The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-28
COLD BLOODED
Assassination of the Rev. Il. D.
Granger, a Baptist Minister
IN HORRY COUNTY.

Living in Adultery, Arrested for
Committing the Revolving
Crime. Now ia Jail.
A dispatch from Conway to The
State says another tragedy has OCCUR
red to stain the fair fame OF Horry
county, sickenirg and revolving in is
details. Friday morning Rev. Har-
mon D. Granger, a Baptist minister,
who lived on his farm near Bayboro,
was shot dead in bis I'D about 9
o'clock in the forenoon. TIE cri'u''
vas perpetrated by an assassin VINO
had hidden himself in the waois ad.
joining the field, and who fred both
barrels Of his shotgun, each loader
with a full load OF buckshct, for 80
we're found In the body. Mr. Granger
was the pastor of several country
churches, and it is said that no man
in HerrY county has preached more
funerals or married more couples.
He vas known and loved not only
In bis immediate neighborhood and
community, but throughout the
length and breadth Of the whole coun-
ty. His family consisted OF his wife
and four children, some OF whom we're
working in the field near him when
the dastardly crime was done. His
brother, Daniel Granger, is maglS
trate Of the county. Just after the
shooting runner was dispatched to
Bayboro, the nearest telegraph Office
on the Atlantic Coast Line railroad,
which was three miles away, with the
following message to the coroner:
Come; Rev. 81. d. Granger shot
dead in his field by unknown party.
(Signed) IL. S. Afford"
Dr.. Burroughs, coroner, B. ]. Ses
sions, sheriff, and = number Of others
went to the scene Of the murder as
quick as they could from Conway.
They reached the scene about o'clock
in the afternoon, where they found
gathered nearly everybody in the com.
nuGity. The coroner's jury was en-
paneled at once, and the taking Of the
testimony continued until 4 O'Clock
Saturday morning. a more thorough
Investigation at an inquest has sell
dom been made.
When the shooting occurred the
other members OF the family were so
badly frightened that they did not go
at once to the prostrate body, but
raised such an outcry for help that
neighbors soon came. The body fell
at the first shot, and death must have
been instantaneous, for the shot
ranged from the waist to the head,
piercj1g every @.,,el organ liver,
spleen, kidneys, lungs, spinal column
and brain. Toe mule he was plowing
stopped, and the chin OF the falling
body caught on the crOsSbar between
the plow handles. The body was not
touched or moved until TIE arrival Of
the coroner. The friends Of the fami-
ly had erected shade cut Of blankets,
pine tops, and so forth. The direc-
tion from which the s,ooting was done
vas determined frs5 by probing the
wounds, and was afterward confirmed
by finding the wadding from the gun
IN nearby bushes.
At first, no suspicion was enter
tanned OF any one in the community,
for it was not thought that Mr. Grain
ger had an enemy: out first one little
Circumstance and another combined
to cast su>p;cioc upjn near neighbor,
Commander johnson, and bis para
mour, Charlotte Sium! ns nee Prince.
johnson ard this woman had hesn
living together in open aGu:.ery for
some months past, anu had Teen the
sutjac0 OF severe comments by Mr.
Grair ger VINO was understood to be
agirating having then presented be-
for the next msetlng OF tie grand
jury.
Tee Testimony 6eTflnpe3 the facts
that Johnson had midas veral threats
to various parties that if Mr.. Granger
persevered in his ioten5i o, h (Jotin-
son) would make nm ST. k )" or
would "bloody his Shirt" etc. al o
taat some tina ago, about two weeks
earlier, be had purchased bucks.ot.
He and his paramour reacaed the
scene together about O'CLOCK in one
afternoon, saying that they beeD fsa.
ing, and had just returned, which was
the reason OF their not comirg sooner.
When Johnson was pu5 on the staad
he testified to the fact that he and
''his woman" bad been fsaing, and
that he had carried his gun in tie
hope OF shooting squirrels, but that
the only shells he had were loaded
with No. I shot. His action, expires
sion and general demeanor were such
as to increase these suspicious.
For some time he Seered to be un.
aware Thereof, but finally took the
alarm, and it was only by the exercise
OF the greatest fnesse that Mr.. Nc
Caskill, the deputy sheriff, vas able tc
hold him on the ground until the order
for his commitment could be prepared
and signed. He has never directly de-
MED the commission, although be has
done 50 by patent implication. Afte1
his arrest, he broke down in a ft Of
weeping and no Wing, which was re-
peated at the depot Saturday morning
just before putting him on the train,
and again after he was lodged in the
Jail. The woman, who separated from
her husband some time ago, alleging
his infdelity as the reason, answered
in the most brazsn manner as to illicit
relations with the accused, admitted
that on this account she had beer
driven from home by her father.
The finding OF the coroner's jury
was that the deceased came to hi!
Death from guShot wounds at the hand
Of Commander Johnson. and Charlottt