The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-13

heard Nnlte say lnal he cOuld XIII
J. W. Ashley, John NJ. Ashley, John
McGaha. Ed Johnston and Ed. Banls-
ter and laugh to look at them die. >
This sounds rather woolly. John Nc
Gaha was ringleader. so it is said,
in the fusillade, one August night
last year, when some members of the
clan Of Ashley came in to have a good
time at the expense Of the citizens
nerves. On this occasion White en-
deavored to quell the marauders.
A Dying Statement.
After the chief Of the elan was
shot, bystanders ran to him, among
them Bob Moore, to whom the wound
ed man said: II am shot and I'm 60
ing to die He was carried upstairs
to the office Of DR.. Payne and soon his
relatives arrived. He lived about four
hours-the shooting was at $50
O 'clock. in the afternoon-and he was
in a more or less comatose condition
throughout. At Josh Ashley's re-
quest, a notary who was present, ask
ed why White had shot him and the
dying man said: "For no cause what
ever and kept on shooting.' The
statement is unsigned and unsealed.
The scenes at the death bed, as the
soul was leaving the giant body, were
said to be very affecting. A number
of his family, including his wife and
Citizen Josh, were present.
After the shooting, the Ashleys
were satisfied that White was inside
the store and several threats against
his life were heard. It is said that
Jim Bob Ashley was one Of those who
made the threats. Word was sent to
other members of the family and some
of those in Honea Path went home to
return with their Winchester rifles. 1t
was four Of these armed men whom
Sheriff Nelson r. Green saw after he
had been summoned by telephone
from Anderson. It is not certain that
there was to be an organized lynch
ing, but the probabilities are great
that one or more Of the infuriated
Ashleys would have killed White,
could they have approached him. The
sheriff had a telephone conversation
with Governor Hayward and as a re-
suit the Anderson troops were called
out Oh a special train.
There were two wounds, one IN the
right breast, the bullet passing
through the body, and another almost
vertically below-the bullet passing
through the stomach and lodging IN
the vertebrae.
The coroner's jury rendered a. SIM
ple verdict in accordance with the
facts.
A Mof CroWo.
The autopsy was being conducted
this morning when the. train arrived
and there wass talk of nothing but the
homicide; The scene vas much more;
garish than pathetic. An ever NOV
ing crowd Of morbid countrymen fled
up and down stairs to the autopsy and
stood on chairs to get a better view OF
the surgeons and their grisly task of
exploring the wounds. The Jail where
the testimony was being taken was
packed and jammed, and countrymen
we're in every imaginable spot on the
streets. Down stairs in the Citizens
bank we're the women of the clan. In
the streets the carnival was III full
progress and the music Of the band
mingled with the voices Of the bark
ers and the jangle Of a cowbell, as
fakir urged try at his cigar babies.
Whenever stranger, or two we'll
known citizens, stopped for a conver-
sation, members of the clan passed by
with curious glances and open ears or
pushed themselves in, while others
stood about retailing information in
the lime light Of publicity.
The young soldiers from Anderson
had nought to do and were kept quar-
tered in hall, except for breakfast
and dinner, until they marched to the
train this afternoon. It is said the
timely appearance of this fine looking
body of men had very salutary effect
last night