The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-08-22
FIEND CAUGHT
And Governor Hayward Goes to
the Scene and
TRIES TO SAVE HIM..

TRIES TO SAVE HIN
Q The Governor Plead EIcquently and Ea
nestly With the Crowd to Let the
j.. Law Take Its Course. But
the Crowd Resps cttuIIy
Declined to Do So.
Bob Davis. the fend who attenptet
) to assault a white girl and who reall.
succeeded in assault!ng colored girl
has been caught and lynched. Afte
the crime was committed OF Tuesda,
big crowd OF men and boys OF botf
races want to hunt down the fend
Thsy searched swamps and house!
and never did the zsal slacken. They
meant to catch that negro, and they
meant to kill him, and that is the
whole story. For forty-eight hours
the hunt kept up without statement,
and then it was rewarded, thirteen G,
fourteen miles away from the little
store in the Whitehall section, where
Bob Davis attempted bis crime and
bis murder. VIII Brooks saw head
close up against log. The body was
prostrate, covered with cane, but the
head showed. Brooks and John Will
Jams caught the reE,o, and it was not
long before be was sled and under es-
cort, started for the sceos Ct his crime
for Identification.
About this time there waS 3 Cover.
oor in Columbia with desp 2 scene OF
pride in bis State, who was sorried
snd pacing his efice. The sheriff Of
the county had telegraphed him that
If Davis was caught he feared lyn.
ching. and he asked for help. Cover.
nor Hayward consulted friends In
Greenwood, and realized that first OF
all the negro might not 'be caught,
and il he should 10, that the temper
Of the people was such that armed
troops might lead to bloodshed and
useless loss Of life. He thought over
che whole situation. No posse could
be assembled in the neighborhood, he
thought, to defend the would be-rav.
tshe, should be be caught. TO order
out the militia might lead to blood
shed. 1t would have been premature
and had the militia been here Dsvis
would hardly have been brought to
the house for personal Identification.
Governor HeyWa:d thought, perhaps,
ne could move the people to realizs-
zion OF their duty as citizens and men
oy a personal appeal to let the Law
take it's course. BE went oyer the
whole thing and felt that the people
might heed him Is Governor Of Soulb
Carolina, pleading for Law and order.
It was e patriotic and an unusual re.
so,e for Governor to virtually get
down on his knees and plead and beg
and implore that the law take its
course. Perhaps some day 1t may &C
oonplish good. ThursdaV it was u,e
less. The circumstances Of The assault,
the young woman in the room fifty
feet away, the long and weary search
the record Of the negro the bloody gar.
nents al conspired to make the elc
quence. the force and the earnestness
of Governor HeyWard's appeal for law
fall on deaf ears.
Tnere had bean wreck near
Chappell, on the Columtia and
Gresnville Road. and the train with
Governor HeYward on board arrived
at Ninety-Six about o'clock THURS
day afternoon. It was seen that
shere was excitement and it was soon
.earned that the sesrchers had negro
and we're on their way to the home
Of J. P. Brooks to have the man
identified. Governor Hayward talked
to the State Senator Brooks. Former
r representative Kinard, Capt. Fraser
and other citizens at the station st
Ninety.Si1. They all told him the
same thing, that he could hardly
hope to do any good, as the crowd
meant death to avenge the outrage
AS soon as possible arrangements
were made to take the Governor to
the Brooks home, eight miles away.
When be arrived there be found
crowd Of City or sixty determined
men there.
The store in which the outrage was
attempted was open and across the
rosd was the nest cottage in which
Miss Jennie Brooks lsy. There were
women folk about. Governor Hay,
ward made himself and his mission
known. He vas cordially received,
but was frankly told that there was
no earthly chance for him to save the
negro should be prove to De the right
man. He went about in the cro wd,
but got no sign Of help OF encourage
nent. The men were there with
pistols and guns ready to kill. They
! were not mere boys on 8 lark, but
men with gray hairs and determine
tion. They came with their coats
| of and q deep.set vengeance. Gov.
ernor HeYward was asked into the
!, house to get a bite to eat. He sug
gested that the lsw take its course
The women folk flashed that they
would act as mon il need be. Cover
nor Ee eyward thought ne might get
Mr.. J. Psst Brooks, the father OF the
young woman, aud q sturdy man, tt
help him; but no, he, too, wanted
quick vengeance. he even wantec
The negro burned.
1t looked hopeless from the VerJ
Stalt. Finally the cavalcade came VI
to the house with the bu1ly negro
tied. The crowd had grown. The
news had spread and from far ane
near came men with their firearms
Men from Green wood, from above ant
oelcw Greenwood, and even IRON