, a 19-year-old negro, of a
ldark brown color, and darker, meaner
countenance, was shot to death at
Middendorf, station on the Sea-
board Air Line, 30 miles South of
here, for having attempted a criminal
assault upon 9-year-old white child
and a white woman near Middendorf
yesterday. The story of the negro's
crimes are as follows John TAYLOR,
a negro laborer employed on Sea.
board Air Line work train, now at
Middendorf, left the other train
hands Monday morning, stating that
he was going fishing. At 10 O'clock
he called at the house of Mr.. Neal
=. johnson, a good, respectable
farmer, living two miles from the
Middendorf station, and asked the
way to the railroad, saying to Mrs.
johnson that he was lost. He passed
on, and little later, as Mrs. John
son was on her way to spring to
water her COW, the negro sprang
from behind tree and grabbed her.
She screamed and her son in a
nearby field heard her and called to
his father and the negro was fright
ened away. At about IL O'clock the
negro called at the home of J. T..
Doneyhew and inquired the way to
the railroad, stating again that he
was lost. Mr.. Doneyhew directed
the negro to the railroad and he de-
partod in that direction. Half an
hour later as Mr.. Doneyhew and his
brother .in.law were leaving his house
they passed the negro in the woods
about half mile from the house
only partially dressed. After the
men passed the negro he went back
to Doneyhew's house and finding no
one in the house but 9.year-old
daughter, he rushed in, grabbed her
and struck her one or two licks.
She began crying and told the negro
her mother was in the yard. He ran
to the door and looked, then rushed
back and threw her down and would
have accomplished his damnable pur-
pose had not the mother of the child
stepped in. The negro disappeared
through the woods and made his way
back to the station and his train.
Early this morning as the day was
gently breaking 25 Steerpen town
ship farmers, armed with shotguns,
appeared at the Middendorf station
where the work train was side
tracked, and quietly surrounded the
train. About 80 laborers were on
the train. Capt. M. M. Farrell, con-
ductor, was informed by one of the
men that a negro guilty of criminal
assault was on his train and they
wanted him. He gave permission to
search the train and John Taylor
was marched out as the guilty man.
He was identified by Mrs. Johnson
and the father of the child. A rope
was placed around his neck and he
was marched off down the track.
When about half mile from the
station Taylor broke and ran for a
nearby swamp, almost making good
his escape. He was pursued by the
armed party and just as he was en-
tering dense swamp he fell riddled
with shot. His head was torn up
badly and his back covered with shot
Mrs. johnson was not hurt though
badly frightened, but the child is in
no good condition. A newspaper
correspondent was on the scene of
the killing two hours after it was
completed and found everything
quiet. The body of the negro is
lying face downward in the swamp.
The negro, before he was shot,
refused to acknowledge his guilt.