The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-05-11
THE MANNING TRAGEDY.
Story Of the Killing Of Keels by the Man Who
Did it.

Manning. May ii saw Mr.. YOU
mans this afternoon and asked him if he
was Vet prepared to make a statement,
rs foreshadowed in my dispatch of
Tuesday. when he said, in substance. as
follows:
In view of the large crowd present
the place where the trouble occurred
and the horror upon the minds of all
in Witnessing the death of any man.
and they not understanding the causes
which led up to the trouble. feel that
should be unjust to myself, my family
and friends did decline further Il brief
statement leading up TO the untortu-
nate tragedy OF Monday, IN which |
was compelled to take the life OF John
r. keels, Esq.
about six weeks ago Mr.. keels paid
me for a mule had sold negro, ana
after week or so | was surprised to
have him call upon me for the money he
had paid me for the negro. saying that
the mule was worthless. | OBJECTED 10
returning him the money. claiming my
transaction was with the negro, when
he became angry and abusive: and
finally asked him to stop ana leave my
office. as | wanted no difficulty With
him. \ friend of mine took him out,
and was asked by keels to tell me to
iet US Get pistols and step off ten PAGES
and shoot it out. Shortly after this he
brought suit against me. and although
I had been warned of numerous threats
made by keels against my life before
the fling of the suit, and OF the desper-
ate and treacherouS character OF the
man I concluded he had determined to
let the court settle our trouble and, Tor
the time being. dismissed from my mind
the fear of violence. For some time
Mr.. Keels passed and repassed me and
would speak to me, and | noticed that
he was only threatening and inclined to
be abusive when under the influence OF
liouor. OF which occasions | would go
out of my way to avoid him. AS court
approached these occasions of drinking
became more frequent: the threats
came to me by such reliable men that l
armed myself with q view OF protecting
myself in case 4 difficulty could not be
avoided. AS l came from dinner on
Monday county official sad TO me:
Lock out for keels: he is going to hurt
yon, Not over ten minutes before the
difficulty I was in the court house door:
heard keels cursing among crowd OF
men nearby. but did not catch his
words. when he suddenly looked 10 my
direction and made a sudden movement
as if to come towards me. when someone
caught his arm and they walked OIL to-
ward the dispensary. | was standlng
bv one of the large columns supporting
the porch of the court house, with one
foot against the column, looking for an
attorney who had business in my otflce,
when | observed Keels walking rapidly
towards me, and before could take my
foot down he struck me With both lists
on each side Of my face, 6 lanclng blows,
which were partly avoided by my throw
ire off his arms with my left arm. what
he said to me with the blows, accom-
panied BY his reaching for his hip
pocket, convinced me that tie fatal
moment had arrived. and commenced
shooting and did not cease until all oan-
GER to my life was at an end.
II am informed that many are under
the impression that Mr.. keels was not
armed. because no pistol was found on
his person. The impression that ne
did not have pistol when he attacked
me IS wholly erroneous and utterly un-
true. and everything in the world that
kept keels from shooting me was the
of my shots. To say that
7 regret the unfortunate necessity I'M
pelling me to this deed but family eN'
presses nv feelings. would be lnhu-
man did | not feel for his family, hav-
ing had no desire in che world TO harm
a hair on his head. I feel today that
Mr.. Keels would be alive and well had
not an ene,n- of mine taken the advan-
taee OF his drinking spells to goad him
on to do me bodily harm.
Mr.. J. II. Lesesne has been retained
by Mr.. Yournans to assist Capt. w. Z.
Davis in his defence.-I. I. B., in The
News and Courier.