The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-09-28
BABE STUART
MET HIS FATE ATE.
Had Attempted Criminal
Assault Oh Young Lady.
CONFESSED HIS GUILT.

CVN IL ESSEU lllS UO1Als
Crime Was Committed In Laurens, the
Death Penalty Was Inflicted Upon
Negro In Greenwood County.
Babe Stuart, young negro Of this
county, met his doom last Friday night
at the hands of q party composed of
white citizens from Laurens and
Greenwood counties. The death penalty
was INFLICTED upon the negro because
he attempted criminal assault Friday
afternoon on Miss May Hughes, the Ia
year old daughter of Dock Hughes,
farmer who lives near Baldwin's store,
In Waterloo township, seven miles
West of the town OF Waterloo.
Stuart confessed his guilt and wss
taken by the crowd to point In Green
wood county, mile beyond Smiths
bridge on Saluda river, where he was
shot and his body left beside the road.
The body was found Saturday morn
ing by some one who was passing
through that section on their way to
Greenwood. The coroner OF Green
wood was notified and came up and
held the inquest about noon. The
verdict was the usual one in such
cases.
Stuart's body was turned over to
members of his family and was bu'ied
at Andrews Chapel in Greenwood
county, Saturday night.
According TO the best information
obtainable by a representative OF THE
ADVERTISER who visited the scene, it
seems that last Friday afternoon about
O'Clock, Stuart who had been living
with Mr.. Hughes several years and
who was picking cotton together with
a0other negro in field half mile
from the Hughes home, on some pre-
text went to the house and concealed
himself in t. g cotton house Mr.. snd
Mrs. Hughes were absent, the formor
having gone to a nearby gin house to
do some work, the latter to visit
neighbours sick child, and the girls,
Miss May and sister, were picking cot
ton around the house, emptying their
cotton in the cotton house as their
sacks became full, All this Stuart
seems to have known and deliberately
took advantage of it.
Miss May was, as it happened, the
first to. enter the cotton house for the
urpose of emptying b"r sack of cot
tom The cotton is kept in the loft and
as the girl ascended the steps the ne
gre stealthily followed and seiz the
young woman by the throat. An out.
cry attracted her younger sister whore
arrival upon the scene caused the ne
gro to desist and beat hasty retreat
He jumped from an upper platform and
threatened the girls with certain death
II they tod anything. Instead of leav-
iug the premises, Stuart returned to
his work, where he remained till night
fall, when he and his co-laborer hooked
up the wagon to drive to the house.
At this juncture two men, re atives OF
the Hughes family, approached and
said they would ride to the house on
the wagon. They had been told of the
occurrence as had many other neigh
bors by this time, so when they reached
the house Stuart was taken in the Gus
tody of the whites, who were now col
lecting rapidly. The negro was tied
and after being struck in the face and
aotherwise punished by some Of the
Sparty he confessed and s,id he knew
his crime meant certain death.
j About O'Clock the crowd, which
{now numbered about 35 or 40 men and
boys, most of whom were armed with
{guns, took the negro and went off in
the direction Of Saluda river.
> 1t appears that some Of the party
wanted to dispose OF Stuart one way
and some another. Earnest pleas were
made to the crowd, it is said to bring
the negro to jail and allow the law to
take It's course. This however, was
unheeded and the crowd marched to
the vicinity of Smiths bridge. Here, it
Is stated, the crowd split up, majority
refusing to go across the river. After
crossing the bridge the party composed
of only few members now, possibly
not over two or three, waited about
two hours on the crowd to follow. Be-
coming weary the men in charge of
! Stuart announced to a courier from the
crowd on this side that they were go
ing tn settle the matter and at once
lead the doomed negro up close TO the
Jas. F. Smiths place. There he was
shot through the heart, while he was
on his knees.
Sheriff Duckett, acting on tslegraphic
information received early Saturday
morning from Waterloo to the effect
that lyuching had probably taken
place, left at once for the scene. Upon
reaching the community he learned
that the body had been found over in
Greenwood. He drove over and viewed
the body and returned home.
Those who visited that section Sat-
urday and Sunday found everything
quiet.