The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-06-21
NEGRO SHOOTING AFFRAY.
One Negro Kills Another Near Silver
Street-Due to Women's
Fuss.

in front OF the old John Peterson
place. near Silver Street. by John
Recder. also colored. Stephens died
on Sunday morning. Reeder is now
in jail
The dead negro lived on Mr.. Mad.
Pitts place and Reeder on Mr.. ". W.
Spcarman'S
The affair took place about sun
down Saturday afternoon. and was
the result. it appears. OF some trou-
bic between the women relatives OF
the two men.
Coroner Lindsay held all inquest
Sunday morning. From the te>ti-
rnnnv brought out it seems that
Stephens daughter and Reedcr's
sister ard mother and Stephens were
among party who were returning
from meeting OF Woman 5 Aid So
ciety at Trinity (colored) church
when the women became involved in
4 difficulty. Later Rceder appeared
on the scene and accused Stephens
OF curSing his (Reeder's) mother.
Stephens denied it. when Reeder
shot at him five times with pistol.
three OF the balls taking effect. The
testimony OF the witnesses examined
BY the coroner is that Stephens did
not fire at Reeder until after Reeder
had shot FIVE times and began to
run. when Stephens shot at him with
a shot gun which he was carrying.
Reeder says that Stephens shot first
Valley Davenport. Stephens
daughter. testified that she was
among the party returning on Sat-
urday afternoon from the Woman's
Aid society meeting and that Dinah
Davenport. a sister OF John Reeder.
kept on after her. saying that she was
going to beat her. That they finally
come to blows. That Sing Reeder
slipped Dinah a knife. and that when
she (Valley) came to the bridge she
called her sister to bring her gum
That her father told her to give the
gun to Jim Smith. which she did
That then they went into George
Wilson'S house. and that Jim Smith
gave the gun to John Longshore. and
that John Longshore gave it to
Dinah. That her father. Stephens,
took the gun away from Dinah, who
then cursed Stephens. Stephens told
Dinah that he was old enough to be
her father. About this time Clara
Reeder began to holler and went
home and called her son. John Reed
err John Reeder came up with his
hands in his pockets. looking at the
ground. He stood in the road about
an hour waiting while the party were
in George Wilson's house. Then
Reeder asked Stephens why he had
cursed his (Reeder's) mother. Steph-
ems said he had never cursed Reed
er's mother. that what he had said
was to Reeder's sister. Valley Daven-
port. continuing. said she told Reeder
that her father had not cursed Reed
ers mother. Stephens said "John"-
and by that time John Reeder had
shot him four times and shot by him
once. in all five shots. Stephens sat
down on the side of the road and
shot in the air. said the witness.
George Wilson. colored, said he
heard the conversation between the
two men and then got out OF sight.
Then he heard the pistol shots and
saw Reeder running. and then he saw
Stephens straighten and shoot at
Reeder. They had been at his house
getting a drink OF water.
All the other witnesses corrobor-
ated the testimony of these two.
: The verdict of the jury was that
Stephens came to his death from pis-
tol shot wounds inflicted at the hands
OF John Reeder.
Reeder gave notice OF his desire to
surrender and was brought to town
on Sunday morning by Mr.. w. w.
Spearman. on whose place he lived,
They we're met on the road by Sher-