The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-07-20
Alleged SIayers of Carter
Children Arraigned.
CASES CALLED IN COURT
j. G. Rawlings, His Three Sons and
Two Negroes Are the Prisoners
Before Widespread In
terest in Proceedings.

One of the most sensational trials
ever held in the southern section Of
Georgia came up at q special term
Of the superior court at Valdosta on
Monday, Judge Mitchell Of Thomas
vile presiding.
The case is that against Milton.
Jesse and Leonard Rawlings, as al.
legged principals; Alf Moore, colored,
as an alleged accessory, and ]. g.
Rawlings, the father of the boys, and
Frank Turner, negro preacher, as
alleged instigators Of the crime. Above
all these, however, stands ]. G. RaE-
Hnss, who is charged with being the
arch instigator in the murder of VII
lie and Carrie Carter, Is and 13-year-
old children of Mr.. and Mrs. w. L.
Garter of the Hahira district.
In charging the grand jury Judge
Mitchell called attention to the fact
that it was the first special term
Of court ever held in the district. He
also spoke in commentator of the
law-abiding spirit of the section OF
the state.
The story of the killing and the
facts surrounding It almost stagser
human belief. There were many cir
cumstances in the case, it is claimed.
that pointed to the Rawlings as the
instigators Of the crime, even before
the statement Of the Carriers or. the
confession Of Alt. Moore had been
made.
There had been feud existing be-
tween Rawlings and Carter for a mum;
Der Of years. The bitterness had been
inherited by Rawlings children, and
it Is charged they did what they could
On every occasion to make 1t unpleas-
ant for the children Of Carter.
Bota men had been ministers Of the
gospel, and Carter had been q member
Of the Methodist conference. Both
had very good farms. and Rawlings
WdS SCuSIoSl oOAy eUSS0 Suo ovS4O6O
farmer In his property. holdings. S
A brief summary OF the tragedy Is
as follows:
On the night of the 18th Of June
last, Just three days after j. G. Raw.
l.ngs was put under a peace bond.
Of $1,000, on warrant sworn out
by Carter, the dog IN Carters yard
began to bark, and his three oldest
children, boy and two girls, started
into the yard to look after a sick
calf, which they thought was being
molested. The father called them
back, and the eldest girl returned to
tie house. ...... s.,
Willie and Carrie ran. through the
garden gate and around the smoke
house, back toward a crack in the
fence, where they expected to go
through. AS they approached the
crack the assassin, standing in the
shade of peach tree, fired upon the
boy and then upon the girl. The girl
dropped dead, while the hoy, after
seeing that she was dead, crawled TO
the house and reported what had hap
pened.
The assassins then remained about
the house all night long until nearly
day, trying to burn the place and thus
destroy the evidences Of their crime.
Carter, however, had small rife and
q gun on the inside Of the house, and
by constantly firing the rifle through
the cracks on different sides OF the
house, kept them from carrying out
their purpose About day his Oldest .
daughter informed neighbors OF what
had happened and the news OF the
tragedy spread like wildfire.
The disclosures since then have
bee,i startling in the extreme. A
dozen people were found, it Is claim
ed, who could testify that Rawlings
had tried to employ them to set fire
to Carter's house and then kill the
family as each member tried to es-
esDe