The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-12-20
The TRAGEDY AT GAFFNEY.

lives in attempting to protect
their lady companions from the
insults Of a libertine hotel pro
prietor, should arouse the indlg-
nation Of every man in South
Carolina, and no legal effort
should be spared to bring the
bloodthirsty villain to justice.
The leading editorialin last Mon
days News and Courier is so
completely IN accord with our
views upon this deplorable sub
ject that we reproduce it in full
Milan Bennett, musical directorof she
"Nothing {" But Money" company, was
shot through the heart and instantly
killed by George Hasty at Gatfney, S.
c., last Friday morning. Abbott Davi-
son, comedian and star performer OF the
same company, was shot and wounded
mortallv by the same man at the same
time and died on Saturday. I3asty was
arrested by the Sheriff and lodged in
Jail, and the Coroner's jury. we are told,
drought in verdict in accordance
with the facts"
The "facts:' appear to be that Ben
nett was most brutally slain. The tes-
timony given to the Coroner's Jury
showed that the homicide, one OF the
proprietors of the hotel at which the
theatrical company was stopping, hao
been particularly offensive IN ms con-
duct towards two of the women belong
ing to the company: that he had trleo
TO force his way into the chamber occu-
pied by one of them against her most
earnest protests and that he had IN
suited another woman in the company
so grossly that she complained OF his
conduct to one of his victlms-the man
he shot through the heart-who said to
him: :. do not wish to cause any trou-
bic, but just wish to tell you that any
man who will look over the transom OF
q ladv's apartment does not conform
with my ideas OF a gentleman" There
will be general agreement among de-
cent and respectable men everywhere
as to the truth of that proposition. After
so expressing his opinion OF the conduct
of Hasty the actor started to walk away,
but was called out into the hall OF the
hotel, and, so far as the testimony
shows, without any further remarks
upon his part, and without the least
threat of assault upon the hotel keeper,
was then and there done to death. The
second VIC, IN of his murderous plsto! IS
reported to nave struck Hasty for ms
insult to one of the women under ms
protection, whereupon Hasty immedi-
ately fred two shots into this man, IN
f;cting wounds which proved mortal.
Inshis ante mortem statement the woun-
ded man described in very simple and
STRAIGHTFORWARD way the occurrences
which led to the slaughter OF his com
rade, the attempt of Hasty to invade
the room of one OF the actresses OF his
company, and his denouncing her as a
liar when she charged him with that
offense.
There does not appear to be any eN-
cuse for the terrible tragedy at Gafney.
The theatrical company OF which Ben
nett and Dawson were members had
gone to that place in the work OF their
profession. They stopped at the hotel
of which George Hasty was one OF the
owners and managers. They were his
customers, and as long as they were the
inmates of his house they were under
his protection; yet this man sought oc-
casion to annoy the women OF the COM
pany with his undesirable attentions.
He tried to force his way into one OF
the rooms assigned to them. When he
was refused admittance at the door he
tried to obtain entrance through the
windows, and finally sought to climb
through the transom. When he was
expostulated with for his conduct and
fully identified as au intruder upon the
privacy of the people he had received
into his own house, he drew his pistol
and shot one of them to death and NOR
tally wounded another.
It is one of the bloooies5 deeds that
has ever been committed in the State.
Will the law be sufficient for its punish
ment? will not the penknife which
the brother of the man who killed his
own customers picked up in the hall OF
the hotel where the killing was done
six hours after the shooting be regarded
as proof that George Hasty only tired
the fatal shots when he felt that his
own life was in danger? We may be
very sure that some such defense as this
will be made. It is generally the case
in South Carolina. Moreover, Bennett,
the man who was killed, and Dawson,
the man who was mortally wounded,
were only passing through Gafney.
They had gone there to give theatrl-
cal performance. They were not ac-
ouainted with the people OF the commu-
nity. There were no ties between them
and those who will be required to pass
hereafter upon the guilt or innocence
of one of their own fellow citizens who
killed his own customers. The only tie
between them is the tie Of humanity.
the tie of justice, the tie of mercy. Are
these attributes lacking in the hearts OF
the people of Gaffney? We shall see
when the trial of George Hasty IS held:
It so happens that Mr.. Dawson, one OF
his victims, was Mason and knight
Of Pythias. Probably his connection
with those orders may be OF advantage
to the cause of justice when the laws OF
this State are attempted to be enforced.
We do not wish to condemn any one
without trial, but we wish to protest IN
the name of humanity against the use
less shedding of human blood at Gatf-
ney. This is only another step that
marks our downward course towards
that supreme manifestation of the spirit
ofviolence when every man will become
law unto himself and the strongest
will prevail over the weak.
In his speech to the Sons OF the Revo-
lntlon in Charleston last week the Hon.
Mendel Smith, Speaker of the House OF
Representative of South Carolina,
raised his voice against the spirit OF
violence which now so largely controls
the public sentiment of South Carolina.
He and other men like him must cry
aloud and spare not. The law must
prevail and crime must be punished,
whether the victims of the ready plsto.
are native and to the manner born or
whether they come among US as stran-
gers intent only upon the pursuit OF
their labor and industry. The State is
stained with blood from the mountains
to the sea. The double killing at Gaf-
ocn,7rr66 don int-