The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-12
BLOODY RECORD OF MORRISON.
Desperate Whom the Courts Had at
Least Twice Acquitted.

DeSperadO Whom the Courts dad
Least Twice Acquitted.
A special dispatch to The Stat
from Camden says if John Morrison
the desperate who was put to deatl
BY a mob in Lancaster county las
Saturday night, had lived in the day
OF the James boys and possessed tn
daring and courage which made thos'
men conspicuous, be would have beer
eligible to a non-commiSSioned office
in that famous band. There sem!
to be no doubt but that he possessed
the other qualities to marked de
gree.
Little is known Of his life before he
turned Ills back on the mountaiL
fastnesSes of his native State, North
Carolina, Is years ago, but his career
during this period suggests little OF
peace and good citizenship on bis
native heath. He came across the
border bearing the brand OF Cain, and
the number OF his victims here veri.
6es the stigma.
The facts surrounding the murder
which he is said to have done in North
Carolina are not available, but that
there was such crime was persis
tent rumor long before this last deed
brought his name into prominence.
Twelve years ago he met solitary
hunter in q York county forest and
slew him. This victim was found some
days after with bullet hole through
his head, and suspicion rested on John
Morrison. He was tried and acquitted
on the plea OF self defense. Unfortu-
nately gun was found beside the
dead man, and this and the fact that
the victim was a colored man were
enough for the jury.
A short while after this be moved
to KershaW and within its enVironS he
gratiied his thirst for blood. A kindly
providence saved another colored man,
q neighhor from his bullet. Fancying
that he had grievance against him,
Morrison proceeded to shoot at him
as his figure wss silhouetted against
the sky on nearby hill. This colored
man had the courage to prosecute
Morrison, but again it was a case OF
white man and negro, and he went
unpunished.
Some time last year party OF ne
groes were walking up the track OF
the railroad on which he lived, and he
killed one. He was tried at Camden
for the murder and acquitted. he
claimed that they were engaged in
singing vulgar songs and were other
wise riotous. 1t is stated that with
bis Winchester he chased the terror
lied colored men over the surround.
ing country until he had exhausted
his ammunition. These negroes were
so intimidated that they were afraid
to testify against him on the trial.
A short while ago, while he was en-
gagged in running the pumping engine
for the tank below Kershaw, he was
reported by an engineer for not having
water in the tank. After he learned
Of the report he carried his rife to
meet all trains and said openly that
he would use it on any who reported
him. His malignitY was so patent
that, when he refused to leave when
told to do so by the railroad officials,
engineers were afraid to stop at tha
tank Tor water and were in constant
dread of the trestle nearby being
burned under them.
When be was notified to leave by
the railroad officials he refused 10 do
so for some timo, and finally when he
did 60 admonished tins N to send a cof-
fin with his successor.
It is said thaG he had planned to
kill his successor last Monday but was
thwarted. The circumstances sur.
rounding the killing OF his last victim
are so fresh in the minds Of the peo-
pie that they need no recounting here.